Dietrich Bonheoffer's classic, The Cost of Discipleship, elaborates on three points of today's passage from Luke's Gospel: to be a disciple one must deny oneself, take up the cross, and follow Jesus. (Lk 9: 23). These also provide a framework for our Lenten observance. We fast and abstain, denying ourselves of meat and extra food on two specific designated days: Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday and we abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent. These are the minimum, but we are encouraged to "give up" other things, to exercise self-restraint, and deny ourselves something we normally enjoy to help us in our quest to bend our wills to the will of God.
We bear our own suffering, physical, psychological, or spiritual, to be in tune with the suffering Jesus underwent, even to death on the cross. We try to alleviate the sufferings of others by spending time with them, listening to them and comforting them as best we can.
And finally, to follow Jesus is not just a "one time" commitment, but one for a lifetime.
Truly, discipleship is not cheap, but it's what we bargain for when we call ourselves Christian.
Bro. Rene
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