Relinquishment

Note: We still seem to be a day behind.  Let's see what happens today.

 Luke 14: 25-33

The Cost of Being a Disciple

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

Jesus is very clear about the cost of discipleship.  It means giving up, relinquishing our "treasures", even our families in order to be a faithful follower of Jesus.  There is pain in giving up our wills, our "own way" in order to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, yet if we don't, we cannot be his disciple.  Is there a choice, my comfort, "my way" or discipleship, friendship with Jesus?

We remember St. Charles Borromeo today, a great reformer of the Catholic Church after the "Protestant Reformation" who as bishop of Milan with his pastoral skills helped bring people back to the practice of the Faith. "Have great confidence in the Lord, who will always be everything for your greatest good.  Have your eyes continually on the providence of God thinking that nothing comes about without his will and good is drawn out of everything." Written in the sixteenth century, but still applicable today.

May we then take up our cross, dispose of what hinders us from true discipleship, and walk forward with confidence with our loving God who wants nothing but what is best for us.

Bro. Rene