Luke 14:25-33
‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.‘
As Jesus journeys further towards Jerusalem his teaching on the demands of discipleship becomes more intense. When he speaks of us ‘hating father, mother…’ he is using exaggerated language to make the point that if we want to follow him it will demand everything we have.
The idea that we must ‘hate life itself’ has never sat easily with me. I have always had to find a way to go deeper with these words. I am reminded of the equally demanding discipleship of the Rule of St Benedict:
Let no one presume to give or receive anything without the Abbot’s leave,
or to have anything as his own–anything whatever,
whether book or tablets or pen or whatever it may be–
since they are not permitted to have even their bodies or wills
at their own disposal; but for all their necessities
let them look to the Father of the monastery.Ch 33 Monks and Private Ownership
Jesus and St Benedict have their sights set on the same goal: complete dedication to God the Father. Jesus and St Benedict both want us to be free of anything that would weigh us down or cloud our vision. The cross will always be at the centre. We know this from the outset.
The two short parables of the person building a tower and the king going out to war encourage me. They ground me in the reality of the choices and plans that I make. While I cant predict what size or shape my cross will be, I can be certain that I will be called to carry it. When my parents presented me for baptism, the anointing with chrism equipped me for this:
God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into his holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet and King, so may you live always as a member of his body.
How can you follow Christ more closely this week?