LUKE 14:25-33
SAINT LOUIS OF FRANCE
WAS A GREAT KING. HE CONTROLLED FRANCE AND OWNED CASTLES. DURING
HIS LIFETIME, HE ACCUMULATED MORE AND MORE FOR THE MONARCHY, AND AT
HIS DEATH IT PASSED TO HIS SON. IN FACT THERE WERE MANY KINGS AND
QUEENS WHO BECAME SAINTS. MOST OF THEM HAD MANY POSSESSIONS. SAINT
THERESA OF LISEAUX WAS VERY CLOSE TO HER FATHER, WHO HAS BEEN
BEATIFIED. AFTER HER MOTHER'S DEATH, HE AND ONE OF HER OLDER SISTERS
PRACTICALLY RAISED HER, AND SHE NEVER FORGOT IT. SAINT BENEDICT AND
HIS SISTER, SAINT SCHOLASTICA, WERE SO CLOSE THAT WHEN SCHOLASTICA
WAS DYING, BENEDICT BROKE HIS OWN RULES SO THAT HE COULD LEAVE THE
MONASTERY AND BE WITH HER. AND SAINT AUGUSTINE NEVER TURNED HIS BACK
ON HIS MOTHER, SAINT MONICA.
OUR CHURCH HAS PROCLAIMED
THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE IN HEAVEN, AND THEREFORE THEY WERE
DISCIPLES OF JESUS WHILE ON EARTH. AND YET, WE HEAR JESUS' OWN WORDS
TODAY – UNLESS YOU HATE FATHER AND MOTHER....YOU CAN NOT BE MY
DISCIPLE. UNLESS YOU RENOUNCE ALL YOUR POSSESSIONS, YOU CANNOT BE MY
DISCIPLE. AND JESUS TELLS US THAT UNLESS YOU TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND
FOLLOW HIM, YOU CANNOT BE HIS DISCIPLE. UNLESS YOU HATE YOUR VERY
LIFE, YOU CANNOT BE MY DISCIPLE. WHAT SHOULD WE MAKE OF ALL THOSE
STATEMENTS? DOES JESUS MEAN WHAT HE SAYS? OR IS HE JUST
EXAGGERATING FOR RHETORICAL EFFECT?
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
LOOK AT THIS WHOLE PASSAGE FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE. IN THE MIDDLE,
JESUS GIVES TWO EXAMPLES – A PERSON WHO SETS OUT TO BUILD A TOWER,
BUT ISN'T ABLE TO COMPLETE IT BECAUSE HE DIDN'T THINK IT THROUGH,
DIDN'T GET THE NECESSARY CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND LABORERS. AND
PEOPLE LAUGH AT HIM FOR BEING SUCH A DUNCE. AND THE KING WHO IS
BEING BESIEGED BY ANOTHER KING. HE CAREFULLY CALCULATES WHETHER HE
HAS WHAT HE NEEDS TO KEEP THE ATTACKING ARMY FROM OVERWHELMING HIS
OWN KINGDOM – AND IF HE DECIDES HE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH TROOPS, HE
SENDS A MESSENGER TO FIND OUT THE TERMS OF SURRENDER.
AND REMEMBER, THIS IS
ADDRESSED TO THE CROWDS THAT FOLLOW JESUS.
I DON'T THINK JESUS MEANS
FOR US TO LITERALLY HATE THOSE WHO OUR HUMAN NATURE TELLS US TO
LOVE. I DON'T THINK JESUS MEANS FOR US TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING AND GO
LIVE UNDER A BRIDGE SOMEWHERE. I THINK JESUS IS TELLING US SOMETHING
DIFFERENT, SOMETHING MORE PROFOUND.
IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A
DISCIPLE OF JESUS, IT IS HARD WORK. YOU'VE GOT TO WORK AT IT A
LITTLE EVERY DAY. HE WILL GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED, BUT HE EXPECTS YOU
TO EXAMINE YOUR CONSCIENCE, LEARN WHAT HE WANTS OF YOU, AND ASK
PARDON FOR YOUR SINS. HE EXPECTS YOU TO DEVELOP VIRTUES, WHICH ARE
HABITS THAT LEAD TO GRACE. HE EXPECTS YOU TO LISTEN TO HIS WORD,
CONVEYED THROUGH THE BIBLE AND THROUGH THE CHURCH. YOU CAN'T BE A
DISCIPLE BECAUSE YOU PRAY, YOU LIVE A GOOD LIFE, YOU AVOID SERIOUS
SIN. AND JESUS TELLS US THE THREE GREAT BARRIERS TO BECOMING A
DISCIPLE. THEY ARE:
FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IN
ANY FAMILY, YOU WILL FIND DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESS –
AND AT THE SAME TIME, CONFLICTS OVER THAT. LITTLE JIMMY WANTS TO BE
A PRIEST. DAD AND MOM THINK HE SHOULD USE HIS TALENTS TO BE A
DOCTOR, OR A LAWYER. EVENTUALLY HE GOES ALONG WITH THEM. MOM IS
ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING FOR THE CHURCH. DAD GETS TO MASS ON SUNDAY,
LITTLE ELSE. WHEN MOM IS ABOUT TO GO OFF TO TEACH IN THE FAITH
FORMATION PROGRAM, HE ALWAYS CRITICIZES HER FOR NEGLECTING HER
FAMILY. EVENTUALLY SHE RESIGNS. THE MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILIES HAVE
TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE OVER US, AND CAN COME BETWEEN JESUS AND
OURSELVES. AND SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE.
POSSESSIONS. EVEN A
FRANCISCAN NEEDS POSSESSIONS. GOT TO HAVE A ROBE, SANDALS – AND
LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHICH COLLECTIVELY POSSESSES THE MINIMAL AMOUNT
OF WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR LIFE. AND POSSESSIONS HELP US CARRY OUT OUR
MINISTRY. IN TODAY'S WORLD, A PARISH PRIEST WITHOUT A CAR WOULD HAVE
PROBLEMS CARRYING OUT HIS DUTIES. POSSESSIONS, OF COURSE, INCLUDE
THINGS LIKE TAKING VACATIONS, GOING GOLFING OR FISHING; BECAUSE WE
BASICALLY TRADE A POSSESSION, MONEY, FOR AN EXPERIENCE. BUT
SOMETIMES WE FACE CHOICES – SOME PEOPLE AQUIRE ALMOST AS A MATTER
OF ADDICTION; OTHERS SPEND A LOT OF TIME WORRYING ABOUT WHAT THEY
HAVE AND HOW TO KEEP IT. AND OF COURSE, SOME OF US WOULD RATHER
SPEND OUR SURPLUS INCOME ON A BETTER CAR OR A GREAT VACATION, THAN
CONTRIBUTE TO THE WELFARE OF OTHERS – FORGETTING THAT ANCIENT
COMMANDMENT TO GIVE 10% – TO TITHE. POSSESSIONS OFTEN COME BETWEEN
US AND JESUS.
AND OUR CROSSES. WE ALL
HAVE THEM, SOME LARGE, SOME SMALL. CROSSES HOLD US DOWN; OUR
TENDENCY IS TO TURN INWARD WHEN WE ARE SICK OR IN PAIN. IF WE ARE IN
A BAD MARRIAGE, OR RAISING A CHILD WITHOUT A SPOUSE, OR HAVE JUST
LOST OUR JOB, WE FEEL THAT IT IS ALL WE CAN DO TO COPE WITH OUR
CROSS. AND YET, JESUS TELLS US TO PICK UP OUR CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM.
OUR CROSSES CAN GET BETWEEN US AND JESUS.
TODAY JESUS TELLS US THAT
IF WE REALLY WANT TO BE HIS DISCIPLE, WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR
BARRIERS THAT WILL GET IN THE WAY. IF WE AREN'T PREPARED TO CHOOSE
HIM RATHER THAN A FAMILY MEMBER, IF WE AREN'T PREPARED TO CHOOSE HIM
RATHER THAN A POSSESSION, IF WE AREN'T PREPARED TO CHOOSE HIM RATHER
THAN LET OUR CROSS HOLD US BACK, THEN WE SHOULDN'T EVEN START. BUT
HOW DO WE PREPARE? THERE ARE THREE TOOLS WE HAVE. ONE IS PRAYER –
IT HELPS US KNOW AND LOVE GOD, AND BECAUSE OUR LOVE IS STRENGTHENED,
WE ARE READY TO CHOOSE HIM OVER ALL OUR OTHER LOVES. A SECOND IS
FASTING. WHEN WE DEPRIVE OURSELVES OF SOMETHING, WE GROW STRONGER,
SO THAT WHEN A TIME COMES WHEN WE HAVE TO CARRY OUR CROSS TO FOLLOW
HIM, WE ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO DO SO. AND ONE IS ALMSGIVING OR GIVING
AWAY SOME OF OUR RICHES. WHEN WE DO THIS, WE DETACH OURSELVES FROM
WHAT WE HAVE, SO THAT IF WE EVER HAVE TO CHOOSE GOD OVER OUR
POSSESSIONS, WE HAVE THE STRENGTH.
SO THAT IS THE LESSON OF
THIS GOSPEL. BE PREPARED SO THAT WE ARE UP TO THE TASK BEFORE US –
TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
