The Cost of Discipleship

06-19-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Bing Colasito

Lk 9:5162

Jesus is a decisive man, His decisions are radical and total, and those who wish to be disciples need to measure up to it. The Gospel presents three characters or vocation cases that bring to light the requirements for discipleship.

The first is the generous character:I will follow you wherever you go.Jesus replies:Foxes have holes, birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.True generosity is the total giving of self. Jesus left everything, the security of home and family to proclaim the Kingdom of God to the least, lost, and the last. By this, Jesus teaches His disciples that discipleship is being secure, itinerant, and thus, cannot be static. The Church, by nature, is not stagnant but constantly in motion. She goes forth to bring the Gospel throughout the whole world.

Burying a parent is a legitimate request based on the Fourth Commandment:Honor your father and your mother. (Ex. 20:12)So when the second wouldbe disciples asked to take leave and bury his father first, it was a valid request. But to be a disciple, we must put God first over our relationship, our marriage, and our home because when Christ comes first, our foundation is solid.But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Mt. 6:33)

Again, bidding goodbye to family before taking a lifechanging decision is not something wrong. But when the last guy came to Jesus and said: I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home. The Lord responded by saying:No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.Following God also demands focusing on looking and moving forward, a radical decision for God.

Following the footsteps of the Lord is both a rewarding and demanding task. To grow; requires a lot of letting go and letting God or making small decisions that support the bigger goal of discipleship. For the Lord does not want halfhearted discipleship. Any form of material and relationship attachment hinders true discipleship and worship. Material attraction leads to vanities. Relationships not submitted to God becomes a distraction and could become idolatrous. Discipleship is making God first priority in everything and over everyone, with
firm conviction and total freedom.

I heard this before from a wise spiritual director, and I encountered this saying many times in my spiritual reading:God chooses not so much the worthy instrument, but the willing instrument.Remember: As long as we are willing, God will use us.