Homilies

23rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY, OF DISCIPLESHIP

“Become a fan!” had been the phrase that was used in order invite people to like a Facebook page.  These pages aim at getting the most number of “fans” for promotion and advertising one's product. The bigger the number, the better!

The gospel says that great crowds were traveling with Jesus. We can only surmise that these people were impressed by Jesus’ preaching and miracles, and thus, they must be eager to join him and become his disciples. But with his succeeding exhortations, it appears that Jesus damps down their enthusiasm by throwing them challenges which are difficult to accomplish. Jesus did not soften or modify the conditions of discipleship so as to gain a large following. Rather, he insisted on it by showing them that discipleship is indeed his business and there is a cost of discipleship. Jesus mentioned three things: a) hatred toward father, mother, children et al.; b) carrying the cross; and c) renunciation of possessions.

First, discipleship demands self-donation to God. A disciple gives himself /herself totally to God. A disciple gives himself/herself everything to God. Thus, Jesus wanted to get rid of the hindrances to this new relationship.

One hindrance could be the family. Family relationship and cohesiveness is of prime importance to the Jews. This is also true to other cultures, like the Filipino culture. We naturally value our family because they are a source of our security and support. We cannot live without it. But then too much attachment can be dangerous to our discipleship. Too much love for the family could lead to wrong priorities in life. If we value family more than God, then it could be a problem.

The other hindrance could be the possessions. Obsessions with possessions can be dangerous because these would become our “gods” and therefore, the true God would be left out. Relationships and possessions are important for our personal growth but these should not hinder our following of Christ.

Second, discipleship demands self-sacrifice. Renunciation of possessions cannot be easy. Abandoning the family cannot be easy. Only those people who have the ability to sacrifice can accomplish this. Sacrifice is not alien to us. In our day-to-day existence, we see and hear stories of sacrifices. Some parents leave their children at home and migrate to other countries for economic reasons. It was a great sacrifice for them, and they are hurting. They have felt the pain of separating themselves from their children.

We can translate this experience of sacrifice to our relationship with God. God’s words are not easy to swallow and God’s commandments are not easy to follow. Why? Because they run counter to the values of the world. This is where self-sacrifice is needed.

Let us remember that Jesus is interested with the quality of our discipleship. Jesus does not need "fan clubs." He does not need a great number of Christian fans who simply “like” or appreciate Jesus. He needs true followers, and thus, he wants us to be his disciples.

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