REFLECTIONS TODAY
“Hate” in the biblical sense often means preference. Thus, “I loved Jacob but hated Esau” (Rom 9:13) means that the Lord, in his sovereign prerogative, chooses the younger Jacob over Esau. So, in the Gospel, Jesus is telling the crowd to prefer another person or group to their family. Given the tight-knit nature of the Middle-Eastern family, this is a very serious matter. The family is the cornerstone of society, the pillar that supports the individual. Since cutting family ties leads to a very precarious existence, a person should have another family to belong to. In this case, a person who “hates” his family transfers to another group—the group of Jesus and the believers. A disciple who deliberately cuts ties with family and social network is bereft of security. This is the “cross” that he carries behind Jesus. That is why he must calculate the cost of following Jesus and remain firmly committed once he takes this option. The parables of one wishing to build a tower and of the king about to march in battle are intended to illustrate the total dedication and detachment demanded of true discipleship. The halfhearted disciple is like salt that has lost its taste, thus cannot serve its purpose (Mt 5:13) or or like lukewarm water that is neither hot nor cold that is spit out of the mouth (Rv 3:16).
Gospel • Lk 14:25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.