Jesus does not hide the cost of discipleship. It will not always be easy, but it will be worth it. Dan Finucane, SJ, reflects on the cost and rewards of following Jesus. Based on the readings for Sunday, September 4, 2022.
Hate my family? Carry a cross? Renounce all my possessions? Sheesh, that’s a lot!
Hi, my name is Dan Finucane and this is my one-minute reflection.
Jesus doesn’t sugar-coat his words to the crowd and to us in today’s Gospel. Rather, they feel kind of harsh.
Yet Jesus knows our hearts well. He knows that we so often desire to follow him only to cling to what we know, to what is comfortable, and to avoid discomfort.
What seems harsh is actually deeply loving. Jesus hides nothing from us. Following him will not be easy. It will cost us.
But more importantly, following Jesus will also mean gaining a new family in the Reign of God; sharing in love what we have with one another so that all have what they need; and never carrying our cross alone, knowing that Jesus is always beside us, offering to help.
Jesus never promises discipleship will be easy. But he does promise us the joy of life with him in God’s Reign.
