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I hadn’t planned to write about last weekend’s Gospel reading, but it has kept coming up in conversation and I’ve spoken to some people who have been really troubled by Jesus’ words, perhaps rightly so:<\/p>\nI hadn’t planned to write about last weekend’s Gospel reading, but it has kept coming up in conversation and I’ve spoken to some people who have been really troubled by Jesus’ words, perhaps rightly so:<\/p>\n
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,\u00a0and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,\u00a0wife and children, brothers and sisters,\u00a0and even his own life,\u00a0he cannot be my disciple. \u00a0Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me\u00a0cannot be my disciple.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Which of you wishing to construct a tower\u00a0does not first sit down and calculate the cost\u00a0to see if there is enough for its completion? \u00a0Otherwise, after laying the foundation\u00a0and finding himself unable to finish the work\u00a0the onlookers should laugh at him and say,\u00a0‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down\u00a0and decide whether with ten thousand troops\u00a0he can successfully oppose another king\u00a0advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away,\u00a0he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n In the same way,\u00a0anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions\u00a0cannot be my disciple.”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n What did Jesus mean when he said we must “hate”<\/em><\/span> our family and even “hate”<\/em><\/span> our own lives? That sounds rather masochistic!<\/p>\n Is this just a bad translation? \u00a0Actually, no, it’s not. \u00a0The Greek word being used here is “miseo”<\/span><\/em>, which, according to Strong’s Greek Lexicon means “to hate, pursue with hatred, detest”<\/span><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The misunderstanding of this passage comes not from the literal meaning of the word being used, but from the\u00a0way <\/em>it is being used. \u00a0In this passage, Jesus is using a Hebrew idiom which is used to express\u00a0preference,\u00a0a technique used elsewhere in Scripture (Genesis 29:31-33<\/a> and\u00a0Malachi 1:2-3<\/a>).<\/p>\n By telling us to “hate”<\/em><\/span> our family and “hate”<\/em><\/span> our own lives, the Lord is telling us that He must be the first<\/span> great love of our lives and we must love all these other things less<\/span> than we love Him. \u00a0Family is good and a blessing from God, but it must take second place to Him. Perhaps a clearer rendering of this passage would be “If you are to be my disciple you must not love your family, or even your own life more than you love me”.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n In fact, loving something more than Jesus is a form of idolatry since we are putting the creature (ourselves, our family or our possessions) before the Creator, God. \u00a0It is only when we have these things properly prioritized that we can begin to be disciples.<\/p>\n However, placing Jesus first does not diminish<\/em> our love for mother, father or wife. \u00a0In fact, it increases it! \u00a0If our lives are ordered correctly so that we love God above all things, our participation in that divine love will empower us to love others better<\/em>, in the way that God<\/em> loves them.<\/p>\n At the end of this Gospel passage Jesus also says that we must “renounce all…possessions”<\/em><\/span>. This does not necessarily mean that we have to give away everything we own (although some people are certainly called to do that). \u00a0It also does not mean having possessions is\u00a0bad<\/em>, any more than having a father or a mother is bad!<\/p>\n Jesus is demanding our\u00a0allegiance and this means putting our possessions in their proper place. \u00a0We must be suitably detached from them and only hold onto them very lightly. \u00a0Our possessions cannot possess us – we must be\u00a0wholly\u00a0Christ’s. \u00a0Salvation may be a free gift, but, in a way, it costs us everything.<\/p>\n “Riches I heed not, nor man\u2019s empty praise, The next sentence makes us even more<\/em> uncomfortable: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple”<\/em><\/span>. \u00a0What does this mean? \u00a0Whatever it means, it doesn’t sound like it’s much fun! \u00a0Why do I need to carry a cross? \u00a0Didn’t Jesus do that for us?<\/p>\n In a general sense this “cross”<\/span><\/em> that we must each carry represents the trials and problems of our daily lives. \u00a0Fortunately, thanks to the redemptive work of Christ He has transformed suffering. \u00a0Christ’s cross speaks to us of victory, even through, to the world, it speaks of failure. \u00a0Thanks to Jesus we can unite the crosses of each day to His and He can imbue them with redemptive value:<\/p>\n “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.”<\/em> – Colossians 1:24<\/span><\/p>\n However, the “cross”<\/span> here also speaks to us of sacrifice. \u00a0Being Jesus’ disciples will cost us something. \u00a0Jesus’ suffering doesn’t exempt us from it. \u00a0In fact, if we are to\u00a0live Christ-like lives, it’s inevitable. \u00a0St. Paul was very clear about this:<\/p>\n
\n<\/em><\/span><\/p>\nMasochism or poor linguistics?<\/h2>\n
Jesus, first in my heart<\/h2>\n
Don’t let the things you own, own you<\/h2>\n
\nThou mine Inheritance, now and always:
\nThou and Thou only, first in my heart,
\nHigh King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art. ” – Hymn,\u00a0Be Thou My Vision<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/em><\/span><\/em><\/p>\nCarrying a cross with Jesus<\/h2>\n
Cost of Discipleship<\/h2>\n