Luke is the travel writer of the New Testament. Both his gospel and the Acts of the Apostles are journey narratives. In Luke 9.51, Jesus begins making his way to Jerusalem, where he will suffer, die, be raised, and ascend. In Sunday’s gospel he is in the middle of this journey, which extends until Luke 19.
Along the way, Jesus proclaims glad tidings to the poor, takes the side of the oppressed, and brings compassion and healing to the afflicted. He also teaches and prepares his chosen disciples to continue this work after he leaves them.
The sayings in Sunday’s gospel are part of that teaching. They make the point that following Jesus is a serious commitment, more important than family ties. Following Jesus entails painful suffering—even death — and requires renunciation of all possessions. Failure to understand and prepare for the rigors of the journey can lead to disastrous consequences.
Jesus’ teaching seems harsh and frightening, particularly the words about hating family and carrying a cross. Understanding that exaggeration and paradox are figures of speech diminishes the harshness somewhat. But to carry the cross was not, as it has become, a familiar metaphor for enduring suffering.
Crucifixion was an excruciatingly painful and shameful form of execution, reserved for Rome’s vilest criminals and insurrectionists, cruelly calculated to deter imitators. Jesus’ statement, “Whoever does not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple,” would have shocked and rocked his listeners.
But that was his intent. Jesus is teaching crowds. He uses strong and shocking language to shake people out of the false certainty of popular messianic expectations. Like a coach trying to bring cocky players down to earth before a game with an underrated opponent, like a union leader trying to remind angry workers how long a strike can be, Jesus talks tough and straight from the shoulder. “Friends, we’re not on the way to a Sunday school picnic.”
Sunday’s gospel is meant to sober us up, to remind us that, though we are invited to the joyful and wonderful messianic feast, the road there is not an easy one.
- What popular ideas of who Jesus is and what he stands for do you see as misconceptions?
- In what ways have you carried Jesus’ cross?
The conditions Jesus lays down for discipleship are unambiguous. First of all, we must “hate” parents, spouse, children, and even our own life. In other words, we must love him more than our loved ones or ourselves. This is a way of stating the two great commandments — to love God with all our hearts, all our beings, all our strength, and all our minds, and love our neighbors as ourselves.
Jesus’ sayings also make clear that discipleship is more than a private matter. The God of Jesus is not a household god. Faith in God is more than a family tradition or personal belief. Following Jesus takes us into the world, away from home, even away from ourselves, into relationships with people not like us. “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it,” says Jesus in Luke 8.21.
Jesus’ life and work were scandalous, and disciples who try to live and do as he did can expect to endure shaming, harassment, and even violence, as he did. That is the meaning of the requirement to carry the cross.
Proclaiming the good news of God’s abundant loving kindness toward all people contradicts conventional wisdom that there is not enough love or anything else to go around, so it must be reserved for our own kind. Taking the side of the poor and oppressed incurs the wrath of wealthy, powerful oppressors. Healing the sick free of charge, no matter who they are or where they live or how they got that way, brings condemnation from those who despise the afflicted or aim to profit from their misery.
- What is scarce in your life? What is abundant?
- If as St. Ambrose said, “the world is given to all, and not only to the rich,” how can we organize the economy to make sure that everyone has enough resources for a decent life?
Finally, Jesus demands that his followers have the necessary resources. Like a builder who, before starting a tower, makes sure he has enough money to complete it; like a king marching into battle who makes sure he has enough troops to win, so Jesus’ disciples must make sure they have the wherewithal to follow him.
But in his best paradoxical fashion, Jesus insists, “Less is more.” We ready ourselves for building by renouncing our possessions.
Possessions, however many, are not enough. They are not the “right stuff.” Only nothing is enough. One who wishes to be a disciple gets enough by giving away.
This generous economics of discipleship turns accepted economic theories on their heads. It is God’s economy of abundance, not the prevalent economy of scarcity, profit, and market share. It is the economics of the great feast, where the host insists on filling the house and lavishing generosity on friends and strangers alike. And even after his servants have scoured the alleys of the town for the poor and crippled, the blind and the lame, there was still plenty of room. Sharing spreads and multiplies wealth.
Jesus aims to shake the crowds out of their erroneous expectations and alert them to the demands and dangers of continuing to follow him. His words should disturb us and challenge us to evaluate the depth of our commitment to follow him. Being gospel words, they also carry power to help us meet the difficult conditions of discipleship.
- The unsinkable Molly Brown said, “Money is like manure. In order for it to do any good, you have to spread it around.” Tell about a treasure in your life that you have managed to spread around.
- What more has renouncing possessions given you?