A Reflection on Luke 14:25-33
Have you ever wanted something so bad that you were willing
to give up everything else to get it? Maybe it was learning to play an
instrument, or making rosaries, or becoming really good at something you love.
Jesus knows that feeling, and in Luke 14, He's asking us an important question:
Do we want Him that much? When Jesus talks about the "cost" of being
His disciple, He's not trying to scare us away. He's inviting us into something
so beautiful and so real that it's worth everything we have.
Jesus says we must "hate" our family and even our own lives to follow
Him. That sounds harsh, doesn't it? But Jesus is using strong words to help us
understand something powerful. He's saying that our love for Him should be so
huge, so overwhelming, that every other love looks small by comparison. It's
like how the brightest star makes all the other stars seem dim. Jesus isn't
asking us to stop loving our families; He's asking us to love Him first and
most, so that we can love everyone else even better.
Think about a builder who starts constructing a tower but doesn't have enough
materials to finish it. Many laugh at the half-built tower sitting there. Imagine
a king going to war without enough soldiers to win. Jesus uses these examples
to help us count the cost before we begin. Following Jesus isn't about starting
strong and fading away. It's about knowing from the beginning that this journey
will ask everything of us and deciding that Jesus is worth it. He wants
disciples who are all in, not halfway committed.
So, what does it really cost to follow Jesus? It costs us our need to be in
control. It costs us our pride and our selfishness. It costs us our old way of
living where we're the center of our own universe. But here's the beautiful
secret: what Jesus asks us to give up is exactly what's been holding us back
from true joy.
When Jesus says we must "carry our cross," He's talking about dying
to ourselves every single day. That might sound sad, but it's actually the path
to real life. Every time we choose to forgive instead of holding a grudge,
we're carrying our cross. Every time we share instead of hoard, serve instead
of demand to be served, or speak truth in love instead of gossiping, we're
dying to our selfish nature and coming alive in Jesus. The cross isn't just
about suffering; it's about transformation. It's the doorway to resurrection
life.
Our Blessed Mother Mary understood the cost of discipleship better than anyone.
When she said "yes" to God, she knew it would cost her everything, her
reputation, her comfort, her very heart as she watched her Son carry His cross.
Yet she never turned back. This is why devotion to Our Lady is so beautiful on
our journey of discipleship. When we pray the Rosary, we're walking with Mary
through the mysteries of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection. Each bead is
like a small step of surrender, our little "yes" to God, just like
Mary's. Making rosaries for others is a simple act of love, it takes our time,
our patience, our hands, and offers it all so that someone else might draw
closer to Jesus through Mary's intercession. When we're making rosary beads
together, we're really asking God to draw our own hearts closer to Jesus and
Mary, humbly learning from the perfect disciple who gave everything and
received everything in return.
The journey to being in God's presence for eternity starts right now, today,
with a simple question: Is Jesus worth everything? The amazing thing is that
when we say "yes" to Him, we discover that He's already given
everything for us. He left heaven's glory, walked dusty roads, loved difficult
people, and died on a cross, all because you are worth everything to Him. When
you understand how much He paid for you, the cost of following Him doesn't seem
like a burden anymore. It becomes a privilege, a joy, an adventure of love that
leads you home to His heart, now and forever. So, take His hand, count the
cost, and discover that walking with Jesus is the greatest treasure you'll ever
find.
©2025 James Dacey, Jr., OFS
