GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
DATE: 4TH SEPTEMBER 2016
23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1ST READING: Wisdom 9:13-18
PSALM: Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17
2ND READING: Philemon 1:9-10, 12-17
GOSPEL: Luke 14:25-33
THEME: TOTAL SURRENDER
It takes real faith to sit in an aeroplane or any fast-moving vehicle. To think of it, when a passenger sits in a plane she entrusts her life, for the next couple of minutes or hours, into the hands of a pilot she does not know. The passenger is virtually at the mercy of the pilot during the whole period up there in the air. However, the passenger chooses to take the risk of surrendering her life to the pilot because of the importance she attaches to that journey; she has a destination in view.
“For who can learn the counsel of God? Or who can discern what the Lord wills? For the reasoning of mortals is worthless, and our designs are likely to fail…people have been taught what pleases you, and have been saved, by Wisdom” (Wis 9:13-14, 18). From the perspective of our Christian faith, Jesus Christ is Wisdom personified. He is the one who saves us.
In our Gospel text for today, Jesus, without mincing words, lays bare the demands of choosing to sit in his aeroplane that leads to salvation. He says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple…none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions” (Luke 14:26-27,33).
A word that stands out in the above statement of Jesus that needs further clarification is “hate”. It is a very strong word and yet it gives no one the license to hate somebody. Within the context in which it appears, it basically means having single-minded loyalty in discipleship.
Jesus invites his would-be disciples to make a total commitment to him. No attachment to family or possessions can stand in the way of those who choose to follow him. He does not hide the element of the cross in discipleship. He lays it bare. For this reason, he tells his audience to make a realistic assessment of the true cost of discipleship (cf. Lk. 14:28-32).
Statistically, the number of Christians in our world today is in the billions but realistically we are far less than that figure. We have many “cosmetic Christians”. These are people who “decorate” themselves externally with some Christian practices when it suits them but they have no real allegiance to Christ himself. Discipleship is a serious matter and calls for total surrender to Christ. To choose to follow Jesus Christ is to surrender oneself completely to his will. It is no longer about what you want, it is about what Jesus wants. St. Paul, in our Second Reading, stands out as a model of discipleship. Even in prison, he remained faithful to the cause of Christ.
The difference between Jesus and any other pilot of an aeroplane is that the former will never falter whereas the latter is prone to making wong choices and mistakes . With Jesus, you cannot fall into the ocean and perish. With him, one is certain to arrive safely in the Kingdom of God.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am yours. I surrender all and I take you. Amen
Andrews Obeng, svd
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)
“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen).