The Gospel last Sunday is one of the hardest teachings of Jesus. He tells the crowd following Him that if anyone wants to be His disciple, they must “hate” father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, even one’s own life. It shocks us. But Jesus is not teaching us to despise our families. He is using strong language to emphasize a truth: to be His disciple, He must come first—above every other love, even the dearest relationships, even our own comfort.
Discipleship is not a hobby or a part-time job; it is a total commitment. Following Jesus means reordering our priorities. He is not asking us to neglect our families, but to love them in Him and through Him. If we love Him first, we can love them better. Without Him, our love easily becomes selfish or conditional. This is the radical demands of discipleship.
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” These are heavy words. The cross is not only suffering—it is also fidelity. To carry our cross is to remain faithful in trials, to embrace sacrifices for the sake of love. Every vocation—priesthood, marriage, single life—has its cross. To carry it with Christ is the only way to resurrection. Indeed, the cross is the way, and there must be no other way.
Jesus then gives two examples: a man building a tower and a king going to war. Both must “sit down and calculate the cost.” Likewise, discipleship is not blind enthusiasm or shallow excitement. It requires reflection, resolve, and readiness. Before following Jesus, we must ask: Am I willing to let go of my possessions, my pride, my comfort, even my own plans? Without this readiness, we risk becoming like the unfinished tower—starting well but ending in failure.
Finally, Jesus says: “Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” He is not condemning wealth itself, but attachment to it. Possessions often possess us. They chain our hearts and prevent us from following freely. True discipleship means holding things lightly, ready to let go when God asks.
This Gospel is a wake-up call. Following Jesus is beautiful, but it is costly. He never promised an easy road—only a meaningful one. If we put Him first, carry our cross with love, and live with detachment, then our lives will not be an unfinished project, but a completed masterpiece of grace.
So today, let us ask ourselves: What is my cross? What do I need to let go of? Am I ready to put Jesus first in everything?