The Holy Martyr Aretas and those with him (523).
Colossians 2:20-3:3; Luke 9:23-27.
Read Luke 9:23-27
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Before we get into the really challenging words of today’s gospel, maybe we should reflecting on the first words of this passage. Jesus says, “If any man would come after me…” This is not a command, or even a request, it’s just a conditional statement. Jesus simply suggests that some people might want to follow him.
And maybe that’s a good enough start for us. We are attracted to Jesus; we like the idea of following him.
We know (like the disciples) that Jesus is not a normal religious teacher. We know, like the disciple’s learned in the verses just before today’s passage, that he will suffer, be rejected, be put to death, and then rise again. But that doesn’t take the edge out of today’s gospel – that anyone who wants to be a disciple of Jesus will have to die too, on a daily basis, and perhaps even by actually laying down his or her life.
This is a tall order, and a lot of us may be tempted to throw in the towel at this point. So, if you feel that way…why don’t we just focus on Jesus’ first words. “If any man would come after me…” That doesn’t sound so bad. At least, it doesn’t sound impossible. We’re attracted to Jesus: might as well stay around a while longer. If we take our call to be disciples one day at a time, keeping our eyes on Christ and aiming to follow him, we’re already learning how to live for someone other than ourselves. The hard stuff, when the time comes, won’t be as impossible as it sounds if we keep following Christ, one day at a time.
Bible References