CẢM NGHIỆM SÔNG - REFLECTION 23RD SUNDAY - C

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Category: 2. Cảm Nghiệm Sống Lời Chúa
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    Mo Nguyen
     
    Sep 7 at 4:33 AM
     
     
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            THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS        

     

                      TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME /C

                                           08 SEPTEMBER 2019

                         REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL (Luke 14: 25-33)

                                      THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS

    Today’s Gospel contains some of the most demanding utterances attributed to Jesus. Yet, Jesus is simply being honest with his disciples. He foresees that they will inevitably get caught up in the suffering and death he now sees to lie ahead of himself. It would do them no service to keep them ignorant of this. He must prick any illusions they have about where following him might lead.

    Jesus does this, initially, in the strong language about ‘hating’ one’s father, mother, etc.’. Here we should see a Semitic idiom at work. It is nota matter of literally coming to ‘hate’ one’s family members in the way that English expression might suggest. Semitic languages, by and large, do not have a word for ‘prefer’. What Jesus is saying, then, is that family allegiances – so strong in the Palestinian culture of Jesus – have to take second place as far as following him in concerned. Those who adopt his mission, his commitments, and his way of life will inevitably cause pain and sacrifice to those who hold them dear and who perhaps have other plans for them. Hence would-be disciples need to count the cost – a process Jesus illustrates with the parables concerning the builder and the king.

     

    Finally, the most radical challenge for a would-be disciple – to give up ‘all possessions’ – has to be heard in the context of the heart of Jesus’ message, that is, his invitation to the kingdom. His comparison with this supreme good the losses entailed in the present conditions of discipleship find some proportion.

    Brendan Byrne, SJ

    Elvis Presley - He Is My Everything with lyrics:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gh0f6XSeJM

    The Cost // Inspirational Christian Video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXjFCzPgnJk

    Following Jesus - Counting The Cost:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOGGEX5l9HU

     

              Following Jesus - Counting The Cost  

     

     

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