Homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
(Lk 14: 25-33)
TO BECOME JESUS’ DISCIPLE
Fr. Joseph Dinh, O.P (September 08, 2013)
Dear Sisters and
Brothers,
Since our baptism, we
have become members of the Church and also children of the Lord. However, baptism
alone is not enough for us to become Jesus’ disciples. Today, in the Gospel of
Saint Luke, Jesus gives us some more requirements. According to Jesus, those
who want to follow Him have to give up everything and to be able to make a that
decision wisely.
Firstly, Jesus asks
us to give up everything then follow Him.
What does Jesus ask
us to give up? He demands us to leave our Parents, wives, husbands, children
then come to Him. As we know, Parents and family are very important in our
lives. We cannot grow up without our parents’ nurturing us and providing us
with education. Our spouse is half of our lives and children are our blood and
flesh. Nevertheless, Jesus wants us to leave them in order to serve God better.
More emphatically, Jesus also requires us to give up ourselves, to carry the
cross, in order to follow His footsteps.
Teaching us in these
words, Jesus, did not want us to treat our relatives rudely, but we have to
choose Him radically. There is nothing in the world able to compared with Jesus.
So choosing Jesus is the first choice and forever. It is no doubt that the
hardest action when choosing Jesus is to give up ourselves. However, giving up
ourselves is knowing how to control our need; to reject things which are not
the Lord’s will; even to refuse a thing if it is not suitable for a disciple of
the Lord.
Secondly,
to become Jesus’ disciple, we must be able to make a decision wisely.
Everyone has freedom to
choose thing in their lives. We use our
freedom to make decision and God does not interrupt us. However, we have to
accept the result of our choices. Therefore, following Jesus’ footsteps is a
very important decision which demands us to use our wisdom. Giving a parable
about a man going to build a tower or a king who is going into an encounter
with another King, Jesus does not talk about construction or military campaign;
rather Jesus wants to remind us of having to think carefully before making an
action.
During our lives, how
many towers will we build? And how many times will we encounter with
temptations? What will we do if we do not give things careful consideration? We
ask ourselves what will happen if we choose this one or that one? What is the
Lord’s teaching to be obeyed in this matter? Likewise, we are the Lord’s
children who follow Jesus’ footsteps, ask us to use our wisdom to choose the
right way, in spite of unfavourable rusults that may come about.
Dear Sisters and
Brothers,
People who want to
become Jesus’ disciples are not only those who consecrate themselves to God but
all of us. Following Jesus is not a temporary action but includes our whole
behaviour. Moreover, becoming Jesus’ disciple is not simply to praise or admire
him. But a true disciple of Christ should imitate his way of life and his love.
In other words, we should become servants of others, even to the point of sacrificing
ourselves, as Jesus did sacrifice his life on the cross for our sins and for
the salvation of the world. Amen.
Fr. Joseph Dinh, O.P.
