Jesus has made up his mind to go to Jerusalem.  That is, he does not turn back in the face of death.  So, to go with him means to follow him on the way to death. 

Big crowds go with Jesus as he travels to Jerusalem.  But quality interests him more than quantity.  Yes, a big harvest calls for more workers, but they must be true workers (SV.EN XI:33).

So, to be true disciples, it is not enough for us to we go with him.  We must also be and do as he tells us.

And we hear today that those who go with him as his true disciples hate their parents, spouses, children, siblings.  Themselves, too, and they carry their own crosses as they follow him.  These strong words, no doubt, shock us, but they also help us to remember them better.

They also go to show that to go with him, to follow him, is not a light matter.  It asks us to think hard, to take stock of ourselves with care, and to pray always.  In other words, we cannot be rash or presumptuous. After all, it is as serious, if not more serious than, to build a tower or to wage war.

But the point that counts most and which we should not miss is this: to hate or deny ourselves is to know only Jesus Christ on the cross; it means to fix our gaze on him.

And if we know just Jesus Christ on the cross, we shall know that we are weak and foolish.  But to be weak is to be strong, and to be foolish is to be wise.  Besides, to look to him is to know that to bear the cross is to get a seat of honor.

Yes, with God, we can break barriers and scale walls.  Men and women of prayer can indeed do all things (SV.EN XI:76).

Lord Jesus, give us strength, so that we may give up the ways of the world.  And grant that we go with you and follow you in self-emptying love, in giving up our bodies and shedding our blood.  We shall thus know and taste true justice, peace, equality, communion, all of which go beyond family ties.  Know and taste, that is, what it means to live in God’s kingdom

7 September 2025
23rd Sunday in O.T. (C)
Wis 9, 13-18b; Philm 9-10, 12-17; Lk 14, 25-33