Great crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and addressed them, 26 “If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? 29 Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him 30 and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ 31 Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? 32 But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. 33 In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.
Jesus continues on the road to Jerusalem, where he will suffer, die, and on the third day be raised, accomplishing the work the Father gave him (cf. Lk. 9:22; 13:32-33). Great crowds travel with him, but he turns and speaks plainly so that followers know what discipleship truly asks.
When Jesus says a disciple must “hate” family and even one’s own life (v. 26), he uses Semitic hyperbole to demand priority, not hostility. “Hate” here means to love less by comparison. He insists on undivided loyalty to himself, because only in him do all other loves find their right order (cf. Mt. 10:37). He repeats the condition with stronger imagery: disciples carry their own cross and come after him (v. 27). The cross means daily self-denial, not merely hard circumstances; we freely align our will with his and refuse any path that opposes him (cf. Lk. 9:23).
Jesus then gives two short comparisons to teach deliberation. A builder first sits down to calculate the cost before laying a foundation (vv. 28-30). Starting well but stopping short leaves a half-built spiritual life and a public failure that can discourage others. A king must consider whether his forces can meet a stronger army; if not, wisdom seeks terms while there is time (vv. 31-32). Both images press the same point: discipleship requires sober reckoning and a persevering will. Emotion and enthusiasm are not enough; faith must persevere in obedience until the work is complete.
He concludes with a concrete demand: renounce all possessions (v. 33). Renunciation means interior freedom, not neglect of duty. We receive and use goods as trustees under the Lord, ready to part with anything that competes with him. The refrain “cannot be my disciple” frames the whole section (vv. 26-27, 33). Jesus is not setting an elite standard but describing the essence of following him: Christ first, the cross embraced, and attachments yielded. This essence is not achieved all at once; by grace (God’s helping action), we learn it step by step, with fresh beginnings after our falls.
St. John Chrysostom (c. 349-407) explains that Christ asks for the first place in love so that every other love may be purified and secured under him. St. Augustine (354-430) notes that we renounce not creation as such but a disordered use of it; charity orders our loves when Christ is loved above all.
Lord Jesus, give me a single heart that puts you first, the courage to take up the cross each day, and the freedom to hold every gift for your purposes. Keep me from a half-built life and help me to persevere so I can do your will and spend eternal life with you. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011), Lk. 14:25-33.
- The Navarre Bible: Luke, Faculty of the University of Navarre (2008).
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary (2018).
- Brown, Raymond E., et al., eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990).
- Orchard, Bernard, et al., eds. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (1953).
- St. John Chrysostom (c. 349-407), Homilies on Matthew (on prioritizing Christ’s love).
- St. Augustine (354-430), On Christian Doctrine and City of God (on ordered love and use).
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