Reflecting on this Sunday\u2019s Gospel, Luke 14: 25-33, I\u2019m taken aback by the directness with which Jesus asks me to consider if I am prepared to pay the cost of discipleship. He outlines in detail the foolishness of the landowner and the king because neither were prepared to pick up the Cross and put their relationship with Jesus at the very centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I question my desire to pick up the Cross, let go of the security of my possessions and pay the price of discipleship. I suspect I\u2019m cheap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The late Sr Verna Holyhead sgs reflects on this passage with clarity and wisdom. She considers the contribution of the great German Lutheran pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In his book, The Cost of Discipleship.<\/em> Bonhoeffer compares \u2018costly grace\u2019 with \u2018cheap grace\u2019. The latter is grace without the Cross and so without Jesus. As a leader of the German Confessing Church which confessed Jesus in opposition to the Nazis, Bonhoeffer \u2018hated\u2019 his own life to the extent of being imprisoned and executed by the Nazis in April 1945, just before the end of the war. Bonhoeffer compares the two graces in this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018. . . The person who hears the call to discipleship and wants to follow but feels obliged to insist on his own term to the level of human understanding. The disciple places himself at the Master\u2019s disposal, but at the same time retains the right to dictate his own terms. But then discipleship is no longer discipleship, but a program of our own to be arranged to suit ourselves, and to be judged in accordance with the standards of rational ethics.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n The question is, how ready am I to pay the price of Christian discipleship? Am I prepared to stand up and do works of justice, stand up for those who have no voice and sacrifice privilege and reputation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our 24-hour news cycle constantly reports on a growing wave of racism, entrenched injustice and disadvantage. There is a disregard for the dignity of each person. There are so many aspects of my life in which I have real enthusiasm for the Gospel \u2013 but I lack the staying power. The Sunday Gospel reading is both a source for encouragement and challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bonhoeffer, like many other true saints, sets the bar high. Today I can ask for the courage to move closer to Jesus and seek to do his will. The next best step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n by Virginia Ryan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Reflecting on this Sunday\u2019s Gospel, Luke 14: 25-33, I\u2019m taken aback by the directness with which Jesus asks me to consider if I am prepared to pay the cost of discipleship. He outlines in detail the foolishness of the landowner and the king because neither were prepared to pick up the Cross and put their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28038,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[38,45,72,26,44,24,55,8,32,50,41,25,51,34,54,47,31,42,39,48,46,52,40,37,35,28,43,53,36,27,33,29],"class_list":["post-28037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletter","tag-ancient-wisdom","tag-contemplative-prayer","tag-dietrich-bonhoeffer","tag-enlightenment","tag-guided-meditation","tag-inner-peace","tag-introspection","tag-lectio-divina","tag-lectio-divina-for-beginners","tag-life-transformation","tag-meditation-guide","tag-meditation-mastery","tag-meditation-tips","tag-mindfulness","tag-mindfulness-meditation","tag-mindfulness-practices","tag-mindfulness-techniques","tag-personal-development","tag-reflect-and-transform","tag-reflective-living","tag-sacred-reading","tag-self-discovery","tag-self-help","tag-soulful-journey","tag-soulful-living","tag-spiritual-awakening","tag-spiritual-growth","tag-spiritual-guide","tag-spiritual-insights","tag-spiritual-practice","tag-spiritual-reflection","tag-transformative-journey"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t