PAYING THE COST TO BE A DISCIPLE OF THE BOSS!

 Karl Pierce

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

"In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce

all his possessions cannot be my disciple" (Lk. 14:25-33).

In Luke 14:25-33, Jesus addresses the crowd, saying, “If anyone 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. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple,” and “anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

At first, this seems harsh, but it speaks to what it means to live out our Commissioning. Jesus calls us to discipleship. But what does it mean to be a disciple? One dictionary definition is “one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another.”

A friend of mine always admonishes, “Pay the cost to be the boss.” It takes great sacrifice to achieve even temporary worldly success: a profession, position, money, power, fame. The greatest prize is being with our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.

Entering the Kingdom of God requires more than believing in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as we profess each week during Mass. James 2:19 states, “You believe that God is one. You do well! Even the demons believe that and tremble.”

Many believers are baptized and receive catechesis and the sacraments. Jesus calls us to Magis: to strive for excellence, to become more, and to do more and better, quantitatively and qualitatively, for the Glory of God. In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus states, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

In Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25, Jesus states,” it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” Discipleship requires that we follow Jesus’ teachings and example.

Discipleship requires more than receiving the Eucharist, which we do weekly during Mass, or confessing sins during Reconciliation. We must remove anything that separates us from God, which keeps us from placing God first in our lives. That includes the pursuit of money, material things, fame, titles, positions, jobs or professions, self-edification, personal recognition, pride, ego, vanity, narcissism, addictions, fears, past hurts or humiliations, self-gratification, hobbies, political or organization affiliations, our relationships, even our family members or our very lives, if they keep us from placing God first in our lives.

Discipleship means evangelizing, sharing the Good News of salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection. We must follow Jesus’ example by loving, caring for, and serving one another, as our Catholic Social Teaching (CST) teaches us:

1. Life and Dignity of the Human Person;

2. Call to Family, Community, and Participation;

3. Rights and Responsibilities;

4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable;

5. The Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers;

6. Solidarity;

7. Care for God’s Creation. Catholic Social Teaching

CST draws us into a “covenant of love and justice.” In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus states, "the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free...”

We must also care for God’s creation so that it may continue to support us. Because God created it, it belongs to Him.

We must pay the cost to be disciples of the boss!!!

About Karl Pierce: A “cradle Catholic”, Karl Pierce is a member of the Voices of Praise Gospel Choir at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Elk Grove, CA, Pierce currently serves as Chair of the Cultural Diversity Forum of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, as a member of the Knights of Peter Claver, on the Diocese of Sacramento Black Catholic Ministry and Black Catholic Council. Pierce has received a Certificate in Contemporary Black Catholic Spirituality. He is pursuing a Certificate in Catholic Social Teaching from the Center for Religion and Spirituality at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA.

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