Luke 9:57-62

Adopting a life of discipleship cannot be a part-time or momentary commitment. It is a life-changing shift in direction and priorities in which our own human needs and wants become subservient to the call of our Lord, the call to share and LIVE God’s transforming love and grace in this world. And, those who embrace and are embraced by the radical love of God made known in Jesus and his cross must necessarily see this love is contrary to all human conceptions of love. Virtually everything – friendships, love of family, other people, work, community, love of country – everything looks different when viewed through the lens of God’s sacrificial love for the cosmos. And the reality is, that transforming love will sometimes take you to places where you never thought you would go, some of the toughest of places in life. It is going to take you to the toughest place where you must leave your old self behind and never be the same, the place where you will be forever changed!

No, Jesus isn’t in a bad mood. He’s focused. He’s on a mission—a mission that will end with the cross. And, those who follow him are asked to go there with him. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls us, he bids us come and die.” Discipleship is not easy, but it takes us to a much deeper place in this faith journey. And, yes, we are reassured that that deeper place truly is a place of life – new life – and a place of deep, deep joy.