November 5: Being Disciples / Ser Discípulos

“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14, 25

Clearly, Jesus’ expression about hating one’s father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters, cannot be taken literally. Earlier in the Gospel, Jesus had called His people to love their enemies, to bless those who curse them, and to pray for those who treat them badly. He embodied that teaching in His own life, healing the ear of an “enemy” who had come out to arrest Him and later asking God’s forgiveness for those who crucified Him.

When Jesus uses deliberately exaggerated language, He does not intend to trip us up, but to get across His core insight: that those who want to follow Him will have to love Him even more than they love those for whom they would normally have the deepest natural affection. If we want to be His disciples, we can’t be half-hearted about it. He wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. Nothing less will do.

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Jesús subraya que sus discípulos deben seguirle consistente y radicalmente (Lucas 14, 25-33). Deben saber lo que están haciendo No han de detenerse a mitad de camino, sino que tienen que mirar y marchar hacia adelante. Tienen que tomar su fe en serio. 

No nos gustan ni cruces ni sufrimiento. Pero queremos a Jesús y Él nos quiere. Y ahora nos dice: Si me quieren, sílguenme, también cuando el camino sea escabroso, y cuando nuestra integridad y coherencia como creyentes exija sacrificios.