Harsh challenges in today's gospel

September 9, 2007 -- 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Fr. Michael Stubbs

	Fr. Mike Stubbs

In the early 1900's, Ernest Shackleton advertised for workers to take part in an expedition to explore the Antarctic. It read: "Wanted: Joiners of an expedition to the coldest place on earth; little food, extreme hardship, low pay, very dangerous, may not return, chance to be the first to explore this area."

We might expect that such a challenging offer would attract very few takers. On the contrary, Shackleton received thousands and thousands of responses. Sometimes, people will rise to the occasion. Sometimes, they are looking for challenge.

Perhaps that is what Jesus is thinking in Sunday's gospel reading, Luke 14:25-33. He says some very challenging words: "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." Then later we hear, "Everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple."

When we compare Luke's gospel to the parallels in Matthew, we find that Luke tends to go to an even further extreme. For example, Matthew's gospel, 10:37, has Jesus saying, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" instead of hating them, as in Luke's gospel. Similarly, when Jesus calls James and John to follow him, they leave behind their nets and their father in Matthew's gospel, 4:22, while in Luke's gospel they leave behind everything to follow Jesus, (Luke 5:11).

Why does Luke's gospel issue such harsh challenges? This may be Luke's pastoral response to the situation of the community for which he was writing the gospel. For whatever reason, Luke judged that harshness appropriate.

The context of Sunday's gospel reading might clarify this point. Luke situates the words of Jesus by writing, "Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them."

Since the great crowds are not identified as disciples of Jesus, we can assume that they have not yet taken that crucial step. They feel attracted to Jesus, but have not yet made a commitment to follow him. They are sitting on the fence, and Jesus wants to knock them off of it.

That is why Jesus is laying out for them the costs of making such a commitment. He wishes to force the issue. He paints it in drastic terms so that they will not take it lightly. He wishes to shake them up, to screen out those who might falter in their commitment. In doing so, he can anticipate the tests to their faith that they will eventually face. In that way, he can somewhat prepare them.

Perhaps that is why Jesus continues to issue such harsh challenges to us. We belong to that great crowd which accompanies Jesus and listens to him by means of the gospel readings. He wants to ensure that we know the consequences of following him, the price of discipleship. We cannot plead ignorance when we encounter difficulties, when we bear the burden of the cross. We will receive the greatest reward, but it will cost us everything.

(Fr. Stubbs, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas, has a master's degree in theology from Harvard.)