What do you expect out of personally following Jesus? - Daily Reflections June 27, 2016

A SERIOUS MATTER

 

We are down to the last few days of June. Our Gospel passage for today invites us to take a good look at the cost of following our Lord Jesus in our everyday lives.

       To put it simply, it’s no walk in the park. The two would-be disciples of Jesus in the Gospel reading had the noblest of aspirations, but that was not enough for Jesus. He was radically honest and blunt to lay down His own terms. Jesus is for no pushovers or patsies, or for those who dillydally.

       In a way, we too can say that our Lord was insisting against a wrong attitude when it comes to following Him, which is that of enjoying privileges or expecting entitlements on the basis of being His follower. There are followers of Christ who think that just because they have made sacrifices, like giving up careers or loved ones, expect God to compensate for that. And so they get this false sense of entitlement and expect special privileges or perks on the mere basis of their following Jesus, forgetting that it actually entails sacrifices, perseverance and steadfastness.

       If you will read carefully the circumstances of the Gospel incident, you might see some clues. It is stated that Jesus gave orders to the crowd around Him to cross to the other side of the lake. Perhaps those two who spoke to Jesus attempted to ingratiate themselves with Him, hoping that they can just journey alongside the Lord without the hardship of crossing the lake. Jesus burst their bubble and gave them a good reality check.

       To follow the Lord Jesus is a serious matter. We just cannot make excuses from it or expect rewards for it. With or without perks and fringe benefits, we follow Him all the same, more than ever. Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: What do you expect out of personally following Jesus?

 

Humble me, O Lord, that I may see where I truly stand as I follow You. Amen.