The Cost of Discipleship

The Coast of Discipleship

Radically reject Jesus and his ways; just offer some incense to the statue of Caesar. I will liberate you from death said by a Roman Governor to St. Polycarp. St. Polycarp replied that I will worship not Caesar but only Jesus the Lord. 86 years I loved him and served him. He never did any harm to me but he saved me. How can I reject my lord and my God? Polycarp was put to death. He happily gave up his life for Jesus. Thus he became a disciple of Jesus.
A disciple is no more member of his own small family but is the member of big family of God. In the ancient world the loyalty to the family was the paramount. If one is not loyal to the family was considered as prodigal son or daughter. The attachment to the family was very strong. In this context Jesus asks the disciple to hate father or mother, brother or sister, wife and children. If one really wants to be the disciple of Jesus he must renounce his father, mother, brother and sister which is really hard; yet disciple must make a commitment. From a small family of his home he is invited to the big family of God.
If father or mother blocks to follow Jesus, they must be renounced. When Francis of Assisi opted to follow Jesus, His father was a block; he left his father and followed Jesus. He said so far Peter Bernard was my father, henceforth, God is my father. A disciple is like a mirror which must reflect only Jesus, not his own image.

A disciple must witness the faith. Blessed Gabra Michel says that If they kill me I will die witnessing to the faith, if I live, I will proclaim the faith. Pastor Graham Stains and his two little children were burnt alive by Hindu fundamentalists in India as they were proclaiming the gospel through their lives. Since they were doing the missionary works, the people of the village wanted to embrace Christianity. The Hindu fundamentalists were waiting for an opportunity to kill them. One night Pastor Graham Stain and two children were coming from a far away village to their home through the forests they were stopped and poured petrol and burnt them alive.
There is a legend about Jesus’ healing immediately after the death on the cross. There was a soldier who had lost an eye in a war. Therefore he was a half blind man. He hated Jesus so much, to an extent of piercing the side of his side. There flowed blood and water which healed his blindness. He felt that Jesus was talking to him within his heart. You have given me only wounds and hurts but I gave you healing. Every disciple must give healing to others if others give the wounds and hurts.

It was a big surprise to the village to see a man who is always happy. People asked him why are you so happy? What is the secret behind your happiness? He said, well the secret behind my happiness is the way I look at things! I try to correct my vision. First I look at heaven; I know for sure, that is my permanent house, eternal home. Therefore I try to do things by which I must get into heaven. Second I look at this earth, I may get six feet land when I die, why I should accumulate wealth. Third, I look at my fellow brothers; there are many who are more struggling and sadder than me. I try to help them in my own way. This is the secret behind my happiness. In today’s gospel Jesus says that his disciple must give the first preference to heaven in other words God to be ever happy.