23rd
Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Sept. 7, 2025
Wisdom 9:13-18b; Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14:25-33
Theme:
The Three Requirements of Discipleship
A. A
Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 14:25-33
1. Historical
and Literary Contexts
In
the two passages before our text, Jesus addressed the Jews’ rejection of his
teachings on salvation. First, in the parable about the conduct of invited
guests and hosts (14:7-14), Jesus explained that their salvation was not
automatic but depended on how they responded to God’s invitation; additionally,
God’s invitation to share in the heavenly banquet should be extended to sinners
and Gentiles who repent (whom the Gospel metaphorically described as poor,
crippled, blind, and lame). Second, through the parable of the great feast
(14:15-24), Jesus shows how the chosen people refused God’s invitation to the
heavenly banquet and how God extended his invitation to the non-Jews who
repented. Then, in our passage, Jesus wants the crowds to understand that discipleship
for both Jews and non-Jews requires complete dedication, a readiness to face
persecution and suffering, and a realistic view of the hardships and costs
involved. The story about the simile of salt (vv. 34-35) comes after our text.
2. Form,
Structure, and Movement
This
narrative comprises a collection of sayings that address the three requirements
of discipleship discussed in the text. After the setting (v. 25a), the first
requirement is total dedication (vv. 25b-26), the second is readiness to accept
persecution and suffering (v. 27), and the third is a realistic assessment of
the hardships and costs (vv. 28-33).
3. Detailed
Analysis
V.
25a. These large crowds follow Jesus simply because they admire his miracles,
but not out of conviction or true discipleship. Jesus redirects their focus
from superficial admiration to committed discipleship. He employs various
sayings to address the three essential qualities of being a disciple.
Vv.
25b-26. The first requirement for discipleship is “total dedication.” Jesus
demonstrates this by asking his followers to first “hate” their family and even
their own lives as a condition for becoming his disciples (v. 26). Here, Luke
does not mean “hate” literally but uses it as hyperbole, a common rabbinic
literary technique. Matthew’s version of the same passage clarifies Jesus'
meaning. “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” (Mt 10:37,
NABRE). It becomes clear that Luke uses “hate” in the sense of “love less.”
Jesus is not asking believers to lessen their love for family but rather to
prioritize their love for him and his mission above all other loves.
V.
27. The second requirement for discipleship is readiness to accept persecution
and suffering: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot
be my disciple” (v.27). Luke emphasizes the words “carry,” “own cross,” and
“come after me.” First, unlike Matthew, who states that the disciples must
“receive” or accept the cross (Mt 10:38), Luke highlights that the disciples
are called to carry it, emphasizing the ongoing, day-to-day fulfillment of the
responsibilities associated with the cross. Second, by mentioning “his own
cross,” Luke underscores the individual responsibility each disciple has. There
is no expectation of carrying crosses for others in this context. Discipleship
is a personal choice and commitment. Third, the phrase “come after me”
indicates that the disciples cannot choose a different path than the one Jesus
sets forth, even when that path becomes difficult.
Vv.
28-33. The third requirement for discipleship involves a realistic assessment
of the difficulties and sacrifices it requires. Jesus illustrates this through
two parables: the parable of the person who wants to build a tower (vv. 28-30)
and the parable of the king who goes to war with fewer troops than his opponent
(vv. 31-32). In both cases, the builder and the king should be wise to first
“sit down” and carefully consider whether they will succeed with the resources
they have. This means believers should not follow Jesus simply out of
admiration but must first honestly evaluate the hardships and costs of
discipleship, which includes renouncing one’s possessions to qualify as a
disciple of Jesus (v. 33).
4. Synthesis
The
crowds follow Jesus simply out of admiration for his miracles. Using various
sayings, Jesus redirects their focus from superficial admiration to committed
discipleship by emphasizing three key requirements: total dedication (vv.
25b-26), readiness to accept persecution and suffering (v. 27), and a realistic
assessment of the hardships and costs (vv. 28-33).
B. Pastoral
Implications
1. Liturgical
Context
Sherry A. Weddell wrote a
fascinating book titled “Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and
Following Jesus.”[1]
In this book, she reveals that most even “active” American Catholics are still in
an early, essentially passive stage of spiritual growth. She argues that the
main problem in our churches is that many people are not yet disciples. They attend
Mass not out of conviction, but out of curiosity or respect for their parents,
grandparents, catechists, schoolteachers, and parish priests who instructed
them to do so.[2]
Today’s Scripture readings explore what we must understand and do to move from
superficial to committed discipleship. The first reading emphasizes that we
need the Wisdom of God before we decide to follow Jesus. The Gospel highlights
three key requirements for committed discipleship: total dedication, readiness
to accept persecution and suffering, and a realistic assessment of the
hardships and costs involved. This final requirement is, somehow, what Saint
Paul encourages Onesimus and Philemon to do in our second reading. He advises
Onesimus to return to his master, Philemon, and urges the latter to accept
Onesimus not as a slave anymore but as a brother.
2.
What the Church Teaches Us Today
To transition from
superficial to committed Christians, our Holy Mother Church encourages us to
reflect on the three essential requirements for discipleship highlighted in
today’s Gospel.
The first key requirement
is complete dedication. Jesus says, “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” (Lk 14:26). Note that Luke uses “hate” here to
mean “love less.” This is the same meaning found in Matthew’s version of this
passage: “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” (Mt 10:37).
Therefore, Jesus is not asking us to love our family members or our own lives
less, but rather to prioritize our love for him and his mission above all other
loves.
The second key
requirement for discipleship is our willingness to accept persecution and
suffering that come with following Jesus. Jesus states, “Whoever does not carry
his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:27). Luke
emphasizes “carry,” “own,” and “come after me.” First, while Matthew’s version
suggests that a disciple is called to “receive” or “accept” their cross (see Mt
10:38), Luke says that the disciple must “carry” it, highlighting the daily
reality of fulfilling the responsibilities associated with the cross. We are
disciples of Jesus not only on Sundays and in church but every day and
everywhere. Second, by mentioning “his own cross,” Luke underscores the
uniqueness of each disciple’s task. Others can support us through prayer and
teaching, helping us become strong enough spiritually to carry our own crosses.
No one else can carry a cross for us because discipleship is a personal choice
and commitment. Third, the phrase “come after me” indicates that, as
Christians, we cannot go our own way, even when following Jesus becomes
difficult. Jesus is the only one who leads us.
The third key requirement for discipleship is
a realistic assessment of the hardships and costs involved in our Christian
commitment. Jesus illustrates this with two short parables: the parable of the
person who wants to build a tower (vv. 28-30) and that of the king going to war
with fewer troops than his opponent (vv. 31-32). Notice the mention of “first
sit down” in both parables. The builder and the king should wisely first “sit
down” and carefully consider whether they will succeed given their resources.
This teaches us that we should not follow Jesus merely out of admiration,
curiosity, or to please our parents and those who taught us religion. Instead,
we must “first sit down” and honestly evaluate the hardships and costs of
discipleship, such as renouncing possessions, to qualify as Jesus’ disciple (v.
33). The purpose of this realistic assessment is not to scare us by making
discipleship seem difficult or impossible but to help us become aware of
everything that our personal relationship with God entails and decide
accordingly. In our second reading, Saint Paul asks Onesimus and Philemon to do
the same.
Our second reading's
context involves Onesimus, a slave of Philemon who has escaped and gone to
Paul, who was in prison, wishing to stay with him. Paul wrote a letter to
Philemon, urging him to welcome Onesimus back, no longer as a slave but as more
than a slave, a brother. Notice how Paul allows Philemon to make his own
decision: “I did not want to do anything without your consent so that the good
you do might not be forced but voluntary” (Philemon 14-15). Also, fully aware
of the danger that an escaped slave would face if caught, Paul entrusts the
letter to Onesimus himself to deliver to his former master, Philemon. Onesimus
could destroy the letter and run away to avoid severe punishment or even
execution, and Philemon also could disregard Paul’s advice and mistreat Onesimus.
Here, Paul enables both Philemon and Onesimus to “first sit down” and consider
the true cost of their conversion. This realistic assessment of what
discipleship involves requires the Wisdom of God, as taught in our first
reading.
To better understand our
first reading, we should remember that the book of Wisdom addresses a minority
of Jews living in Egypt (1st century B.C.). The Greek culture and philosophy of
their time threatened the Biblical Wisdom they were supposed to follow. The
purpose of the sacred author of this book is to encourage the people of Israel
to stay faithful to their Jewish beliefs. Greek culture and philosophy are
purely human and cannot search for things in heaven nor understand what the
Lord intends unless God grants Wisdom and sends the Holy Spirit (Wisdom 9:13,
17). Likewise, our world today is marked by material possessions, social media,
and technology that undermine our relationship with God and prevent us from
being true disciples. Our first reading teaches us to resist the temptations of
this world and keep our faith in God because only “Wisdom” can help us
understand what our Christian lifestyle requires and then make a genuine
decision to follow Jesus.
In the liturgy of this
Mass, let us pray that God inspires us with his wisdom to move from superficial
to committed Christians. Amen.
Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD
Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church, Jackson, MS
&
SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator
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