What does it take to be a follower of Jesus? Just as in the other aspects of life – a plan, a method is required, so here Jesus explains this to us in today’s gospel reading. We are told that discipleship should not be impulsive. It requires careful and conscious acceptance. This is the message of the parables of the farmer and the warrior King. You see each of them had a plan. The spiritual life requires a method, a plan, too. True discipleship is a lifelong goal – not a one-time choice.
Effective following of the Lord demands planning to integrate our faith into the various sectors of our lives. That is why you often hear me speak about our own acre of the world – where God has put us – school, work – we have to have a plan to integrate what we hear, what we celebrate, to how we live. St. Francis de Sales says, “where God has put you, you have to learn to bloom.” The clouds of the present life at times leave us in a haze and we cannot always see clearly. We have to make a choice; God always wants to be chosen. This is wisdom’s purpose (as we heard in the first reading) – to help believers be guided by the soul’s interest rather than the flesh. True wisdom seeks a commitment to discipleship with Jesus, no matter the cost.
If Christ came now and asked you to leave all and follow him, would you go? How do you bring Christianity to life in your everyday living?