This coming Sunday is the 23rd Sunday (Year C) with the gospel from Luke 14:25-33. These two parables are unique to Luke and are without parallel. Jesus draws attention to a simple observation: a prudent person would not begin a project until being sure it can be finished – neither a builder nor a king. In the first parable Jesus says, “Sit down and consider whether you can afford to follow me.” In the second he says, “Sit down and surmise whether you can afford to refuse my demands.”  In the same way, God has not entered a redemptive process without being prepared to complete it. Jesus did not set his face to Jerusalem (9:51) without knowing and being prepared for his own Passion.

The two parables move from the lesser to the greater. In the first, the threat is that of embarrassment before one’s peers and neighbors. In the second, the consequence is the defeat at the hands of an enemy. In continuing the movement to the even greater, the implication is that one’s network of family or simply membership in a religious tradition is inadequate to assure one’s status before God. What is required is fidelity to God’s only Son.

One might ask why Jesus offered two parables. One answer is that He wanted to emphasize the universality of the message. The two stories feature very different characters: a private individual (builder) and a ruler (king). This may suggest that the call to discipleship applies to all—whether ordinary or powerful, domestic or political. Discipleship is not limited to a certain social class or role.

The two parables also allow Jesus to address two different kinds of costs. The first parable (tower) is about voluntary action: the man chooses to build. The second parable (war) involves an imposed situation: the king faces a threat from another. Together, they reflect that the cost of discipleship involves both: (a) what we choose to undertake for Christ and (b) what challenges come upon us as a result of following him.

Perhaps the pair of parables repeats earlier messages of Luek 12 and 13. The first parable is about our commitment to Christ. The second may also be about God’s coming judgment—Jesus, the “king with 20,000,” is approaching. The wise course is to surrender to him while there is still time. This understanding turns the second parable into an eschatological warning, not just advice on strategy.

Both parables stress deep reflection and consideration before acting because, at its core, following Jesus requires the most serious of commitments. Without deep commitment there is the danger of beginning discipleship half-heartedly, only to give up when concerns of the world envelope you or the path ahead gets hard (cf. Luke 8 the parable of the sower and the seed).

Habits of the Soul

Discipleship is thus an all-consuming vocation. It must be accepted with mature deliberation. Discipleship is not periodic volunteer work on one’s own terms and at one’s convenience. Yet what are the marks of discipleship?

Brian Stoffregen notes that in the book Power Surge, Mike Foss lists “six marks of discipleship for a changing church” which he expects members to practice. They are:

• daily prayer
• weekly worship
• Bible reading and study
• service in and beyond the congregation
• spiritual friendships – inviting others to the faith and passing on the faith
• giving time, talents, and resources

As Catholic we would include celebrating the Sacraments as part of weekly worship. That being said, what are your habits of the soul that open you to the wonder and mystery of God’s active presence in your lives, that keep you focused; that fix your attention on the things of God? 

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