“He who does not carry his cross to follow me cannot be my disciple” Lk 14, 27
The Gospel of this Sunday seems very strong and demanding. The words of Jesus even scare us. He imposes on us as a condition to be able to follow him: to love him more than any other person or anything else in this world. And he wants the primacy. It is not that He does not like us to love our parents, our relatives, our friends… on the contrary, He wants us to love Him as deeply as He does, not in a selfish or possessive way, but being able to give life for them. Loving Jesus more than everyone does not diminish in any way the intensity of our love for others, but it enables us to love much more intensely. These words help us better understand verse 26, but today I want to take a look at verse 27: “He who does not carry his cross to follow me cannot be my disciple.”
When we talk about the cross, all of us are already a little scared, because this word recalls pain, punishment, suffering, anguish… and naturally nobody likes this. Furthermore, Christ’s adversaries thought so when they condemned him to the cross. Christ, however, embracing the cross, carrying it and allowing himself to be nailed to it, has become a source of life, liberation, peace, victory…
His words today – “he who does not carry his cross” – makes us understand that each person has a cross. All human beings born into this world have a cross. Such a cross can be, all the limitations with which our life on earth is conditioned. Man has bodily limitations. Who is completely happy with his body, with his physical characteristics? Who never wished that their eyes, their hair, their height, their weight… were different? Who does not have some big or small defect in his body? Who is free from diseases or no longer needed any medicine? The great cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry and the rivers of money that they move reveal to us how there are people who are struggling with their bodies and want to transform them or at least disguise them, because they do not accept what they have. For some their body is a cause of great suffering and disturbance. Man has moral or spiritual limitations. It is not our choice to be intelligent, or quick-tempered, or cheerful, or jealous, or distrustful. Even if we manage to work this out, it will be difficult to have complete control. Sometimes it is our memory that betrays us. Others are our shyness and insecurity that hold us back. Also, the character that we have so many times surprises us and is a cause of much pain. Other times we are surprised by envy, when we recognize in other brothers characteristics or gifts that we would like to have. Also these limitations that are part of the life of all humans horrify the lives of many and take away their peace.
Man is also historically limited. We are born into a concrete family, our parents and relatives have gifts and defects. Their actions sometimes make us mature, but other times they traumatize us and make us suffer. We are born in a certain economic situation, which often requires us to change our dreams. We are born into a certain culture, and in it we learned values and also prejudices. Likewise, the historical contingency in which we were planted can be the cause of problems and frustrations. In short, what makes us particular and unrepeatable are also our various limitations. The ideal man, without limitations, does not exist.
Jesus did not come to relate to an ideal man, but concretely with each one of us. Despite all the limits we have, it is with us that he wants to have a story of love and transformation. For this reason, whoever does not know himself and does not accept himself, who does not accept himself for what he is – corporally, spiritually and historically – cannot begin discipleship with Jesus, cannot enter his school. “He who does not carry his cross to follow me cannot be my disciple.”
We remember that to be disciples is to be an apprentice, a student (to be an apostle is to be an envoy). Therefore, embracing your own cross is a requirement for anyone who wants to be a Christian apprentice. In the school of Jesus it is no use to be with masks, with makeup, with costumes… Each one must embrace his cross, must embrace himself, and place himself in the path of Jesus. God wants to save what we really are, he wants to teach us to be happy even with our limitations, but his hands will be tied as long as we don’t embrace and present ourselves before him.
The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord make his face shine on you and have mercy on you.
The Lord turn his loving gaze and give you PEACE.
Brother Mariosvaldo Florentino, Capuchin.
