In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to the large crowds following Him, but His words are not what they expect to hear. Instead of promising comfort or reward, He speaks about the cost of being His disciple:

“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.” (Luke 14:26)

At first, this sounds harsh. But Jesus does not mean that we should literally hate our family. Rather, He is calling us to put Him above all other loves—even the most sacred ones. To be His disciple means to give Him the first place in our hearts, so that all our other relationships and choices flow from our love for Him.

Jesus goes further:

“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (v. 27)

Here He reminds us that discipleship is not a part-time task or a comfortable journey. It is a daily decision to follow Him even when it leads to sacrifice, misunderstanding, or suffering. The cross is not an obstacle to discipleship—it is its very path.

To make His point clear, Jesus gives two short parables: the builder who must count the cost before constructing a tower, and the king who must consider whether he can win a war before going into battle. Both examples underline the same truth: to follow Christ seriously, one must first understand what it demands.

Faith is not a mere feeling, and following Christ is not a spontaneous enthusiasm. It is a conscious and deliberate choice, one that requires perseverance, humility, and trust. We must “count the cost,” not to discourage ourselves, but to recognize that the Christian journey is a lifelong commitment of love.

In our time, it is easy to call ourselves Christians without truly following Christ. Many admire Him, but few imitate Him. We may want His blessings, but not His cross. Yet Jesus invites us to something deeper—a mature and generous love that says, “Lord, I am yours, no matter what it costs.”

To be His disciple is not to lose, but to gain everything that truly matters. When we give ourselves to Christ completely, we discover the freedom, joy, and peace that the world cannot give.