The cost of discipleship Matthew 10:37-42 Fr. Dr. Patrick Merceline D’Souza.

The cost of discipleship Matthew 10:37-42 Fr. Dr. Patrick Merceline D’Souza. In this gospel passage from Mathew (Matthew 10:37-42) Mathew describes how Jesus is explaining to his disciples that discipleship is not a bed of roses but it is a way of the cross and that anyone who wishes to be his disciple needs to give up the family and all the other relationships and carry his cross and follow him. I would like to begin my reflection on the cost of discipleship with a heart-warming story of Johnson who had to leave behind him at home his brother who was a special child when he heard the call of Jesus to follow him to work in his vineyard. The Story: Johnson was a very loving and caring young man during his high school days. People loved him for his love and care for the other young people and the elderly and sick persons of his village whom he cared for lovingly and with great devotion. After Johnson got the result of his SSC exam, he was very happy and so were his parents, relatives and friends for his very commendable grades in the exams. They all had thought that Johnson would attend the college after his SSC and then after completing his studies would join a prestigious company, earn a lot of money and fame and would eventually get married to a beautiful girl of his choice to establish a loving and admiring family. But to everyone’s surprise, Johnson decided to join the seminary to study for priesthood because he had heard the call from God to work in his vineyard. Johnson’s parents, siblings, relatives and others tried to dissuade Johnson from joining the seminary telling him that a bright future awaits him and therefore, he needs to reconsider his decision of joining the seminary. But Johnson had made up his mind and nothing and no one was going to prevent him from leaving his home and joining the seminary. Johnson was very fond of his younger brother who was a special child and Johnson had to help him in even the smallest things of his life which were needed to be done for his survival. That younger brother of Johnson had become dependent on Johnson and had become very much attached to him. He used to find it difficult to live without Johnson being around him. He used to get angry, cry loudly and throw things out of the room whenever Johnson had to go out for some urgent work. Johnson knew very well that his younger brother who had become so much depenent on him would not survive even a day without him, But Johnson had to make a decision. He had heard the call from Jesus to follow him to work in his vineyard and Johnson had made up his mind to accept that call of Jesus to follow him. So, when the time came for Johnson to leave his house to enter into the seminary, with a heavey heart, he embrased his younger brother, planted a kiss on his forehead and with a heavy heart, came out of his house. Then he looked back at his crying and wailing younger brother and with a heavy heart and tears in his eyes he left his house never looking back even once till he walked far away from his house. The Message of the Story: The message of this story is that discipleship of Jesus is not a bed of roses but it is a way of the cross and that anyone who wishes to be a disciple of Jesus needs to give up the family relationships and all other relationships and carry his cross and follow him. Ref: Fr. Patrick’s Stories for Biblical Reflection (The writing of the book is in progress)