Sunday, June 28, is the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In the Gospel, the Lord gives principles for discipleship. Mass readings: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a; Psalm 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10:37-42.

The text says that Jesus said to the apostles, 

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”

The Lord is clear: We are to love Him more than we love anyone or anything else. There is to be no person or thing in our life that has greater importance than the Lord. So fundamental is the priority of our love and obedience to Him that it eclipses even the most fundamental relationships in our family. Our love and honor for our parents is very important, as mandated by the Fourth Commandment. And yet, even it cannot overrule the most fundamental of all the commandments, the First Commandment: I am the Lord your God, You shall have no other gods before me. The same is true for any other relationship. If a spouse, a sibling, a boss, or a government official were to try to compel us to act contrary to God’s truth and commands, the answer must always be the same: “I’m sorry but I cannot comply; I love God more.”

Jesus speaks strongly and says that such people are not “worthy” of me. 

The Greek word for “worthy” is axios. Literally, the word means “drawing down the scale,” and thus implies weighing as much or more than something else. Internally, the concept of being worthy of the Lord is that we ascribe greater “worth” or “worthiness” to Him than to anything or anyone else. His teaching is to weigh on us and to carry a weight in our life. This internal disposition of being worthy of God produces the external behaviors that are worthy of Him.

The text says, 

“… and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Every disciple must be willing to take up his or her cross. Many people are often willing to take up crosses for worldly gain, for example, to earn a paycheck or to earn a degree. What about for the Lord? 

“Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.”

The Lord promises reward for getting our priorities right and adhering to the demands of being a disciple of Christ.