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When I bought my very first new car, I spent a tremendous amount of time researching. By the time I got to the dealership for a test drive, I didn’t really have any questions about the car I was buying; I had read just about every article and review written about it! I had worked the numbers, checked my budget, and felt pretty good about being able to afford it. I was proud of myself; this was my first really big purchase. But then I went to license the vehicle and was hit with an extra cost I hadn’t planned for: the taxes. Suddenly my thorough planning didn’t seem so complete anymore! It was a lesson I learned the hard way, that with any big purchase, there are always hidden costs you’d better prepare for.
Major purchases need careful thought and planning. If you buy a house, you have to think not just about the price tag, but also the taxes, insurance, utilities, and repairs. You want to know if the neighborhood is safe, what schools are nearby, whether you can really afford to live there. We research appliances, electronics, even phones before we buy them because we know neglecting to plan could be disastrous.
As important as this kind of research is, Jesus tells us today that there’s something even more important to plan for: discipleship. Over the past three Sundays, we’ve been hearing a trilogy of saving truths from him. Two weeks ago, he told us we can only enter heaven through the narrow gate. Last Sunday he gave us the key to that gate: humility, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” And today, Jesus tells us what that key actually costs: “Any of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”
It shouldn’t surprise us that the cost of heaven is steep. Jesus says, “calculate the cost.” If you’re going to build a tower, make sure you can finish it. We know that’s true with cars, houses, or anything expensive. And if we want to follow Jesus, which is the only path to eternal life, we need to know the cost up front: everything.
That’s where the challenge comes in. Eternal life is precious, but it requires a willingness to give up anything that stands in the way. Jesus is asking us to take stock of our lives the way we’d look at a budget. What are the hidden costs that might keep us from really following him? You can come up with your list of possibilities but here are a few common ones.
Do I follow Christ in the way I speak to others…or about others? Am I willing to give up gossip, bragging, or putting people down, even if it feels good in the moment? Or is that too steep a cost?
What about my friends? Do they encourage me to grow as a disciple, to make good choices, to respect myself and others? Or do they pull me away from Christ and into things that harm me? Am I willing to let go of those friendships if they keep me from God? Jesus even goes so far as to say we must be willing to let go of family ties if they block our path to him. Is that cost too much?
And then there are our possessions. Am I generous with what I’ve been given? Do I give to the poor, support my parish, share my time and talents? Or do I cling too tightly to what I have? If God asked me for more, would I trust him enough to give it? Or is that too costly?
There are so many areas where Jesus invites us to ask, “Is there anything in my heart that I’ve told him is off limits?” Would I follow if he called me to the priesthood or religious life? Am I willing to work on being more present and kind towards spouse and children? Do I stand up for the dignity of every human life, even when it’s unpopular? Can I trust God enough to let him guide my marriage and family life, letting go of fear, selfishness, or the desire to control?
The cost of discipleship is high, but the promise is eternal life. That’s why Jesus tells us to count the cost, but not to be afraid of it. Whatever he asks of us, he also gives us the strength, joy, and grace to carry out. And when we put as much effort into our spiritual lives as we do into our financial ones: planning for prayer, budgeting time to deepen our faith, examining the “hidden costs” that keep us from following, we find the freedom and peace that only Christ can give.
As we come to this Eucharist, let’s take the time to calculate the cost and embrace it. To take up our cross and follow after Jesus. Because in the end, he is not just worth the price; he is the one who helps us to pay it and the reward he offers is life without end.
