Selection of the sermons of Father Ezekiel Oko
The greatest bond, in which all other bonds get their true meaning
As children of God, we not only receive promises from Him, but also requests. Because he wants the best for us. Once again today we have radical demands from Jesus regarding discipleship: "Unless a man scoffs at his life he cannot be my disciple; unless a man bears his cross he cannot be my disciple; unless a man cares for his possessions renounces, he cannot be my disciple.” That is, all things that are of central importance to us humans: power, family, reputation, possessions, personal interest, etc.
These, dear sisters and brothers, are things that make our lives comfortable; Bonds that help us humans to live our lives in a focused and maybe comfortable way. But there are situations in life where we need to let go of these things in order to live our lives more meaningfully and justly.
One can now think of nuns and monks who must let go of family and other ties in order to follow their vocation. But this does not only apply to the nuns and the monks, but to all of us who are called to follow Christ.
Why does Jesus make such radical demands on us? He wants us to constantly reassess our reason for love and our standard of judgment about discipleship so that we don't lose sight of the greatest bond we have as Christians. This greatest bond is with God! You know? Family can deceive us, friends can mislead us, power and reputation are also fleeting, and self-interest can overshadow the most important things in life. That is, if they become for us the basic light with which we see and appraise the world, then we must be sure that we can be disappointed.
In today's gospel, Jesus provides us with the greatest bond that we can trust in all situations of our lives without being disappointed. God suffices as the reason we love, He suffices as the standard by which we can measure everything in life. This reminds me of the motto of Saint Teresa of Avila: "I need not fear for anything, for God alone is enough: solo Dios basta (God alone is enough)".
Following Christ begins with believing that God alone is sufficient. Then you begin to respect and find everything in its origin, i.e. in God. If we despise everything in order to respect and find everything in its origin, in God, then God has begun in us to prepare a reason for his love. This is discipleship: God alone is sufficient.
Only then can we let go when it is necessary. Only then can we show true appreciation for our fellow human beings. Well, not anymore, because he belongs to my family, to my circle of friends, to my country. Not because he speaks my language, represents my interests or represents my opinion. But simply because he is a human being, an "Imago Dei", an image of God, because a heart beats within him that demands love and appreciation.
This is not easy! That is the cross. The inconvenience, the letting go, the loss of interest in the succession! These are the crosses we must endure as Christians. But Jesus is our example. He guides the way. That is why it is called imitation of Christ!
Overview