We live in a world dominated by glossy posters and sleek advertising campaigns. Companies invest substantial time and resources honing their sales pitches so as to stand out from the crowd and persuade us to part with our hard-earned money. They tend to emphasise the benefits of their products or services, downplaying any associated costs. 

Jesus, on the other hand, is remarkably upfront with his disciples regarding the cost of following him. His honesty is so radical that it’s a wonder anyone did. In today’s Gospel, Jesus insists upon a price that is so steep that a greater cost can scarcely be conceived. Christ’s followers must walk alongside him on the path to Calvary, bearing the burden of their own crosses. For Jesus’ original disciples, this summons was nothing less than a sharing in his own torturous execution.

Few of us are likely to face a literal cross; even so, Jesus’ summons remains valid for us as well. Especially in this season of Lent, we are called to contemplate a terrifying truth. The world will offer us the ‘easy way’, with its countless distractions – gizmos, gadgets, and superfluous services, none of which truly satisfy. None are worth the price. To follow Christ, however, while not easy, leads to a sharing in the Eternal Life of God. Jesus invites us to pursue the Kingdom, not as one good among many, but as the one good which is worth sacrificing all else to obtain. Finally, if we do not obtain the Kingdom of God, we will find no consolation, even if we possess all else. Conversely, having obtained it, we will want for nothing else.

by Fr Michael Grace