Luke 14:25-33
25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace.
33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
Primacy and Priority
A great multitude is traveling with Jesus, but the Gospel does not tell us why or where they are going. He certainly knows where He is going and why, but He cares more about what is most important: the disciples' mindset and how they adhere to the conditions of loyalty that true discipleship requires. Following Jesus requires belonging, commitment, loyalty, and witness in every joyful or hard situation and circumstance.
When Jesus says,"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple,” (v. 26) means in context that he/she who loves me less than them or does not give me priority over every one, himself/herself included, cannot be my disciple. Without giving Jesus due primacy and priority, the one who follows Him remains on the sidewalk or roadside as a spectator, not a participant.
To follow Jesus, who is the "way, the truth and the life,” his/her disciple has to follow His way, which is the Cross that leads to Resurrection. The disciple has to carry the cross in union with Jesus, then he/she can follow Him to witness for His love, mercy and salvation.
The crowds following Jesus are supposed to know their Bible and mainly the Ten Commandments where it says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" Deuteronomy 6:5, “no other god, but God," and "Honor your father and your mother" Exodus 20:12.
How do we understand Primacy and Priority?
According to the Oxford English dictionary, primacy refers to “the state of being the most important or preeminent in terms of status and importance,” while priority refers to “the quality of having precedence or urgency, dictating the order in which things are dealt with."
May our reflection lead us to evaluate our fellowship and discipleship—if it is within Jesus' teaching or if it needs a new orientation. “Carry your cross with Jesus and follow Him.”