Trust Jesus and Become His Disciple

by Deacon Lorna Goodison on September 01, 2022

There are moments when we are forced to seek answers to life’s difficult questions. I have been forced to face myself and ask, what really are my priorities? Another hard question I have asked is, where am I placing my allegiance?

     Jesus’ care and compassion for the ordinary folk were visible in His actions and in His very way of being. Last Sunday we read Jesus’ teaching that true hospitality embraces the poor, the humble, and the sick. Attracted by the inclusivity of His ministry, this coming Sunday’s gospel (Luke 14:25-33) tells us that large crowds were traveling with Jesus. They appeared to be on His side but there was no indication of a firm allegiance.  Jesus, therefore, invited followers to become disciples, to be spiritually re-formed in Him. But accepting His invitation, meant to first consider the cost of saying yes to Jesus. Two radical interior decisions are necessary to begin formation as a disciple. Disciples must commit to a life centered on Jesus and resist worldly building one’s sense of self, and one’s personal status by idolizing family relationships or possessions.  Jesus proclaimed, “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.”  

     Does Jesus literally call disciples to “hate”? No. He repeatedly affirmed the law of loving one’s neighbor as oneself (Luke 10:37 for example). Instead, “hate” is an exaggeration that emphasizes the need for disciples to re-order personal priorities rightly. Re-ordering our priorities means giving God our primary allegiance, to love God passionately, and to love Him more than we love all others. The law of love teaches, “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:4) To become disciples we offer ourselves as lowly students with Jesus as our great Teacher who shows us how to love God. With our eyes on the Teacher, our commitment to God keeps growing, and we become a new creation in Christ. Our love for family is reordered with love for God at the center of our heart.

      The second life priority that gets reordered by choosing the path of discipleship, is the reorientation of our self-identity. Jesus reminds us that to become His disciple we strip ourselves of even love of, or idolization of ourselves in order to take up the cross. To take up the cross involves surrender and submission to embrace a Christ-like identity, even when it means suffering and pain, like Christ who bore the cross to Calvary. Jesus’ first disciples became new creations, Apostles who took on a Christ-like identity for the spreading of the gospel. They bore the cross of suffering and martyrdom and like Christ attained to the glory of God the Father.

      Today, Jesus invites us to weigh the cost of discipleship. Will we be Jesus’ disciples or disciples of lesser gods like ego, status, power or family heritage? To say yes to Jesus is to believe that the certainty God’s glorious promises outweigh the cost, and to trust in His bigger purpose for humanity. We trust Him, confident in the unfathomable mystery of His way of love. As we accept His invitation, we are welcomed into the joy of being eternally with the Father, who is One God, One Lord, embodied in all majesty, glory, and power.

Grant us, O Lord the grace to trust in you with all our hearts. Amen.  

Tags: love, compassion, discipleship, disciple, grace, commit, passionate, allegiance

About the Author
Deacon Lorna Goodison

Reverend Lorna Goodison was ordained to the Diaconate on April 29, 2007. After discerning a call to ordained ministry, Deacon Lorna completed a process of spiritual discernment and pursued three years of study at the Diocesan School for Christian Studies. She also completed three units of hospice care training through Vitas and for a short while she was a volunteer Chaplain. Highlights of her continuing education activities include a guided visit to Israel and attending the Festival of Homiletics in Boulder, Colorado.

Soon after her ordination, Deacon Lorna was called to serve as Deacon at St. Mary Magdalene. She initiated an outreach ministry to the homeless at St. Laurence Chapel, obtaining the support and involvement of most members of the congregation. This ministry remained a vibrant outreach of the Church until the Chapel closed in 2019.  Other outreach ministries formed include an informal group of members who stay in touch with members who are ill and shut-in. Deacon Lorna remains committed to both the in-reach and outreach ministries of the Church. She has led quiet day reflections for groups within and outside of St. Mary Magdalene. She has often led Deacon’s Masses at small churches without a priest. Of all the ministries in which Deacon Lorna participates, she is most humbled and grateful to be involved in the ministry of praying with congregants facing life’s challenges.

Deacon Lorna serves the Diocese of Southeast Florida as a member of the Disciplinary Committee. She also serves on the Board of Deacons.   

Professionally, Deacon Lorna worked for some years in Human Resource Departments as a Training Manager, but most of her working years were spent in Social Work. She worked with at-risk teenagers counselling them and guiding them to resources to build a meaningful future. The last twenty years of her profession, were spent working with Seniors, guiding them to the resources needed to maintain their safety and independence. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a master’s degree in Adult Education. She is now retired, cherishes some alone time for prayer and reflection, but divides her time between the Church and her family which consists of two daughters, their husbands and three grandchildren.

Back to Deacon's Corner