On the Genuine Followers of Christ.

(Luke 14:25-33).

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother”…”cannot be My disciple.” — “Watch that you are not tempted by this pronouncement,” cautions Blessed Theophylactus, “because the Lover of Man doesn’t teach inhumanity, nor instill suicide, but wants His genuine disciple to ‘hate’ his relatives only when they obstruct him in honoring God, and when he, in relation to them, finds difficulties in performing good.” If physical attachments present themselves as definitive impediments toward following Christ, then it is necessary to hate them for Christ’s sake, and to sever everything with them completely. Hatred ceases to be an immoral feeling when it is directed at that, which diverts a person from his higher calling — saving his soul.

The Lord strengthens His instructions on selflessness, which is essential to every Christian, with parables on building a tower, on war between two monarchs and on salt (34-35). The meaning of the tower is thus: having decided with complete selflessness to become a follower of Christ, a person must evaluate his strength beforehand and prepare himself properly to the forthcoming exploit, so as not to become a source of laughter later. The second parable carries the same meaning — a person wishing to become a follower of Christ, must first secure spiritual means for this, the first being — selflessness; otherwise he will be unable to fulfill his good intention, and could even be subjected to the dangers of defeat at the hands of spiritual enemies. “Asks conditions of peace” — this of course, is applied to demonstrate the parable only, and doesn’t mean that you have to conclude peace with spiritual enemies. In parables, not all the features carry an explanation in a spiritual sense: some are utilized to give more life to the narrative, without any inner meaning. The followers of Christ are likened to salt that dissolves with whatever it is mixed. However, Christ’s disciples that don’t have moral selflessness are good for nothing, just like salt that has lost its strength.