We live in a transactional world where we purchase, have agreements or exchange something in return. We sometimes wonder what the minimum effort is to receive the maximum benefit. In our human weakness we may apply these principles to the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of God is beyond this logic. Our inheritance to the kingdom is a gift. Jesus initially asked his disciples to follow, and then later called them to ‘be’ and make disciples. This is our journey, to first encounter and then to make disciples of others. Today in the Gospel proclamation, Jesus is reminding us to not fall into the trap of thinking that we are better or that we know better because we are disciples/Christians. We are called to grow deeper in our relationship with God and others. The more we grow in our relationship with him the more we shine his light and attract those in the fringes to the love of Christ. The question today is “am I happy just being a follower near heaven’s gate or do I become a citizen, thus taking the responsibility of discipleship”?

Prayer: Abba Father, may I be courageous in sharing your Word. Amen.