September 2004

Such a demanding and radical request is rather shocking. It is not intended for any specific category of persons, like missionaries or religious who must be free to go and proclaim the Gospel everywhere. Nor does it apply only to exceptional moments, like times of persecution when disciples are asked not only to give up their goods but also to give up their lives in order to remain faithful to God. Jesus is addressing these words to everyone. So we can all respond.
It’s one of the conditions for following Jesus, a condition that Luke insists on in his Gospel: “Sell your belongings and give alms. …For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (12:33-34). “No servant can serve two masters. …You cannot serve God and mammon” (16:13). “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” (18:24).

«Everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple»

Why does Jesus insist so much on being detached from goods, to the point of making it an indispensable condition for following him?
Because he is our first real and true treasure in life! And so he invites us to put aside all those idols – those “possessions” – that can take God’s place in our hearts.
He wants us to be free. He wants our souls to be released from every attachment and concern so that each one of us can really love him totally with heart, mind, and strength. Although material goods are necessary in life, we have to use them with the greatest detachment. We must be ready to put aside anything if it might take first place in our hearts. For those who follow Jesus, there is no room for avarice, for the pleasure of riches, for the unrestrained quest for comfort and security.
He asks us to renounce possessions also because he wants us to be open to others, to accept and love our neighbors as ourselves, for renouncing our goods will bring many benefits to our neighbors. A disciple of Jesus cannot give in to avarice and ignore the poor.

«Everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple»

How can we live this “Word of Life”? The simplest way to “renounce” is “to give.” We can give to God by loving him, by offering him our life so that he may use it as he wishes, and by being ready to do his will always.

And to show him our love, we can love our brothers and sisters by being ready to risk everything for them. Even though we might not think so, we have many riches to put in common. We have affection to give, cordiality to express, joy to communicate; we can put our time at the disposal of others, we can pray for them and share our interior riches; at times, we have other things to share, like books, clothes, cars and money. Let us give without reasoning, for example, “But I might need it on this or some other occasion.” Everything might come in handy some day, but in the meantime, if we follow this line of thought, many attachments will seep into our hearts and many more needs will be created. No, let’s try to keep only what is really necessary. Let’s be careful not to give up Jesus for a sum of money we have set aside for something we could do without.

«Everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple»

For the “all” that we lose or give up we find an immeasurably more precious “all.” We are the ones who gain, believe me, because in the place of the little or much that we give, we will receive fullness of joy and communion with God. We will become authentic disciples.
If just giving a glass of water will be rewarded, what will be the reward for those who give all they can out of love for God in their neighbor?
This is confirmed by one of the many episodes that are continually reported to me by those who live the “Word of Life” with us.
A father of a family in Caracas lost his job. Two weeks later he became seriously ill. During that very same period his car was stolen. It was a very difficult time for him and his family. They would have to leave their apartment because they could no longer pay the rent.
In the meantime a friend of theirs who was not well off himself felt prompted to respond more completely to God’s love and to live the Word of Life by following the example of the early Christians who put everything in common. That same evening he talked about this with his wife and they felt that their own poverty could not justify leaving their friends on the street. They decided together to offer a part of their house to that family. Their house, however, wasn’t finished yet. On the following day, a sum of money arrived unexpectedly that made it possible for them to finish the house.

Chiara Lubich