Family Bible Study - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Passage
Luke 14:25 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, 30 saying, ‘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.

Questions for discussion -

1. Jesus gives us 3 rules for being His followers. He says
we have to (1) love Him more than everyone else; (2) carry the cross and follow him;
(3) and not care too much for “stuff” and “things” that we own. How would you
grade yourself in each of these three areas? What can you do better?

2. Jesus says that before we start something, we need to know we how to finish.
Before we start to follow Jesus, we need to know what it is going to take to finish
that journey. Do you understand what Jesus is asking of you?

3. Why do you think the three rules Jesus gives us are good for us to follow? Could
we really be His followers and love someone more than Him? Could we really be
His follower and not carry our cross and follow Him? Could we really be His
follower and want our “stuff” more that we want to go to Heaven?
used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry