Coming After Jesus!

Friday, August 7, 2026

Nahum 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7; Mt 16: 24-28

Today’s Gospel highlights the essence of discipleship, demonstrating that coming after Jesus is to live as he lived and love as he loved. 

Coming after Jesus begins with a surrendering of our life and freedom.

1. Surrendering Our Lives: Coming after Jesus means relinquishing control over our lives because they do not belong to us alone. In other words, when we choose to follow Jesus, our lives are no longer just ours to spend. When Jesus talks of losing our lives, we lose them in the way that the Lord desires, not in the way that the world understands. Giving up control over our lives is a huge sacrifice we can make. However, a life lived for Jesus is never wasted. 

2. Surrendering Our Freedom: Coming after Jesus is to take up our cross. Here, taking up the cross means surrendering our freedom. Then, we will no longer ask, ‘What do I want to do?’ Instead, we wonder each time, ‘What does Jesus want me to do?’ When we surrender our freedom to live selfishly for us, we discover the real freedom to live for God and others. Indeed, true freedom lies in faithful obedience to God’s will. 

3. Finding Our Life and Freedom Anew: What looks like a paradox in Jesus’ words, ‘Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever wishes to save his life will find it,’ gets beautifully resolved when we find our life and freedom anew, especially because they are now meant for Christ. Thus, coming after Jesus, we find the profound joy of living for him. Likewise, free from the constant pressure to satisfy ourselves, we find our freedom anew to live, love, and serve like the Lord Himself.

In sum, coming after Jesus is a deeply rewarding experience. What starts with surrender finds fruition in the discovery of who we really are and what we really want to do. 

Let us pray that we may have the courage to surrender our lives and freedom to Jesus, only to discover them anew.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar