(Reflection on Luke 14:25-33)
We spend our lives building many things—but only one truly lasts: the Body of Christ, built up together in love.
I’ve been the queen of unfinished projects—starting one thing, chasing another inspiration, and changing course so many times I make myself dizzy! It’s human nature to run after the latest and greatest, look for the quick win, or simply lose focus in all the buzz going on around us. Often, these worldly distractions stop us before we even get started on what matters most.
So when Jesus points out how easily we fail to finish what we start—because we haven’t counted the cost—I get it. He then gives us blunt instructions for building a tower of greatest importance—one built through discipleship.
This tower isn’t like Babel—it’s built on the love and humility of its builders. Each act of mercy, forgiveness, or faithfulness is a block that connects us to Christ, the cornerstone. Yesterday’s reading reminded us we are many members but one body in Christ; today shows how that body is to upbuild itself in love.
The cost to build this tower of discipleship is steep: we must make Christ first. We must love Him more than even our children, our spouses, or ourselves. Following Jesus isn’t for the faint-hearted; it means placing Him as the first block—the cornerstone—on which everything else rests.
So when you feel like everything you’re building is temporary—or not worth the effort—take heart! Follow the Lord’s blueprint and keep going. Build faithfully alongside others, with Christ as your guide—because the one thing worth building, the only thing that lasts forever, is the Body of Christ.
