“Discipleship is not an offer man makes to Christ,” said Dietrich Bonhoeffer. And it’s the point of this Sunday’s passage from Luke, about being “fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk 9:62).

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to accomplish his Father’s will, to be “taken up,” Luke enigmatically describes it. And so, like Moses before him, he sends messengers before him to proclaim the kingdom of God. But, of course, the disciples don’t understand, because they are still unfit for the kingdom of God. They’re violent, and they’re loyalty is not yet perfect; they’re still weighed down by worldly cares and the flesh.

But Jesus wants better disciples: peaceful, more obedient disciples. He doesn’t want merely a portion of their attention, mere parts of their hearts. He wants everything; he wants his disciples to be completely committed to him or not at all. It’s all or nothing for Jesus. It’s the only way to be “fit for the kingdom.” Anything less is mere religion, merely show.

Which is the challenge for us; it’s what’s so convicting. How many of us are Christians, Catholics, but still don’t follow Christ completely? How many of us are honest enough to admit we’re not fit for the kingdom? Sure, we’re Catholic. Sure, we go to Mass. But do we let the dead bury the dead? (Lk 9:60) Are we still too worldly? Often, I find myself welcoming Jesus into my life with one hand while shooing him away with the other. That’s what this passage from Luke invites us to think about: how our profession of faith in Christ isn’t always backed up with complete commitment. It asks us to consider the possibility that we’re just calling ourselves Christians, not living as real disciples. A sobering thing to think about.

But let’s have the courage to call ourselves out. Honestly, let’s look at ourselves and discover those places where we’re not genuinely Christians, where we’re afraid to be Christians because we’re still enraptured by the glamour of the world. Let’s confess together how we’re not fit for the kingdom. But then let’s beg for grace together too. Because that’s what genuine Christians do. They admit they’re sinners and beg for God’s grace. And then they get a little braver in the name of Jesus, and begin to change the world.