To follow Jesus is to walk a path of love that often runs against the world’s current. Many people ask why discipleship seems to involve so much sacrifice—why it asks us to let go of things we hold dear. The truth is that love itself always costs something. When we love, we give of ourselves. And discipleship is, at its heart, a relationship of love between us and Christ.
In the Gospels, Jesus never hides this truth. He says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). These are not words of cruelty but of freedom. Jesus invites us to exchange the weight of selfishness and sin for the lighter yoke of love. Sacrifice in this sense is not about losing what matters, but about letting go of what keeps us from living fully in God’s grace.
The Church teaches that sacrifice is the way love becomes real. When we choose God’s will over our own comfort, when we forgive, serve, or remain faithful through difficulty, we become more like Christ Himself. Every act of sacrifice purifies our heart, making room for His Spirit to dwell within us. It is the hidden path of transformation—dying to sin so that we might rise to new life.
In daily life, this might mean letting go of pride in a relationship, choosing generosity over greed, or trusting God when the future feels uncertain. These moments of surrender are not small; they are the building blocks of true discipleship. Through them, we learn to love as Jesus loves—freely, deeply, and without reserve.
Every sacrifice made in love becomes a seed of resurrection. When we offer our hearts to Christ, nothing is truly lost—everything is transformed.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
