We are all Christians here. Adding up to this is the fact that we are all religious. But despite this do we really grasp the cost of following the Lord? This haunting question is what the Gospel today presents to me and to you as well. It takes courage to follow Jesus! This is true in times of crises or as in the case of the early Christians – persecution. But what does courage entails when we follow the Lord? The answer is genuineness. This virtue is the opposite of hypocrisy of which the Lord is warning us his followers sternly. Jesus reminds his disciples as He is reminding us today that following him would cost us to be true to others and ourselves. That our discipleship is not about pretending to be other than what we are. What is outside must reflect what is inside. Transparency is our political name for this today. Today we find people faking their friendships and relationships. Also, we find people allergic to others speaking the truth. Hence, to be genuine is a costly thing in following the Lord today. Yet, even if we pretend to be what we are not, like the hypocrite Pharisees in the gospel, we cannot escape God’s knowledge of who we really are. As Jesus notes, everything that is hidden will be revealed or shall we say is already revealed in God. Everything is laid bare in God. Humans, on the contrary, might be poor judges of the heart for we see only the appearance but not God. God sees us through and through! So, Jesus invites us to be true or genuine! Another cost of following Jesus is faithfulness. This is not new to our hearing. Yet it is important because it will qualify us as Jesus’ friends. Take note, Jesus addresses his followers as friends in today’s gospel. We are all friends of the Lord. But friendship demands faithfulness. Faithfulness in our friendship with Jesus, as we know it, is challenging. I, for example, have failed Him many times. However that is part of any relationships. What’s essential is not the fluctuations but the constancy of the relationship. Ironically, even though we end our friendship with Jesus, still, He remains a friend to us. Such that when we feel so alone and hurt, we still find Him waiting for us – ready to welcome us back as dear friends. For there is no other true friend than Jesus. In return to such gracious friendship, we do our best to be faithful. Faithfulness is what it costs to follow Jesus – a faithfulness moved by the graciousness of his friendship. God cares for everyone! This is where it will eventually lead us. Jesus notes that we are more important than sparrows. If sparrows are sold as the cheapest among birds at the market and one can even get a discount when one buys it in large quantity, yet God cares for them, how much more for us. Jesus stresses that our courage in times of trials must be fueled by the certitude of God’s providential care for us. God’s love must be our refuge in difficult times. It must be the source of our courage and faithfulness! Why are we faithful and courageous? Because, God loves us. Hence, Jesus tells us today: “Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. (Lk 12:7b)