Jesus’ warning in Luke 9:26 confronts us with the seriousness of discipleship: "If anyone is ashamed of me and of my words...". To be a disciple is, above all, to walk with Jesus and learn from Him; it is not merely a label, but a daily walk of closeness, teaching, and conformity to his person and to his words.
Being ashamed of Christ and of his words is manifested in silencing the gospel out of fear, accommodating life to culture, or rejecting teachings that confront our habits. Walking with Jesus and learning from Him means letting his words penetrate the heart, shape our minds, and guide our choices, making visible the connection between what we believe and how we live.
In practice, this requires concrete decisions: prioritizing the reading and meditation of Scripture, subjecting decisions to prayer, seeking correction and encouragement in the community, and confessing Christ even when there is a cost. Disciples learn by obeying; learning is not merely intellectual but formative, generating habits of faithfulness that resist human shame.
If today you perceive resistance to following or learning from Jesus, return to him with humility and repentance; he is patient to teach and able to transform. Persist in learning and living his words — thus, on the day of the coming of the Son of Man, there will be fellowship and not shame. Courage: begin again now with steps of faith that prove you are truly his disciple.