Luke 14:25–33
Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
Reflection
We know that Jesus is coming again. At least as children of God, that's what we profess and believe. Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. If we truly believe this and we have faith in Jesus' return; why don't we act like it?
We walk through this life with God by our side. We can read the Bible and see God's Word. We can look all around us and witness the miracles of God's creation from the largest of suns to the smallest of particles that we can see through lenses that we have made. And knowing that the large and small of it all is a limit to our own eyesight; we know God exists. So why don't we act like God exists.
I think that we tend to get wrapped up in ourselves. We get lost in our own selfish needs to have time to pick up a cross and carry it for the life of another person, or to prepare our lives for Jesus' coming again. Jesus may come today, who knows? So, why don't we act like it?
We can easily reach out to the homeless, we can easily go to the sick, we can easily visit the imprisoned, we can easily care for one another in such a way that we don't encourage handouts and a give-away, but a freedom to live life in God and in service to one another. Giving in such a way that we don't create dependence, but giving in such a way that we create a relationship. A relationship that frees the sick, the homeless, the prisoner to live life in God and in service to yet another person. This isn't making the other person dependent on yourself or drugs or homes, but rather giving the person the same opportunity you have had to live life in God and in service to another. Why don't we make disciples who see the value in the cross, instead of binding them up with your own money, your own drugs, your own power over the other person?
In this passage Jesus just told the story about a heavenly banquet where it was opened up to the poor, the sick and the outcast. Jesus was preparing himself to be the offering of God on that altar of the cross for all people. Jesus was also preparing his disciples for what was to come. Jesus was teaching preparedness to his followers.
Jesus invites us to the banquet of the lost and prepares us to face death for the sake of Jesus. We need to consider the cost of denying oneself of self. We need to really know the true cost and act it out in flesh and blood, not in words and a fake spirit or by making someone dependent on yourself. Sometimes it's tough to pull up the lost. Sometimes it takes an honest tough love to free oneself from drugs, or poverty or even illness. Sometimes the therapy hurts, the denial is tough, the stopping seems impossible. We can't condone this in any way. We can be compassionate, but we can't make people dependent upon the very things that are killing them. We can't and Jesus came to stop all of that.
We are all part of that "lost" in some manner. So, we pull together in the cross of Jesus. We pull together in our sin and are dependent on one person, Jesus Christ is our only Savior. And Jesus must face the cross... our cross. He doesn't deserve this nor does he need the cross. We need the cross and we need Jesus. Jesus is not going to give up on this mission. Jesus is not going to buckle under to the temptation.
So, this passage is Jesus' tough love speech to all of his disciples. A tough love speech that Jesus is going to live out himself for us.
If we truly believe this and we have faith in Jesus' return; why don't we act like it?
Jesus may come today, who knows? So, why don't we act like it?
Why don't we make disciples who see the value in the cross, instead of binding them up with your own money, your own drugs, your own power over the other person?
"So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions."
Wow! That's some tough love! That's Jesus preparing us for our walk and his walk. A walk right to the cross. And a walk of life and salvation through Jesus himself. Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Lord, thanks for the bold message. Thanks for the tough love. Thanks for setting it all straight about that cross that you willingly gave your life up for the sin of all people. Thanks for your act of salvation. Help me to live out that tough love you have set before me. Give me the fortitude to stand in your grace only through your actions of love and compassion. And when needed direct me in tough love for another that I don't make anyone weak, but point each person towards your grace and compassion and love and salvation... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment