Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost -- 09 September 2007
St Paul Lutheran Church, ABQ NM -- The Rev. P. L. Holman
Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33
"Are you willing?"
There's always a catch -- you know, no such thing as a free lunch. Lately it's been those emails that promise a share in a certain fortune if you'll front the money to release the claim. Many people have been caught by such scams. In life there's always a catch.
The same is true, it seems, with God. Last week Jesus invited us to a party: come, be guests of honor at God's banquet table of grace. All are welcome to this party for everyone, even the most unlikely of partygoers. No strings attached -- matter of fact, those who cannot repay are the first to be included. Wonderful! And now this: Ah yes, and by the way, remember not one of you can be my disciple if you don't give up being shaped by the world's values in order to be shaped by the cross. Not one.
So much for the "free" party: it'll cost you your life!
No matter what translation of the Bible we read, no matter how much we try to massage the hard words in this Gospel lesson -- the ones about hate for family and carrying the cross, about giving everything up -- there is no way around it. "Count the cost," Jesus says. "All of it; you must set aside it all to follow me."
There are grandparents of twins here this morning -- God surely isn't speaking to them, calling them to care for strangers and foreigners as much as they do their grandchildren. Yes.
There's that couple married for over 65 years, and the woman who has retired twice and now works fulltime as a volunteer -- they certainly qualify for an exemption, right? Wrong.
How about that teen who for years has volunteered her time helping a disabled youth play sports, and those teens who have for years volunteered almost weekly at the community meals program. Jesus doesn't mean they have to be willing to set aside their parents, friends, hard-earned "stuff" in order to follow, does he? Oh yes.
Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Luke tells us a crowd was following Jesus, but we aren't told who is in the crowd. Probably some who are merely onlookers, others curiosity seekers and others like the man who a few chapters earlier in Luke came to Jesus and offered to follow wherever Jesus leads. In some ways that crowd wasn't much different from this congregation today. We come from a variety of places for a variety of reasons gathering to bring children to the font of Baptism, to receive the gift of Christ's very self at the Table of the Lord. We listen and speak, making our promises to follow. In various ways we say: Lead us, Lord, we're walking with you, right behind you, following all the way.
It was an impressive following then -- a crowd any congregation council or preacher would love to sign up for membership. Yet instead of offering a warm welcome and assurances of a happy life, it's almost as if Jesus tries to get rid of them, to undo everything he's been working toward for almost three years. "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father, mother, partner, children, brothers and sisters -- even life itself -- cannot be my disciple."
So much for their votes in the primary. So much for church growth. This tough honest talk about discipleship slams hard in a world in which Jesus is often put forth as "The best deal a man ever had" [Oral Roberts]. Such a deal most of us would rather do without. What gives?
Jesus days, Nothing gives. There is no "give" -- the message is firm and clear. The simple truth is that to be a follower of Jesus you and I must be willing to let go of all we think matters and all we hold dear, we must be open to being changed. It means being called by the gospel to follow a path that may send us headlong into confrontation with the social standards of winning and wealth, of power and popularity we've been so conditioned to expect -- to let go of it all and to open ourselves to God's purpose for our life. What we treasure may well return, but in a different configuration, like little Maizy and Natalie and their relationship to Mom and Dad after Baptism as sisters in Christ, ordered according to God's priority. Can you live like that -- are you willing to die for that?
One of the rare privileges that is mine as pastor is to sit with dying saints. Earlier this week I spent a bit of time with Borgie, a long time member of St. Paul who along with her late husband Ivan lived an example of discipleship that has influenced several generations of family, friends and even strangers. In the past six years I've been her pastor through several life passages. That day on medication to ease the pain of widespread cancer she at times seemed to be sleeping, and then she'd surprise me with a pertinent comment or insight. We were talking about faith, about God's amazing strength for us in every time, especially times of great weakness. She said, "I am praying for the ministry of St. Paul church." That's good -- we have our challenges right now, big waves of crises it seems, yet our trust is in a God whose persistence is beyond comprehension. "God doesn't give up easily," I said. "I think God is more stubborn than every member of your family put together." She laughed heartily and smiled -- "I imagine you are right." Then she became reflective: "Now I just trust in the Lord. That's all we can do -- I trust God to do with me whatever is his desire, whatever is God's will."
"Whoever does not hate even life itself cannot be my disciple."
In her dying Borgie has given us a glimpse of what Jesus was saying about life. In the great economy of life Jesus' words remind us that what we think really matters ultimately doesn't. To truly live we must be ready to die.
In the end we'll need to give it all up anyway -- family, goals, iPods, iPhones, IRAs and rosy ideals -- we can't take any of it with us. So start living now, Jesus says, by dying to your priorities and living by God's. Where Jesus asks us to go in service to others, in faithful living for God's sake, is the place he has already gone before. Jesus doesn't assign us to do his dirty work, he simply asks us to carry on the healing work he began – healing of creation, the nations, relations and self.
In a world where "let's give it up" for something or someone is usually a call for applause, Jesus simply asks that we literally give it up -- not arms' length applause but up close and personal giving up of those things that block us from living the life that really matters. Give it up for others by finding courage to speak the truth in love to those who've wronged you, by seeking forgiveness NOW for the wrongs you've done to others. Give it up for your family, by balancing those responsibilities of caring for children, ailing parents or siblings with the responsibility of taking care of yourself. Give it up for God's purposes by devoting yourself to regular prayer, worship, study and fellowship with other followers of Jesus so that "giving it up" becomes a joy celebrated rather than a burden borne alone.
Look around you this morning. Look in the bulletin. Look at your family and your community. What work needs your skills, your gifts? How can you open up to the life God longs for you to live? God is real. And God makes real demands on us. Any life worth living, any life worth dying for, involves a willingness to let go. It involves a willingness to die in order to live. Jesus was willing. Are you? Choose life.