9/09/07 (Trinity 14)
Luke 14:25-33
What hard words from Jesus! There are no two ways about it: he was deliberately trying to discourage the crowds from following him. Jesus was not interested in popularity. He could not offer the crowds the easy road they were looking for. It remains true today: if we are looking for easy answers to life’s problems, we will not find them by following Jesus.
Why does he use such harsh language? Telling his followers to hate their nearest and dearest is too extreme, isn’t it – and it is dead against all his teaching about love for neighbour and for one another and even for enemies. Yes; and Jesus often used extreme language to make a point as strongly as possible. Here the point is simply this: however much we love our nearest and dearest, if ever there comes a time when their expectations or needs conflict with those of Jesus, there should be no contest – Jesus must come first. This applies to our own needs as well: following Jesus is more important than having our needs met or our rights taken into account. Jesus calls his followers to carry their cross. Such an expression would be shocking to those who heard. Only convicted criminals carried their crosses, on their way to execution. To carry one’s cross would be hard and shameful work, done against one’s will, with no hope of anything but a terrible outcome. To do such work willingly would be unthinkable. Except that Jesus did it – and he calls us to follow him.
Jesus piled on the pressure. He used the illustrations of building a tower and of going to war: it is vital to weigh everything up before embarking on such enterprises.
Too many people call themselves Christians without thinking about the consequences. Jesus brings us into a relationship with Almighty God – and that can never be like a relationship between equals. Our relationship with God must be with him as God, as the one with all authority over every part of our lives. He may call us to life or to death, to comfort or pain – it’s his call. But our hope is for an outcome the same as Jesus: resurrection Life!
Questions:
1) If following Jesus is so demanding, what is the Good News?
2) What are the costs and the benefits for us of following Jesus?