“How
Much? How Many? . . . One.”
Text:
Luke 14:25-35 (Philemon 1-21)
Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Now
great crowds accompanied [Jesus] . . .
That’s
good, right? That’s what Jesus wants, isn’t it? All people to know and follow
Him.
But
in the Gospel today, Jesus turns to them and seems to discourage the
crowds. He doesn’t tread softly and encourage them and speak words of comfort
to them. Quite the opposite, actually. Tough words. A very high bar compared to
what is often the easy, low bar Christianity of our world today. And how do you
measure up?
If
you do not hate your family - your father, mother, wife, children, brothers,
sisters - you cannot, you are not able to be my disciple, Jesus says.
If
you do not hate your own life, you are not able to be my disciple.
If
you do not bear your own cross, you are not able to be my disciple.
If
you do not renounce all you have, you are not able to be my disciple.
Strong
words. But not to discourage them, or us. Rather to be realistic.
Because Jesus knows what we don’t know, or don’t want to know, or so often
forget: that He’s in enemy territory, come to do battle. Battle against the old
evil foe, the devil, who’s not going to sit back and do nothing; who’s not
going to take this incursion lightly. He’s going to fight. And not just against
Jesus, but against you.
If
you remember, right after 9-11 - the twelfth anniversary of which we
commemorate in just a few days - President Bush came out with what became known
as “the Bush Doctrine:” that the United States will pursue and punish
terrorists and those who harbor them.
Well, the devil’s doctrine is much the same: to pursue and seek to destroy
Christ and those who follow Him.
And,
Jesus knows, he will use your family.
Many have turned away from Jesus in some way, shape, or form because of family.
Because they did not want to offend, because they were more afraid of what
their family would think than about Jesus.
He will use your own life -
your sinful human nature and its desires - to turn you away from Jesus, making
sin look good and delicious and desireable. Making
the truth seem mean and ugly and false doctrine seem good and loving. Playing
on your emotions and weaknesses . . .
He will use persecution and the cross.
Threats of not only harm but of disadvantage at work, in school, in society
have caused many to compromise and cave to the sinful ways and will of the
world.
In
short, the devil will use anything and
everything in this world to undermine your discipleship. To cause you to
turn back and turn away, maybe. But
often it is more subtle than that. To just make us pause and take a break.
Perhaps miss a few Sundays. Fall for a few temptations. Disbelieve just some of
the Word. Start thinking that we need to get with the times. But then, like the
toddler who stops following Mom in a crowded mall, we soon find ourselves
separated from Jesus and, if left on our own, not able to get back.
That’s
why Jesus’ words today, warning us: if you love these things more than Me, if
you prefer these things and follow after these things, you are not able to
follow Me. You will fall.
And
we do fall. If not directly because of sin and temptation and these
things I’ve been talking about, then because we’ve simply grown battle weary.
Our country today, it is said, is battle weary. We’re tired of the fighting in
Iraq and Afghanistan and now the conversation/debate about getting into the
civil war in Syria. Many just want a time of peace and rest.
Well,
so too in our lives as Christians. It’s hard to keep fighting. It’s hard to
stay vigilant. We just want a time of peace and rest.
The
problem is: the enemy doesn’t rest. He thinks he can win this war. The devil
believes he can eliminate the church, and looking around in our world today it
may look like he is succeeding. The persecution against Christians in many
countries, the false doctrine in many churches, the watering down of the truth
. . .
But
it is not so. The devil cannot win. We have Jesus’ promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against
the church (Matt
16). Without that promise you might as well
go home and sleep in on Sunday mornings, and I might as well sit down and shut
up because we can’t do it. Like with Adam and Eve, the devil is too much for
us. Without that promise, we’re done.
But
he
who has ears to hear, let him hear. Hear not only this promise but all
the good news Jesus has for you. For you who cannot build the church or
your own eternal life. For you who do not have the strength or the numbers to
stand up against the enemy’s forces and power. Hear, so that you live not
in fear of the enemy or despair in yourself, but in confidence in your Saviour and boldness against whatever comes your way.
For
God, yousee, did count the cost. He calculated
what it would take. He knew the price of victory. And the answer for Him, the
answer to how many, how much is . . .
one. His Son.
To
build His church . . . one. His Son.
The
number needed to stand up against the devil and his minions . . . one. His Son.
Who
took up the cross . . . one. His
Son.
Who
renounced all He has . . . one. His
Son.
Who
loved His Father more than family, more than the things of this world, more
than His own life . . . one. His
Son.
And
when that one, hanging bleeding and dying on the cross said It is finished (John 19:30),
it was. The devil will keep on fighting until the last day, until the very last
moment, and casualities will still, sadly, happen.
But that third day, when the seal of death and the grave were broken in Jesus’
resurrection, the war was over. Victory assured. The gates of hell no match for
that one. That one on your side. That one who fights for you.
And
so all you need to be His disciple that one puts here for you and gives to you. On your own it’s not
happening. You are not able. But in Jesus and with Him and His victory, you are
His disciple. Because He has done it. You are baptized into Christ. You are
His, His child, His disciple, because He has declared it to be so. And He will
provide all you need to remain so.
And
so the life that you need against the deadly poison of the devil? Given.
The
forgiveness that you need when you fall? Given.
The
rescue that you need when you fall back and get lost and separated? Given.
The
love you need when your love gets messed up? Given.
The
strength that you need in your weakness? Given.
All
that you need? Given.
For
His blood given and shed for you is now given to you in His Word
and Sacraments. His blood given to
wash you clean, feed you, strengthen you, keep you, and “Spirit” you with the
Spirit of Jesus. The Holy Spirit to make you holy by connecting you with Jesus,
and to live in you as your strength against the old evil foe.
So
now in Jesus and with His Spirit, you are able. To live a new life. To
bear the cross and lay down your life for others in love and forgiveness and so
follow Christ. And you do not have to look for these opportunities. They will
come to you as the Spirit works in you to conform you to the image of Christ.
At school, at work, at home, in your marriage, in your friendships, at church,
wherever you are living in the callings you have been given. In the Epistle we
heard this morning, both Phiemon and Onesimus were given that opportunity to live a new life. Onesimus, the runaway slave, by going back to his place,
and Philemon, his master, by taking him back, or releasing him, and forgiving.
How
often do we have those same kinds of opportunities? To go back? To
forgive? It will never be easy to do those things, and you’ll fall. Sometimes
hard and spectacularly! Sometimes because you’re stubborn, sometimes because
you’re weak, sometimes because you’re afraid, and for lots of other reasons. It
will never be easy to follow Christ. The devil will make sure of that.
But
when you fall, here’s the key: . . . And
if you only remember one thing from the sermon today, remember this: . . . When you fall, don’t turn back to your own strength or resolve to do
better! You’ve tried that before, so have I, and it doesn’t work. Not for the
long haul. Not for the battle. We’re not able.
Rather,
when you fall, go back to the one -
the one who is able. Confess your sin, your failure. Repent. And given
ears to hear, hear again those words you need to hear; those words that will
give you strength and hope and all you need. He who has ears to hear, let him
hear: You are baptized. You are
mine. I forgive you all your sins. Take and eat, take and drink. Depart in
peace. And these - and that one
who speaks them - will make the difference in your life.
In
the Name of the Father and of the (+) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.