September
4, 2016 Pentecost 16 Luke
14:25-33
I’m sure you’ve come across advertisements in magazines or
newspapers that are trying to sell an amazing product at an amazing price. But you’ve learned to look at the fine print
on the bottom of the page. Often the
deal isn’t all that great, or there are so many exceptions almost no one
qualifies. The same thing happens with
radio and TV ads. The commercial goes on
and on about how great something is, but then before it’s over there’s some
voice which can talk incredibly fast that lists all the potential dangers and
side effects of a product. And we also
realize this product isn’t so great.
Perhaps our gospel reading is the fine print of following
Jesus. It all sounds so great. Jesus heals people. He likes to go to celebrations and
banquets. He seems to be a friend to
anyone. There are the great healing
miracles and amazing sermons. He teaches
that his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
Following Jesus seems like an amazing deal; all benefits and no
downside. But then it’s time for the
fine print, although Jesus didn’t hide this stuff at the bottom of the
page. He says it clearly and openly for
all to hear and know. True discipleship
costs, and it can cost a lot.
These are probably the most troubling of Jesus’ teachings that
we have: Hate father and mother, wife
and children, brothers and sisters, and even your own life. Bear a cross.
Sell all your possessions or you cannot be my disciples. They are so out of sync with everything we
live that most people simply ignore them.
People have struggled with these words for centuries, coming to multiple
conclusions about how to act on them.
Indeed Jesus often used exaggerated speech to make his
point. He certainly does not say to love
people in one place and then in another teach that you should hate your family
and friends. But what does this all
mean?
In regards to selling your possessions, when I was growing up I
was taught that Jesus didn’t mean that literally for everybody. What he really meant is that we should be
willing to sell our possessions if he
asks us to. And I always thought,
exactly how clear would Jesus have to speak before you obeyed that
command. If the clouds in the sky
suddenly spelled out, “Jonathan Deibler, sell all your possessions and give the
money to the poor. If you don’t you’ll
burn in hell. This is God speaking. Do it now.” I doubt that people would even
respond then. (Well, maybe if it was my name
in the clouds you have no trouble pushing me to do it, but what if it was your
name?)
Hate family and friends, give up your possessions; these simply
are too counter to everything we live that we simply won’t do them. We look to our relationships with other
people to affirm us and give us a sense of place; even a sense of home. And even though many a person who’s house has
burned down says, “It’s all just stuff.
At least everyone got out safely,” they really aren’t prepared to go
through the rest of life with nothing.
Insurances cover losses. Houses
are rebuilt. New possessions are acquired. Our possessions define us. They give us a social rank. They speak of our success, or lack
thereof. What you drive says a lot about
you. There’s: the worn out old sedan
driven by a family just starting out, the minivan driven by the responsible parent,
the convertible driven by the guy in a mid-life crises with his hair implants
and leather jacket, there’s the dark and murky driver of a Harley Davidson, and
the obnoxious jerk driving an SUV that’ll probably never leave a paved highway.
Money is a source of safety and power. Whenever I travel a long distance I like to
have enough cash in my wallet to buy a tank of gas, a decent meal and a night’s
lodging. Even though I’ve never had to
depend upon it, I figure if power or computer systems crash I won’t be anything
more than mildly inconvenienced. In
whatever form it takes: cash, credit, debit, money is power. It is safety.
No matter how generous and selfless we are, we are terrified to lose
that security.
It is a real leap of faith to give up the safety and security of
money and relationships and really put the demands of discipleship first.
Over the centuries many people have done just that. The book of Acts records the early Christians
selling their possessions and living in community, holding everything in
common. I don’t like to use the word
communist, because of what it has come to mean, but in many places the earliest
churches were really communal.
Monasteries and convents continue the pattern where people forsake
family and friends, money and possessions, and live a life that is clearly
devoted to discipleship.
Should we all do that? Is
that what Jesus really wants from us? If
I say “yes” you’ll all tune me out and start daydreaming about something more
pleasant. If I say “no” then you’ll
breathe a sigh of relief; and then still daydream about something else!
One thing we definitely do want to do is to acknowledge to
ourselves, and to God, that we are fearful and uncomfortable with it all. We don’t want to do it, and if pressed we’d
most likely fail. It is important for
our lives of faith to realize just how deeply we are connected to our stuff and
our relationships. We can and should
have the feeling that our priorities are messed up. Why are our possessions so important to
us? Why do we put so much faith in
something that is transient? We can and
should pray that God give us appropriate priorities.
Fortunately for us God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger
and abounding in steadfast love. That
does not mean that we get off free, but it does mean we have hope. And I believe that if you constantly come to
God with your sins and failings and really and truly acknowledge how deeply you
are trapped in them, then you are opening the door for God to work. You may be surprised. In time you may look back and realize that by
God many possessions and relationships have lost importance and have been
replaced with a deeper love and trust in God.
When Jesus spoke these words he was on his final journey to
Jerusalem. If you wanted to follow Jesus
you had to drop what you were doing and follow him. Tomorrow would be too late. The disciples had indeed left family and
possessions behind to take this journey with him.
And though we are shocked when Jesus makes the demands we hear
in our gospel reading let’s also remember what Jesus does himself. He has given up father and mother plus
sisters and brothers. He has no home and
no real possessions. While the disciples
are with him when he makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, they are gone on
Thursday. No earthly relationships or
resources were available to Jesus in the crucifixion. He had given up everything in devotion to
God’s purposes. From the perspective of
our faith we realize that Jesus is not asking us to do anything that he hasn’t
already done himself. I’m much more
willing to follow someone’s command when they’ve already done the same
themselves.
Harsh as Jesus’ teachings are they contain blessings too, as
they always do. Freed from worrying
about protecting our earthly relationships and possessions we can delight in
God’s certain promises for the future.
In next week’s gospel reading we’re going to discover a very strange
teaching about money and possessions.
It’s a head scratcher to be sure, but it teaches us something great
about things, and it is sure to bring a smile to our faces when we realize what
God has done.
May you take our Lord’s words seriously. And may you also delight in the goodness God
gives to those who dare to take him seriously, for God wants us to be joyful
indeed and will always give us what will bring that joy into our lives truly
and fully.
No comments:
Post a Comment