In our Gospel lesson Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me
and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and
brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple
…” Cannot be a Christian.
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What if He meant that?
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Most of my life I’ve heard people try to explain
this passage away … and I have tried to, too!
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Comparison of how much you love Jesus.
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Even then, could you do that? Because, I
couldn’t!
How about the part where Jesus says, “Whoever does
not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”
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Crosses are for suffering and dying. Are you all
in?
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The cross is where Jesus atoned for our sins.
Can you atone for your own?
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Pay the price? I can’t.
Then Jesus told two parables about counting the cost.
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What does it cost to be Jesus’ disciples? What
does it cost to be a Christian?
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Nothing! Saved by grace through faith, gift of
God!
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Jesus seems to be saying, “Everything!” If you
want to be worthy of following Jesus, it will cost you everything and more! Who
can pay the price?
This is Jesus’ point! In our reading, there are great crowds
following Him. They are excited to be part of this movement, but so far it
hasn’t cost them anything.
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In a sense, this how it is – Jesus came to save
sinners.
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The good news is that Jesus is God Himself in
human flesh who came to redeem the unworthy
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But so far, they are coming on their terms.
So Jesus confronts His hearers – including you and me! – and
He is telling them and us – “You think you get to choose to come to me and that
I will just do whatever you want me to do? You think I need you? I’m lucky to
have you because of … whatever? No,” he says, “you are like salt that has lost
its taste.” (He who has ears to hear, let him hear!)
We don’t come to Jesus on our terms.
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I heard a quote, “Invites us to come as we are,
but not to remain as we are.”
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We don’t get to negotiate terms with Jesus –
“I’ll give this much for what you do for me.” “I’ll abide by commandments 3
(worship), 5 (murder), 7 (stealing), and 9 (slander), but 1 (other gods), 2
(misusing God’s name), 4 (honoring parents), 6 (sexual sin), and 10 (coveting)
… those are the ones I enjoy, so, I’m going to keep doing them.”
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Jesus’ terms are all or nothing, which leaves
people who are dead in their trespasses and sins with … nothing.
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He’s saying that if you count the cost for you
to pay for your salvation, the situation is hopeless, and you need a miracle.
And here is where we realize that this is exactly why Jesus
came. He is the miracle. He counted the cost. He took up His cross and ours. He
paid the price – not with gold or silver, but with his holy precious blood and
His innocent suffering and death.
Then the Holy Spirit worked another miracle, he made dead
sinful hearts alive and placed faith in them … placed faith in you so that you
could confess, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in
Jesus, but by the power and grace of God, I do believe and He is my hope!”
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That new life changes our relationship with this
life – walk in newness of life.
Earlier, I said, “We are the salt that has lost its taste.” Now,
it is more accurate to say, “We were the salt that had lost its taste.” Jesus’
miracle is at work in us! In fact, He Himself says, “You are the salt of the
world!
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You have received the good news of Jesus’
salvation!
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You carry the message of God’s salvation in your
life
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To your family
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To your friends … and enemies
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To your community!
However, that changed relationship with God will change your
relationship with others. And here is where we have to count the cost – not to
save ourselves, but to follow Jesus as people who are saved.
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Hurt relationships – Love them enough to speak
of sin and grace? Awkward.
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Repentance – turn away from sin, and that might
mean giving up behaviors and ideas that we have very much enjoyed. But which is
better, the temporary pleasure or the eternal love of Christ?
And this is part of what Jesus paid – he was rejected, and
he chose to love you above all to save you from sin, death, and the power of
this world. And this is the good news we get to share, because Jesus didn’t
just die and rise for us. He died and rose for them, that they too might
believe and have salvation through Him. Amen.
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