Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 9, 2007
Scripture	Luke 14:25-33 25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
Devotional	What price are we willing to pay for the hard life of following Jesus? This text from Luke talks about the divisions that come with discipleship. We are told to count the cost of discipleship before we dive in, because what God requires is not halfway measures and limp promises. This familiar scripture is about the cost of discipleship, the true meaning of following Jesus. This is one of those often called “hard sayings” of Jesus. The times Jesus begins talking like this the disciples begin to question. Their question “what about us?” What is the meaning of this passage for us today? Two of the main characteristics of Americans is to avoid pain and the fear of suffering. Today we see many people attracted to the teachings of Jesus, but is this the scripture that attracts them? Many people like to hear the gospel. Many like hanging around those that are quoting, talking about obeying the gospel and claiming to be disciples. How do we interpret this scripture Luke 14:25-33? Literally or as a metaphor? When the text is something we can manage, we read it literally, but when we find it a challenging text, we want to read it as a metaphor. I am always struggling with the questions: What does it mean? How does this apply to my life? A large crowd was following Jesus when he began this sermon but how many remained when he finished? Is Jesus asking the question ”Where have all the people gone?” Where have all the people gone? This reminded me of the lyrics of Peter, Paul, and Mary - Where Have All The Flowers Gone? Where have all the disciples gone? When will they ever learn? Could Jesus have been singing this as he was on the way to meet the grumbling Pharisees and scribes in Luke 15:2? This is a “hard Saying.” Luke 14:25-33 is one of those gospel readings that backs us against the wall and refuses to let us go. Jesus just walks away, leaving us to wrestle with the meaning. Prayer Lord, you call us to struggle with the meaning of your words. Grant us patience to stay with these words until we receive the word you have for us today.