This is a special musical presentation of Open the Eyes of My Heart by the chancel choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan with a solo from Tammy Heilman.
Last week we received one of Jesus’ most bizarre and perplexing stories. Today, we receive one of his harshest stories. It is interesting that we are given this reading just days after we have seen world leaders gather for the UN General Assembly and address the multitude of problems facing this world, the biggest of which is climate change. The UN Chief did not mince words as he prophetically sounded a global alarm, warning leaders about the survival of humanity and the planet. For those of us who follow the teachings of Jesus, we discover God calls us to compassionately act in response to the many crises in our present context. Now, as we respond to Jesus’ message, some may say his teachings are just for our private lives, not for our public behavior, or he is irrelevant to our times. But, as the Rev. Jim Wallis writes in his book, Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus, he says, “That is hard to do for those who call themselves Christians, if God so loved the world.” You see, if the gospel has no meaning for our current, present context and does not inform the way we respond to injustice, the gospel really has NO meaning.
In all of today’s readings, we hear words about justice and faithful stewardship, messages that are very relevant to this present moment. In the reading from Luke’s gospel, justice is presented as an eschatological (meaning end of time) balancing of the scales: those who suffered in need are made full, and those who have reveled in excess are left empty. This story is all about a call to live a certain way in the here and now of everyday life. Jesus has been having a conversation with the Pharisees about the love of money and the desire for riches and, today, we find him continuing that conversation. He tells the Pharisees yet another story, another parable that is rather difficult to hear. Borrowing from what scholars believe was an Egyptian tale, Jesus tells the story of two worlds: the world of the haves and the world of the have-nots, the world of the rich and the world of the poor, the world of the comforted and the world of the afflicted. And, the boundaries between the two are very clearly defined.
The writer of Luke’s gospel was extremely concerned about the proper use of wealth, something that is not only the focus of all three of our readings today, but also something that is threaded through the entirety of Luke’s telling of the Jesus story. As we dig into this story, we need to understand that, in this parable, Luke is not trying to settle issues about the afterlife or eternal punishment. No. Luke is addressing the way we live our lives, here and now in this present moment. As Jesus tells this story, he uses a good deal of hyperbole to address those who love their money more than people, their possessions more than the poor, their clothes more than compassion, and their extravagant feasts more than sharing food with the hungry. And, it is very clear that Jesus has no pity for those who should know better. The rich man in this story has no way of pretending that he did not know the plight of Lazarus in this life, since the poor man was brought directly to his door, presumably by friends, or fellow beggars. And, the tale of the afterlife tableau is one of merciless pain suffered by the rich man, pain which cannot be alleviated. Even when the rich man asks for his family to be warned and spared, he is told that all they need to know is already available, and even if Jesus would be raised from the dead, they would not mend their ways.
The themes presented in Jesus’ parable stand as powerful indictments of our present context. The ever-widening chasm between the rich and the poor is one of the most important issues of our day, not just for residents in this country but also for residents around the globe. This is already impacting migration issues. And this gap or chasm is going to become greater as we continue to see the effects of climate change. Climate change is going to create increased migration challenges throughout the world. How are we as a country going to respond?
The great divide between Lazarus and the rich man didn't spring up upon their deaths or after the last judgment; it was created by the rich man while both of them were living. There is no escaping this indictment in Jesus’ story. This is a parable urging “the haves” to do justice now, for there will be no opportunity later.
The message that is implicit in this story is that those who help create the economic divide by greed and selfishness will not be able to right it for themselves in any other life than this present one. And, as we look at the present and necessary focus on issues like immigration, war, global hunger, and climate change, as we look at the call to care for the poor and needy, and the call to care for the creation we have been given, the rich in this world control resources like land and money, and the rich control systems of taxation that perpetuate the “great divide,” this chasm. As we look at climate change and its increasing effects upon people, the poor of this world are the ones who already face the greatest risk. They are and will continue to be the ones who suffer the most. Warnings and messages are coming in every form. Climate change is already happening, but too often these warnings remain unheeded.
The Rev. Sally Bingham, eco-minister and founder of Interfaith Power & Light, says that abuse of natural resources and pollution of your neighbor’s air is a sin against creation. If we love our neighbors, we don’t pollute our neighbor’s air. She fervently says, “The environmental crisis is a theological problem, a problem that stems from our view of God and how we relate to God and each other. And, that makes it important for the church to wrestle with this issue. You see, our view of God can be one that encourages and/or permits destructive, unjust behavior or one that encourages right relationship and harmony with all of the created order.”
Bingham considers scientists some of our modern-day prophets. Scientists told us decades ago that carbon dioxide was a heat trapping gas and too much of it would trap heat close to the earth, causing our planet and our oceans to get increasingly warm. We didn’t listen and became overly dependent on fossil fuels for energy. We are now paying the price for not listening. And, our children and grandchildren are going to pay a much greater price! But it isn’t too late. Scientists say we have a window of about eight more years if we intentionally work hard to prevent the worst scenario before us. Scientists say 2030 will be a pivotal year. So, hopefully, we still CAN still fend of the worst of what looms before us.
Addressing climate change is a moral issue, one that requires a change in people’s hearts and minds. Sally Bingham writes:
What institution changes hearts and minds? Churches and that is why the religious voice is so important in this dialogue as we look for solutions to climate change. As religious people we must do our part – and we have a big role in this. If we don’t protect creation, how can we possibly expect others to? Moral leadership sits right here with us…Our job then is to become informed, do our part and work so that people understand we will not be the healthy children that God intended and we will not live on a healthy planet unless we can get beyond partisanship and do what is right for the entire communion of life. The creation that God called good, the creation where God put us and instructed us to till and keep this garden, is the creation that sustains us and will sustain us if we do our part… We have a responsibility to each other, to the future and to God. [And, if we do our part,] we will be the people that God placed in the garden to till it and to keep it. We will be obeying the first and great commandment to love God and each other and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Christians cannot look at the current state of the world, including related issues of climate challenge, immigration, and so much more and claim ignorance. These are hard days, to be sure. In today’s reading, Jesus lays before us the importance of relational social issues as we live our lives right here and right now. This harsh story Jesus shares leaves us with a call to act, based on the visibility of the suffering face that is present to us in this very time and in this very moment. The suffering face of humanity and this very earth become for us, the face of Christ himself.
People of God, we are called to live into God’s dream of justice for this entire world, for the sake of the world. God created us to live in relationship with all others, and with the gift of this amazing creation we have been given. The abundant, eternal life, life that truly matters, the life Jesus calls us into comes through the community of creation, and that abundant life starts now, as we live into God’s call and seek justice and abundant life for our neighbors and for the all of creation.
Grace to you and peace from God our parent, Jesus our Savior, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Greetings to you from myself, from the North/West Lower Michigan Synod, and from the thousands of congregations and millions of Lutherans across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the ELCA.
This past August, from August 8 - 12, I served as a voting member to the churchwide assembly of the ELCA. During the sermon, we’ll be sharing pictures from the churchwide assembly on our monitors in the sanctuary and on the live stream. These are just a brief snapshot of the events that took place. Most of these photos come from the ELCA’s Facebook page, with some from the Synod’s community Facebook group. The primary focus of today’s message is a recap of my experiences at the churchwide assembly, but first, let’s take a look at today’s readings.
In the new testament reading from 1 Timothy today, we have a quick reminder of who the Gospel, the good news, of Jesus, of God is for - quite simply - everyone, all humankind, all. No exclusions, no exceptions, the good news is for all and to be shared and proclaimed to all. This passage also touches on the subject of church and government, or as we often refer to it as “church and state.” We are often under the impression that these two should be completely separate - the church not controlling the government and the government not controlling the church. There are certainly some aspects of that which we need to respect, so we can have freedom of religion, to worship as we please, but it doesn’t mean that church is completely disconnected from the government. It says in the reading that we should pray for our rulers and leaders, and not just prayers for guidance, but prayers of thanks. Luther has good thoughts on this, and the ELCA is working on a social statement on Government and Civic Engagement.
Moving to today’s Gospel from Luke - and let’s face it - we have another parable from Jesus, and this one is very confusing. In order that I have time to do a recap of churchwide assembly, I won’t be able to get into much detail here about this parable, but we can glean some keep points from it without having to fully understand what Jesus was getting at. And as with most of the parables, there are many ways to read them and to interpret them. And that can be the beauty of them - so much meaning in one simple story, so that it can speak to many different people across generations and provide guidance for life.
The first part focuses a lot on dealings with wealth and most of them appear to be dishonest, but at the end in verse 9, it says, “make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.” To me, this is saying that even if we make friends using dishonest means, we are still making friends, forming connections, and creating community. Community is important, because that will continue on, even when wealth is gone. The last part then talks about being faithful, whether it is with honest or dishonest wealth, since actions and community are what remain when compared to the actual wealth. Our community and actions will lead us to the “true riches”, which are not money or Earthly possessions. True riches are God’s eternal glory and eternal life. This isn’t saying that we earn God’s favor by doing certain things, or acting in certain ways, since the glory of God is gift to us. It is saying, that to fully be aware of this glorious gift of freedom and love, we need to share it with others, form community, and ensure that the poor and needy have what they need.
And this brings us to the Churchwide assembly recap, since we as a church, both locally and nationally, are all about sharing the gospel and doing God’s work for those in need. First, for those who aren’t familiar with the structure of the ELCA or need a reminder, a quick look at how the ELCA is structured. I like to compare it to the Holy Trinity. The ELCA is composed of 3 expressions of the church. While all 3 are separate from each other, all 3 cannot exist without the others and all are the church together. The 3 expressions are the local congregations, like we here at Faith; the synod level, which are mostly geographical regions across the country, our synod is the North/West Lower Michigan Synod, which is most of the lower peninsula, except the counties around the Detroit area; and the 3rd expression is the churchwide body, the ELCA, which works across the country and reaches out to the world. All three have governing constitutions and bylaws, they are all separate legal entities, they all have assemblies of voting members - congregations call this their annual meeting; synods have Synod Assemblies, typically yearly; and the churchwide has the churchwide assembly every 3 years. These assemblies are the highest governing body for each organization, they make the decisions on how these groups are run. Between the assemblies or annual meetings, all three expressions have councils that govern the organizations. Our local church council, a synod council for each synod (I am on the North/West Lower Michigan synod council), and a churchwide church council.
Another important note is that each of the 3 bodies cannot directly control the other. Each has ways to encourage the other bodies to do something, but only their governing bodies can take direct action. The way congregations and synods encourage churchwide to do something is to pass memorials at synod assemblies that get forwarded as messages to the churchwide assembly for action. Many of these memorials want synods and congregations to take action, but churchwide will only recommend or encourage action, they can never require it of synods, congregations, or members.
That being said, the churchwide assembly took actions that encouraged congregations to take certain actions, so as I go through various recaps - look for times when we, as a congregation at Faith, are called to take action. Consider these, are they something you are interested in, is this something you could help lead here at Faith? If so, reach out to me, pastor, the church council, and see how we can get involved and take action.
One of the themes of this assembly was repentance and confession. The ELCA is the whitest denomination in the US, and we often have sinned, knowingly or unknowingly, against many minority groups. The assembly included a special session for an Apology to Iglesia Luterana Santa Maria Peregrina. This is a big issue going on in the Sierra Pacific Synod (in California) that revolves around racism and harm that was done. As we often confess in our service “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins.” This is true not just at an individual level, but at an organization, and systemic level. Many of the worship services also focused on confession, forgiveness, and healing for the sins against many groups including women, Native Americans, BIPOC, Asians, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
A total of 78 memorials were received by the churchwide assembly from synods. Most of these were dealt with en bloc or all at once without discussion, while others were considered one by one. I cannot cover all of them here, but all are available to read online. Some of the high level topics covered were Diversity; Nuclear Weapons; Salary Equity for women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other minorities; LGBTQIA+ Welcome; Substance Abuse; Roe v. Wade; Parental and Family Medical Leave; Holy Communion Practices; and Child Abuse and Protection.
Now a slightly closer look at a few other memorials, one being on Greenhouse Gas Reduction - this one I bring up because one of several similar memorials on this topic came from our Synod, and not only our synod, but many people here at Faith signed onto the memorial so it could be brought up at our synod assembly. Several of the approved actions are around churchwide working to reduce greenhouse gas usage and to advocate for it, it also calls on congregants, rostered ministers, and bishops to commit themselves to education about the urgency of the climate emergency. I’m proud of our congregation for taking action on this and living into this message, especially shown by our recent approval for our solar project.
The next memorial is called “Landback” which deals with recognizing that we all live on land that was originally Native American and was taken from them. This memorial had many actions that I feel our congregation could look into and take action on. With the rich Native American history in Okemos, I think it would be great if we could connect with that history, possibly working through the Nokomis Learning Center. Some of the actions that congregations are encouraged to take, are: to include land acknowledgements which center Native voices as part of their public gatherings; become educated about the Indigenous peoples who thrived, prior to European contact, on the land they currently inhabit; and support creative programs of restorative justice in partnership with Indigenous people, which includes returning land, when no longer in use, to the native people, or if direct return of the the land isn’t feasible or wanted, to return proceeds to Indigenous led ministries or organizations.
Another major memorial was about the Restructure of the Governance of the ELCA. The ELCA was created 35 years ago, with the constituting convention held in the room where we held worship at this churchwide assembly. 35 years ago the ELCA was a lot larger and had plans for growth. This has not happened, we have shrunk in size. One thing that has remained the same is that we are still very white. We have tried changing our governing documents here and there, we have made commitment after commitment to change and become more diverse, and yet it hasn’t happened. While people at the churchwide assembly and beyond may disagree about the exact reasons we need to look at the structure of the ELCA (you know, the “Holy Trinity” of 3 expressions that I talked about) to determine if this is the best structure for the church we have today, the vast majority of voting members agreed it needs to be done. A Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church will be formed to look at our structure over the next 3 years to bring recommendations to the next churchwide assembly as to the best structure for the church, so we can be sure the Gospel, the Good News, the work of God is best accomplished.
The last memorial talked about revising the social statement, passed in 2009 - the center of the “2009 decision”, called Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust. This is the social statement that allowed LGBTQIA+ individuals to be ordained, married, and welcomed in the ELCA and congregations. This memorial focused on revising some outdated language and to update parts of it to reflect that same sex marriage is now legal across the states (at least for now, and hopefully continuing). However, during a pre-assembly hearing on memorials, and what I read into this memorial and others; there are people, including myself, that want to see the “4 bound conscience” positions revisited and revised as well.
Since this memorial wasn’t “written correctly,” this memorial couldn’t be used for that, but a resolution was submitted to talk about revising this social statement to look at the 4 bound conscience positions.
Time for a quick lesson for those not familiar with the ELCA’s social statement on Human Sexuality. This was approved in 2009 by the churchwide assembly in response to how would our church handle LGBTQIA+ people and same sex relationships and marriage. In short, we couldn’t agree, so we agreed to disagree. One of the big issues some more progressive and inclusive people have with this document are what we call the 4 bound conscience positions. For those not familiar with them, here they are, this is what the ELCA officially states as to what we as a church believe. As a trigger warning for people, some language here is quite harsh to members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Taken in reverse order of how they are included in the social statement, here is a summary of the 4 positions that are all “On the basis of conscience-bound belief”
Over the years, this has led to people, individually and through systemic and organizational ways, being allowed to discriminate against LGBTQIA+ people and allow harm to be done. During discussion on the resolution, the Bishop of the Southeastern synod, who is gay, shared that sometimes when he shares communion and says “The body of Christ broken for you,” the response he gets is “not from you Bishop”. I spoke in favor of this resolution as this has become a passion of mine to guide our church as a whole to be more inclusive, since not all parts of the ELCA are like our congregation, and it means people like me have to be careful where we go to church, since just because it is an ELCA congregation, doesn't mean I’ll be fully welcomed there as I am. This resolution passed by a large majority and will be looked at, following the revision process for social statements, over the next 3 years. During this process, there will be time for study, reflection, and input from individuals, so that is something our congregation should follow and look toward leading studies and conversations on.
This is the same for the Government and Civic Engagement social statement that is being prepared. For more information about the social teachings and documents of the ELCA, please talk to me for more details, otherwise we’ll be here all day if I get into it now.
Other items that passed were budgets and income projections for the next 3 years, constitution and bylaws changes, and various other resolutions thanking people for their service in the ELCA. The changes to the constitution and bylaws include changes to the models for congregations, so once the updated models are released, we will work here at Faith to ensure our constitution and bylaws are up to date with the needed changes.
In addition to electing people to the churchwide church council and various other committees, we elected a new Vice President of the ELCA. The Vice President is the highest lay leader of the ELCA. They are elected every 6 years by an eccliastical ballot, a process that allows room for discernment and the Holy Spirit to guide us. After 5 ballots, Imran Siddiqui was elected as the new Vice President. Just as “last words” are often important, I think first words are important too, so thus I share with you the first words of Imran Siddiqui after he was elected as the next Vice President of the ELCA - and I quote; “Holy Crap, Ya’ll”.
Throughout the assembly we also had various reports from different parts of the ELCA and their ministries, various guests, including various interreligious guests from various faith backgrounds.
Several fun items from the assembly include having someone with a melodica playing random church songs while we waited in line for the elevator at our hotel; me learning what “Um, Ya, Ya” is all about (if you want to know - ask Deb); and having the last day of assembly coincide with Matsuricon, an Anime and Video Gaming Convention, where we had a nice wide diverse group of people all walking and mingling together.
One thing I noticed at this chruchwide assembly, compared to what I remember at past ones, is that more younger people are getting involved and speaking out, there is passion there to ensure the church continues, in whatever form. I’m not sure if more young people are getting involved, or I’m just getting older and I consider a wider range of people “young”, but it was good. While at other assemblies we’ve talked about the change we need to make to solve the issues of racism, our severe lack of diversity, etc., this time I left with a better feeling of “we are actually going to do it this time” which I certainly hope is true. However, if we are truly going to do it, minorities need their allies to speak up and help lead the change. So often when we were talking about issues impacting women, it was primarily women who spoke up; when it came to racial minorities, it was typically BIPOC people who spoke up; for the LGBQTIA+ issues, it was members of that community. We need the allies to speak up for us as well and work to take the action, don’t leave it to the minorities to do all the work to reform the church.
One other thing that I noted, is that while we did a lot of confessing and working toward greater diversity, we still excluded talking about people with disabilities and ensuring activities, including the churchwide assembly, were accessible for them. We need to do better. This is a good time to remind you about our Synod’s Disability Learning Day on October 22. Information about this learning day is available on a table in the narthex after the service, where I’ll be as well with other materials from assembly, including a copy of All Creation Sings, the newest hymnal supplement, which we’ve been using songs from here at Faith. Some of these items are for you to review, others are available for you to take as we had extras. I invite you to stop by after the service to pick up some items or ask questions for more details or to be directed where you can get more info.
All this work we do in the name of Jesus, our guide as to how to live life and to share the good news of God’s love for all God’s creation. Amen.
This is a special musical presentation of Jubilation by the Faith Bells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.
This is a special musical presentation of Come Taste the Goodness of the Lord by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan
This is a special musical presentation of Holy Manna by the Chancel Choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.
This is a special musical presentation of Character Pieces for Clarinet No.2 played by Michael Fox at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.
I don’t know about you, but I am increasingly appalled by some of the public rhetoric we hear these days. I find it disconcerting the way name calling and verbal attacks on others have become a mainstream component of public discourse. In fact, every day brings a new barrage of verbal bullets that dominate the headlines and take this vocal warfare to a new, unprecedented level. And, quite frankly, I don’t see it getting better over the next couple of years. This war of words does nothing but categorize and diminish others, and at the same time create increased brokenness in our culture and society. And the brokenness spreads like a virulent virus into other facets of life, into our communities, organizations, our schools, our local governments and even our families. All the name calling, the vicious verbal attacks, and the spoken forms of assault only breed violence, hatred, fear, and contempt.
In the depth of this present cultural context, one name calling word used all too frequently is the word “loser.” And in a culture which places high value on winning and succeeding, a culture in which being on top and gaining first place are what we teach our children to strive for, the concepts of losing and lostness are not only looked down upon, but they are also truly despised.
Well, today, Jesus has something to tell us about losing and being lost. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and he has been teaching about discipleship. He has much to say about the way we treat the least of those among us and, in that context, he has a great deal to say about what it means to be a disciple. All along the way he has been saying things like, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Or, “He who is the least among you is the one who is great.” And, just last week we shockingly heard him say, “Anyone who does not carry his cross like a common criminal and follow me cannot be my disciple.” None of these words describe winning as perceived within our current cultural context.
Today, we find Jesus associating with those who were considered losers. The despised tax collectors and sinners were coming near to him, gathering around him and listening to him. And, the Scribes and Pharisees, the most religious of people, did not take kindly to this. After all, the Scribes and Pharisees would never do something as questionable as hang out with losers. No. They attended church every Friday night, or at the very least once a month. They tithed and were big supporters of the synagogue. They did not use four letter words, they didn’t eat pork, and they were always there for Rally Sunday and other important events. They were a very committed bunch of so called “good” people. They considered themselves winners. And here Jesus was, attracted to the so-called outsiders, the losers, the sinners. Furthermore, he seemed to be enjoying the company of the tax collectors, the camel and donkey drivers, the tanners, the prostitutes, and all those that elite society labeled as losers. What’s more – he not only welcomed them, he seemed to value them. Well, the Scribes and Pharisees began to grumble extensively about Jesus consorting with such losers saying, “This guy welcomes outcasts and even eats with them.”
So, Jesus, knowing their attitude toward the outsiders and toward those considered losers, told them this story: There once was a shepherd who had one hundred sheep, but one got lost, and so the shepherd left the 99 to find the one. The Pharisees smiled pleasantly to themselves because they agreed with the story; God always goes out to find the lost; that is, those people outside their church. Jesus continued; the shepherd found the lost sheep and returned, carried it home on his shoulders and was so full of joy he called for celebration. Jesus said there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who truly repents than over 99 good people, who don’t think they are lost, who don’t think that they have any need of repentance. Hmmmm. The Pharisees sensed that this parable was directed at them; but they weren’t sure. So, Jesus told them a second parable. There was an old woman who lost a precious coin, not just any coin, but the most precious coin that she had. She quickly and carefully swept her house, looking for that lost precious coin. She finally found the coin and was so happy that she called all her friends and threw a big party. Jesus continued by saying, “And so it is with God. There is great joy in heaven over one sinner who truly repents.”
Well, the turn of the phrase at the end of these stories with words about repentance were challenging. The Pharisees sensed that Jesus was somehow talking about them and they didn’t like what he was implying because it was so clear to the Pharisees that they were part of the found. They were the insiders and the “good” religious folk.
We live in a world in which we, like the Pharisees, too often use our differences as a means of delineating ourselves from others, and as a means of underlining our supposed superiority. We are blind to the fact that we are incomplete without the very people of whom we disapprove. We are only 99. The truth is, we are incomplete without the lost. And, true repentance happens when our minds are changed to such a degree that we cannot see a community as whole until all are included, and none are “lost.”
Like the Scribes and Pharisees, we say God is a God of love, but we tend to make that love so conditional. We tend to make it conditional on our keeping the rules, rules which are too often somewhat arbitrary habits that support our local prejudices and personal perspectives. We use these rules to bolster our own status and position. This sense of conditional love leads us toward, or allows us to live in, a mindset of disapproval. For some reason, fundamentally at our core we seem to think that God disapproves of us and loves us only when we fit in with what we imagine to be God’s expectations; expectations that have an alarming correlation with our own social expectations of what is acceptable. Consequently, our imaging of God determines the way we treat others. And, far too often, our image of God shows that we have created God in our own self-image.
But, today, all our readings tell of a God who loves unconditionally, a God who has a heart for losers, a heart for all who are lost. In our reading from Exodus, God reconciles with the idol-worshiping people of Israel. In our reading from 1 Timothy, Paul bears witness to the risen Lord who calls even the violent, blasphemous persecutor that Paul once was to become a disciple and spread the good news of God’s unconditional love. And, in our gospel reading, we discover a God who will never ever abandon the lost. In fact, in the stories Jesus shares, the entire cause of the rescue and recovery operation is the shepherd’s and the woman’s determination to find the lost. They tell of a God who is determined to find the lost. The reality is neither the lost sheep nor the lost coin does a blessed thing except hang around in its lostness. And we learn from these stories the startling reality that it is precisely our sin, our lostness, and not our goodness, that most commend us to the grace of God.
Wow! The fact of the matter is we are all losers! We are all lost and all broken. But God’s heart is so full of love for all that God sent us Jesus. And, in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we see the overwhelming, unconditional love and overflowing grace of God written large for the world to see. The cross and resurrection testify to God’s faithfulness in loving and rescuing all that are lost. In the person of Jesus, we meet a God of abundant grace. And, words like “losers” are gone because all are welcomed at the party God is throwing – the party Jesus hosts where he welcomes sinners and eats with them. This is the party where we all are called “guest,” “graced,” “gifted,” “loved,” “cherished,” and “empowered.” Come to the party, celebrate and join the feast.
This is a special musical presentation of He Knows My Name by Tammy Heilman at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.
The Cost of Discipleship is the title of a book by German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In it, Bonhoeffer spells out what he believes it means to follow Christ, what discipleship really is all about. Bonhoeffer understood that following Jesus is not always easy. He wanted to honestly communicate the message that, if you live into a life of discipleship, there will be costs to living such a life. And, ultimately, toward the end of World War II, Bonhoeffer was killed because of the choices he made and his commitment to faithfully follow Jesus.
In our gospel reading for today, we find Jesus bluntly teaching about discipleship and what it means to follow him. And, I have to say, his words regarding discipleship are daunting and uncomfortable to hear. Today, we find Jesus speaking to a large crowd of people. Among the throng, there were some who were contemplating the possibility of becoming disciples. Jesus’ response to them communicates the seriousness of discipleship and his words make it clear that faithful discipleship is not for the faint of heart.
The stakes have been rising throughout this chapter in Luke, and it is becoming ever more clear just what lies ahead as Jesus faces the future. So, Jesus spells out the high cost of discipleship. To better understand the blunt nature of what he is saying, think about this. Just imagine inviting someone to come and be part of our community of faith and saying to them, “Come and check us out this Sunday and we’ll tell you how hard it is to join our church. First, you’ve got to hate your family. Then, you must carry a cross like a condemned criminal. Along with that, we expect you to give up everything you have worked so hard to possess. Do these things and you can call yourself a member of our community of Faith.” Now, that sounds like a sure and certain way to grow a church! Right?
Well, I think we need to unpack what Jesus is saying and take a deep dive into exploring the meaning of this passage. First, Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” Now, most of us, when we think of Jesus, usually connect his message to themes of love and not hate. “Hate” is such a strong word and it seems contradictory to our understanding of the Christian life. And, in our nation, a culture that often elevates “family values” by placing them higher than almost anything else, the idea of hating family is offensive.
When unpacking this word, pastor and theologian, John Petty, writes:
The word "hate" is laden with emotion in our cultural context. It suggests repulsion at a visceral level. In this case, in the context of first century middle eastern culture, to "hate" [one's family or] one’s own self means that the person disconnects from everything that has heretofore defined that person. To put it another way, one's past no longer defines who they are. One's identity is no longer formed by one's former allegiances, nor one's experiences in life, nor even one's genetics. These are part of the old world which is giving way to the new world of God. Followers of Jesus are not defined by the past, but by their work in the present and their future hope.
Jesus uses hyperbole to get across the seriousness of what it means to follow him. Jesus understands the transformation that takes place in the life of a disciple. Once a person decides to follow Jesus, then life, relationships, time, and possessions are all viewed through the lens of Jesus. Even family relationships pale in comparison to our relationship with God. Our relationship to God is our first priority and our ultimate concern.
Yes, Jesus’ words are surprising and daunting. But he is not yet finished. He continues saying, “Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Well, this demand had to hit some of the people like a ton of bricks and take their breath away. It is likely some of them had witnessed the public shame and humiliation of a condemned criminal carrying his cross through the city streets to the place of execution, just as Jesus himself would eventually do.
Quite honestly, we hear so much about the cross and cross bearing that I don’t think we are able to always grasp what Jesus is saying. In fact, the language of cross bearing has been corrupted by overuse. Bearing a cross has nothing to do with things we often reference like living with chronic illness, painful physical conditions, or trying family relationships. It is instead what we do voluntarily, because of our commitment to Jesus Christ. Cross bearing requires deliberate sacrifice and exposure to risk and ridicule in order to follow Jesus. And, this commitment is not just a way of life, it is a commitment to a person. A disciple follows another person and learns a new way of life. [Luke, New Interpreter’s Bible, p. 293]
It is interesting to note that the term for “cost” appears only once in the New Testament, and it is in this passage. When Jesus talks about the cross and the cost of discipleship, he gets down to the meat and potatoes of what following him really is about. The cost inevitably has to do with what you give up, what you sacrifice, what you deny, and the choices you make.
Life is always full of choices. Life is about counting and weighing the cost of the many things, events and opportunities that vie for our attention. Sporting events, family events, work events, the list is endless. But, to carry your cross is to carry the choices and burdens and realities of a life that has made a certain commitment to living into and bringing forth the Kingdom of God right here and right now. That’s certainly what it meant for Jesus. When commenting on this, theologian, David Lose, writes:
Jesus isn’t inviting meaningless sacrifice. He isn’t inviting door-mat discipleship or a whiney Christianity (“that’s just my cross to bear”). Rather, he’s inviting us to a full-bodied Christian faith that stands over and against all those things that are often presented to us as life by the culture. Jesus invites us, that is, to the kind of abundant life that is discovered only as you give yourself away. The kingdom of God Jesus proclaims is about life and love. And just as love is one thing that only grows when it’s given away, so also is genuine and abundant life…. The choices we make, the relationships we decide to pursue, the way we spend this life we’ve been given, may cause not just puzzlement but dissatisfaction, even upset, among those we care about. But the question before us, as put so fiercely by Moses in the first reading, is whether we will choose life or death.
Well, after Jesus says these things, and being the consummate teacher that he is, he then uses two parables to emphasize his point. First, he describes building a tower and the process used to build it. Using a form of cost-benefit analysis, he says, “A wise person estimates the cost. Is it worth it? Can I complete it? In the same manner, a wise ruler calculates the cost of the war before going into battle. Is it worth it? Can I complete the war?”
Our vocation and call as disciples is always played out in our daily lives by the choices we make. The decision-making process often requires an aspect of cost-benefit analysis, and sometimes choosing life – life that truly matters – is very costly. As my dear friend Bill Uetricht says, “To follow Jesus, you have to count the cost. It isn’t going to be easy. It’s going to take you to some uncomfortable places. It is going to challenge some basic assumptions you have about life. It is going to unsettle all your little pet projects.” Yes, it will unsettle you and unsettle all your pet projects! However, we weigh our choices in light of the gift of love and grace God has given us. And, for those who hear a call to discipleship, Jesus himself becomes the sorting principle – Jesus, the embodiment of self-giving love, of mercy and compassion, the one who is our “true north.”
We follow the one who loved this world so much he went to the cross. Following Jesus is not easy, but His word is still the best news this world has ever heard for bad times or good, and that is what you and I are called to remember together. Discipleship is demanding. Discipleship is very rewarding, and it is a joy-filled experience. Discipleship is also an intentional, determined thing – an intentional choice. If you would follow Jesus, come with all that you are and with all you have. The promise of life, abundant life, life that truly matters, is always in front of us. And, the promise of God’s unconditional love, forgiveness, and grace far outweigh whatever the cost discipleship might bring. May God’s love free us to choose life and daily center our lives in Christ, beginning right here and right now.