Previously in the Gospel of Luke we saw Jesus he was at a banquet in the house of some prominent religious leaders and he told a parable where we learned that whoever exalts themselves will be humbled and whoever humbles themselves will be exalted. Now we see Jesus in a different scene. We don't know exactly where he is, but we know two important things. First, he is still on his way to Jerusalem. Why? He is not going for a vacation or a celebration, he is going with a very specific purpose. This is a journey that will end with a cross. So we find him with a serious tone and almost a heaviness in what he says and does in this section.
The second thing that we know is that he is accompanied by a great crowd. Jesus was a popular kind of guy. If you have ever been in the same place at the same time as a celebrity, then you know what a crowd gathered around a person can be like. We took David to meet Mickey Mouse one year and I bet we waited in line for close to an hour. There is something about popularity that attracts people. And Jesus is no different.
You can hardly blame the crowds. I mean he is pretty exciting. First of all he is controversial, and who doesn't love a good controversy? Who is this guy? There is some debate going on out there. Some say that he is Moses. Others say that he is Elijah or one of the prophets. Some think that his being here is a good thing. Others wish he would just go away, because he really has a way of messing things up. Not to mention the people that he hangs out with. I mean this guy has a tax collector as part of his inner circle. Have you ever heard something so ridiculous?
Second, he does some pretty amazing things. Have you heard that this guy goes toe to toe with the demons and they obey him? And do you know what else obeys him? The wind and the waves do. It is absolutely amazing. He heals people who are sick. He cleanses a leper. Heals a Paralytic He teaches in a way that has not been heard before. He teaches as one who has authority. He raises people from the dead. On top of that he forgives sins. And talk about a free lunch. This guy is able to take a little bit of food and provide enough for thousands of people. There will never be a need to cook or farm again.
So here is Jesus making his way to Jerusalem and he is surrounded by a crowd. There are a lot of ideas out there, but for the most part, the people aren't getting it. Jesus understands the seriousness of the journey to Jerusalem and the great price that it will cost him. This is lost on the people however; even the disciples don't really get it.
There are those who are caught up in the controversy and Jesus' challenging of the powers that be and the religious system and customs of the day. Maybe they see this journey to Jerusalem as the chance to jump on the bandwagon and to get rid of the status quo. Sometimes we like a good fight; David vs. Goliath, Redwings vs. Avalanche, Michigan St. vs. Michigan, Jews vs. Romans, Jesus vs. the establishment.
There are also those who are there, because they see a bunch of people gathering together and they want to join in the fun. These are the folks who have no clue about any kind of conflict, any kind of price to pay, and certainly no clue about any kind of a cross. They are there because everyone else is there. If their friends would have jumped off a bridge, these folks would be right behind.
So it is the midst of this confused crowd that Jesus addresses with these harsh words. He is saying to them, "Think about what you are doing here. Think about what you are getting yourselves into. Don't enter into this lightly. This is no small matter we are talk about here. Are you sure you are willing to follow me? Is the price more than you are willing to pay?" He is inviting them to count the cost. Because the cost is indeed great.
You've got to count the cost before you do something. If you don't you could find yourself in some big trouble. This is the point of what Jesus is saying here in the midst of the crowd that does not really know what is going on.
Jesus says, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, even their own life, then that person cannot be my disciple." Well now wait a minute. What is going on here? Didn't Jesus say that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind body and strength and that the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves? Then how can he say what he is saying here?
What Jesus is using here is a Hebrew idiom. A turn of phrase. It is like us saying that a movie was cool (now if you are my age) or "sick" if you are my brother's age (he is in high school). But to say that a movie is cool is not to comment on its temperature. To say that a movie is "sick" does not mean that it requires a physician. It simply means that it is a really good movie and is enjoyable to watch.
The Hebrew idiom that Jesus is using here is one of comparison. The word "hate" here does not mean "hate" the way we tend to use the word in our language today, just as "cool" and "sick" with the movies. It is a comparison. So you love one thing and you hate another. In this case we love Jesus and hate everything else.
In other words, if we consider all the loyalties and obligations that we have in our lives, if we consider all the relationships and things that we love and live for, if we consider all the things that demand our time and attention, it is in comparison to these things that Jesus and the gospel are to be loved. And the presence of Jesus in the gospel then redefines the other things in our lives. We are not to get rid of the relationships that we have with the people we love, in fact the presence of the Jesus in our lives and the good news of the gospel should make them even better. But when push comes to shove, and we have to chose between them we should always chose Jesus.
This can be tough though. We don't really want Jesus to be most important. Sure if he fits into the schedule it is nice. But what Jesus is calling us to here is something that is quite costly. So what do we do with this?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian who lived during the time of World War II. His book the Cost of Discipleship is one of the best books you can read. He opens the book with a discussion on this very topic as he talks about the distinction between cheap grace and costly grace.
Cheap grace is a basic idea that the forgiveness of sin is a cheap covering of sins. It is forgiveness offered apart from repentance. No sorrow is required no desire to be delivered is necessary. Cheap grace justifies the sin without justification for the sinner. Christians who live under a banner of cheap grace look the exact same as the world around them. There is no distinction. There is no difference.
Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. It is grace without discipleship, the cross, or Jesus living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in a field, it is so valuable that a person will sell all they have for it. It is the kingly rule of Jesus which is so wonderful that it will move a person to pluck out their own eye because they want nothing to prevent them from being a part of it. It is the call of Jesus that causes fishermen to leave their nets and follow him.
Costly grace is a costly because it calls us to follow. But it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus. It is costly, because it will cost our lives. But it is grace because life lived in this way is the only way to experience true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. It is costly because it cost God the life of his son Jesus. What came at such a high cost for our God cannot be gotten cheaply by us. But it is grace because God did not consider such a price too high to pay for our life, so Jesus was delivered up for us all. Costly grace is Jesus living and incarnate.
Now which one sounds better to you? And that is not a trick question. I do not stand up here today as one who has mastery over this. I too am a sinful human being. I too struggle with the daily battle between my own sinful nature and the desires of my own will, and my own schedule, just as you do. I am no better than anyone else in this room.
However, I do believe that this is something for us to strive for, to work for, to work together on. We challenge each other to live and grow in our discipleship because we believe that in Jesus there is life. We join the disciples I saying, "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." We believe that there is real and true life. We do not work to earn it. We have it because he paid the price on the cross. But because we daily wrestle with our sinful nature, it is something that we must constantly be working toward to remind ourselves of and to live in. So we do this together with God's grace. Real and true grace. Grace that allows us to live free. But grace that is costly and not cheap. Remember that we did not and do not chose our God, but he chose us. He chose us by grace.
My prayer for us as a community of faith is that God's Spirit, because this can only come by the Spirit, would give us the desire and the strength to grow as disciples and followers of Jesus. That we would experience life lived with God in a whole new way. That we would see the wonderful and beautiful theology that we have come to life and leap off the page. That we would know it and study it and more importantly live it. That we would not only experience God's grace in our lives but that we would invite others to come and see and experience that same grace too. May God grant this to us according to his will, and may it be a blessing and joy to you now and always. Amen.
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