Luke 14:25-33

In a big public pool in Fresno, I was both entranced by and terrified of the diving board. After nearly a whole afternoon's debating and timid approaches, I finally screwed up my courage and climbed the tall ladder. Once at the top, there was no going back. Kids beneath and kids ahead and then it was my turn and I had no choice, so I ran off the end. Of course, I couldn't swim. Bobbing up and down, my feeble cries washed away by water filling my mouth, suddenly a teenage lifeguard scooped me up in her arms and carried me safe to the poolside.

We normally say that God’s grace is free. But Dietrich Bonhoeffer says that we can end up with cheap grace. “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth which has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits Christ as the living Son. … There is trust in God, but no following of Christ.”

Peter in Mark’s Gospel reacts with energy when Jesus says that the Messiah must suffer. It is no accident that Peter has much trouble identifying with Jesus during his arrest and trial. That shows how the very notion of a suffering Messiah was scandal to the Church. Bonhoeffer continues “… Peter’s protest displays his own unwillingness to suffer and that means that Satan has gained entry into the Church, and is trying to tear it away from the cross of its Lord.”

We will look at a message today from the writer Luke, where he warns people to count the cost of following Jesus. We will be invited to take another step in our own discipleship as we prepare our hearts for communion. The topic is solemn, but some of the strongest joy in life comes as we align our lives with the will of God.

The sayings identify three conditions of discipleship: 1) detachment from parents, family, relatives and life; 2) carrying one’s own cross behind Jesus; 3) radical renunciation of possessions.

The word “hate” here does not mean, “I hate you.” It is a Semitic word that means  the redefining of loyalties. This willingness to leave is related to the call of Abraham (Genesis 12) where people were expected to live and die in the same place where they were born. Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees to follow God. He walked 2500 miles and would never see his family again. He redefined loyalties.

Young people, you cannot marry a non-Christian and hope to know peace in your life. Jesus does not cooperate and tell you that he understands that you can’t give much, do much or live much as a Christian because your spouse is not understanding. Jesus says, ‘Go ahead anyway. Follow me.’ And you say, But Lord, I made a wedding vow. And Jesus says, ‘Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I tell you?’

Ellen came to me years ago. She grew up in the church, went to youth group, and didn’t have the best self image. So when she met Andy, a quiet guy with a shy smile, she realized that he was quite a catch and he did not seem to mind her faith.

Now let me tell you something women. When you meet a man who seems pleasant, less brutish than the rest of us guys, be extra cautious. Some of the strongest willed men dress it up in a very pleasant package.

Andy was a good provider, but they did not have a spiritual home. She put her energy into her children – and they turned out like her husband. She came to me in deep distress that she had wrecked life. While God’s grace always gets us a new start, Luke’s word is a warning.

We must carry our cross. I went to a rally at Riverside Church this past Tuesday called Let Justice Roll. The Christian church is again in struggle against itself. The Protestant church in the United States has had at least five phases and is breaking now into its sixth. At the time of the Revolution through the Civil War, pastors were key to society. 85% of college boards of directors were clergy. But they were teaching a Bible that ignored slavery and pointed to the ancient glories of Greece and Rome as the truth that would guide the United States. The folly of this Biblical understanding was shown to the nation in the Civil War. By 1890, pastors were virtually not on college boards.

There was a camp meeting movement and Charles Finney and Phoebe Palmer from 1850 – 1920. This was a moment of glory where becoming a Christian meant helping the poor, getting women the right to vote, and stopping slavery and inequality. Most Methodist Churches in this area including this one were started in the camp meeting movement.

Princetonian theology took over by 1920 and tried to show how the Bible was a science and could be reduced to logical theorems. The gospel was challenged by World War I and II. Liberal theology was the response to World War. Miracles had not stopped the wars so the Bible was cleansed of miracles to meet the needs of the post war. And evangelicalism started to gain strength.

Now we are at a moment when Pat Robertson says the God is pro war and Jerry Falwell preaches that Mr. Bush’s reelection is the will of God. The gospel is again getting hijacked from the plain reading of Scripture that this is a gospel to the poor, not a gospel that lowers your taxes that you enjoy more while your neighbor suffers. We must live through these days with our Bibles open because preachers can be very persuasive on some points and completely wrong on others. Be assured that any Christian who says that cross bearing is only for others has always been wrong.

Possessions and giving are part of the discipled life. The Leaders Team is looking at ways to present our annual stewardship teachings that get us deeper into Christian life. But it is no accident that giving is part of such a serious passage as this. God expects you to tithe. Throwing a $10 bill into the offering is God’s tip, not God’s tithe for most of us. People have just started to use the credit card form on the back on the program. Many of us don’t bring enough cash to church to tithe on the spot. This gives you a way to do that. You would not hesitate to use your credit card at the grocery store to get what you need. Why does Jesus get less priority?

We are now at the base of the ladder. We are climbing to meet Jesus. As the climb continues, God calls us to throw aside some of the heavy conflicts and follow Jesus. The claims of family, the desire for a simple life, and the hope for possessions all clutch at us. Keep going. In moments we will be at the springboard.

Except the metaphor suddenly changes. It is not a diving board. It is bread and wine set before us. It is the blood and body, given for us and for the world. By participating, we agree to join Jesus in the gospel to the poor. Only respond if you are sure. Amen.