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| "As Seen On TV" products are sometimes too good to be true, what about life in Christ? |
© Seth Olson 2016-2019
September 8, 2019—The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost—Proper 18 (Gospel Reflection Track)
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 1
September 8, 2019—The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost—Proper 18 (Gospel Reflection Track)
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 1
The last time I had
the chance to preach in this pulpit, the Gospel text was fiery. Jesus
questioned, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I
tell you, but rather division!” He called religious folk hypocrites. And, he
yearned to kindle a fire on the earth. This week, Jesus called us to hate our
families, endure suffering, and sell all our possessions. Preaching on these
two texts back-to-back, I have to wonder if Glenda and Charles are subtly punking me as the new priest here. These Gospel stories are enough to keep me up at
night.
Speaking of not sleeping,
have you ever been awake in the small hours of the morning unable to doze off?
Perhaps, in your fit of sleeplessness you flipped on the TV to try to find
something that might help you catch some z’s. However, instead of finding a
classic movie to lull you to sleep, all you discover are channels and channels
full of paid programming! Has this ever happened to you?
Infomercial after
infomercial after infomercial! Buy the thigh master, the peloton bike, or a
magic belt and you will lose the pounds instantly. Get Jack LaLanne’s juicer
and you will feel better than you ever had. Purchase the Microtouch beard
trimmer and you’ll be the most handsome man on the block! Have you ever fallen
for the “act now” gimmicks? Y’all don’t raise your hands—I respect all of you
and don’t want that to change. If you, well not you, but if someone did fall
for these ads, did having these material possessions make life any better? Probably
not!
But, that hasn’t
stopped retailers from devoting entire sections of their stores to this type of
TV merchandise. I have yet to buy one of the “As Seen on TV” items because I
see through the “but wait there’s more” antics. Somethings are truly too good
to be true. What about when it comes to following Jesus?
We have shifted
settings since last week’s story, which was an intimate gathering in the home
of the leader of the Pharisees. Now we are outside, in public. A mass of
humanity has flocked around Jesus. They have not heard the private conversation
we heard last week, nor have they listened to Jesus’ focused message since turning
his face towards Jerusalem. Instead, the crowd has been captivated by mere
glimpses. They have seen the before and after shots of people Jesus healed.
They heard testimonials from satisfied people who were fed by the Lord. They
were told of a powerful message Jesus gave, and that was enough to draw them
here.
Yet, unlike the
infomercials’ claims that, “It’s just that easy, act now!” what Jesus told this
crowd is anything but easy. Remember he told them, hate your family and
yourself, give up all your possessions, and take up your cross. These words can
sound so harsh to our ears, especially considering only a few chapters earlier
in Luke, Jesus implored his followers to love their neighbors as themselves. A
commandment that echoed all the way from Deuteronomy. As today’s first lesson put it, “[Love] the Lord your God, [walk] in his ways, and [observe] his
commandments.” Moses told his people to choose this way, to choose life, which
included loving your neighbor. So, why does it sound like Jesus reverses course
in today’s Gospel lesson?
To better understand
what Jesus meant, we must better understand the word hate. The word μισέω
(miseó) is the Greek verb meaning “to hate” (who doesn’t love hearing about the
Greek word for hate during a sermon?). This word didn’t mean what we often mean
when we say hate. Jesus used this word to call his audience into making a moral choice. It implied not a negative feeling, but a preferred value. In other
words, Jesus was not asking us to be brats towards our family, nor to
carelessly throw away our lives. Rather, he was saying to be his follower
requires putting discipleship above everything else—even other really good
things like a juicer, no I mean our family—I was just seeing if you are paying
attention. Hate in this regard is a strong word, but of a different nature, as
it requires us to examine how we are ordering our lives. What do we put first?
The common Sunday
School answer of “Jesus” sounds correct here, but it gets a bit trickier from
there. While the grace that we receive from God is absolutely free,
unconditional, and limitless, the grace we receive costs us our lives. In the
context of our Gospel lesson, we might think of it in the following manner, the
masses who were listening to Jesus speak had counted the kingdom’s assets, but
had not considered its liabilities.[1]
They were excited about all of the perks that come with following Jesus, but
not what this discipleship would require of them.
For five chapters now,
Jesus has been telling us about what following him will require of us. He
continued walking toward Jerusalem with betrayal, crucifixion, and death as the
upcoming weigh stations on his journey. These markers on the path to Eternal
Life were not as appealing as uplifting teachings, profound healings, and free
food, which attracted people to Jesus in the first place. To go on this journey
was not and is not just a party filled with freebies, like the bonuses thrown
in at the end of an infomercial. So, Jesus chose to awaken the crowd by
employing these sharp words. These words were not hyperbolic words, but true
words that outlined the upcoming way.
To become a disciple
entails putting this relationship ahead of everything else. To be his follower
asks that we choose God over cherished possessions, beloved family, and even
our own lives. To walk with Jesus means picking up the cross, an instrument of
shame, suffering, and death. This choice to follow requires serious
contemplation, so Jesus gave two parables to understand the weight of this
decision.
First, if one were
building a tower would she not begin by counting the cost? Second, if one were
going to war would he not start by discerning if his forces could defeat
another’s troops? I am unsure if anyone here is planning on building a tower or
waging a war, so what might make sense now?
If you are driving
down the road and you notice a sign that informs you that after this exit the
next service station is 100 miles ahead, what would you do? Would you not check
to make sure you have gas? If your check engine light came on in that moment,
wouldn’t you stop? How about some water and a snack for the road? The truth is
that long road trips make us count the cost they require. They get us to think
ahead.[2]
How much more then are we to discern going on our life-long journey with
Christ?
Jesus tells us we must
let everything else go to follow him. Putting his challenging words into our
journey metaphor, he might say, “none of you can become my disciple if you do
not bid farewell to all you have.” Regardless of how we translate what Jesus
said, the implication is clear. Jesus challenges the crowds and us not just to
hear him metaphorically, but seriously. If we possess something else, how can
we possibly take hold of the Kingdom of God?
This question brings
to mind an embarrassing parable from my own life: One day a foolish
collegiate-athlete was riding his bicycle to track practice. He was so excited
to run a workout that he didn’t pack his books in a bag, but tried to carry
them in his hands—on a bicycle. When the time came to jump it up onto the curb
the foolish young man could not grab his handlebars to complete the feat, nor
could he slow down the bike. So, instead of gracefully flying into practice the
athlete painfully flew over his handlebars landing face first on the sidewalk (click at your own risk, the picture of the aftermath is pretty gruesome). The morale of the story? We cannot hold both the books and the handlebars. We also cannot hold onto
possessions and take hold of the Kingdom of God.
Here is where the
rubber meets the road on our journey with Christ. Jesus already informed us we
cannot serve two masters earlier in Luke. We cannot let possessions, work, or even other
relationships overshadow our dedication to Christ. What lay ahead on our journey with Jesus is at the same time the most difficult and the most freeing opportunity we'll ever have.
Jesus challenges us to
let go. Let go not just of the material things, but everything that takes
hold of us, everything that prevents us from receiving what God so graciously
gives. Let go of your concept of the perfect life—that awesome new product (infomercial or not),
the faultless kids, and the flawless marriage; the status-symbol job,
extravagant wealth, and unending happiness. Let go of your expectations, for
our expectations are resentments waiting to happen. Let go of it all. And, as
you do, take hold of life in Christ, your cross, and the Kingdom of God—there
you will discover everything that is truly important. Amen.
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