Discipleship Danger

Today on Father’s Day, when we want to be together and celebrate with love and family, we’ve got Jesus coming along saying “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother.” What’s a preacher to do with those words from our Lord on Father’s Day?!

I guess what a preacher does, this preacher anyway, is to take this gospel head on. First, we need to put Jesus words in context. The historical context for these words of Jesus didn’t come from a Father’s Day address. They come from a continuation of the gospel we read last week.

Jesus has called a band of 12 different Jewish men to be his disciples. He’s preparing to send them out to do what Jesus himself is doing. They are to proclaim, in words and actions, that the Kingdom of God is near.

Part of the disciples’ preparation includes Jesus warning them that the vision they will hold out for people, the news of the nearness of the kingdom of God that comes through Jesus, will be opposed. As a result of that bold kingdom proclamation, division will occur. When people hear the news of God’s kingdom, they must decide: to be for Jesus or against Jesus. Jesus’ disciples need to be prepared for fierce opposition.

The Cost of Discipleship

Today is one of those times when Jesus has us counting the cost of discipleship. I read a sermon written by a preacher from a few years ago and I liked how he described, what I’d call – discipleship danger. This preacher said, “You would have thought Jesus would have enticed people into discipleship. You would have thought he would have made it easy; that he would have put the bar of discipleship very low. You would have thought Jesus would have said, ‘It is easy being a disciple. Love your wife. Love your kids. Show up to work on time. Be nice to the neighbor next door. Go to synagogue. It is easy to be my disciple.’

But Jesus did not want a large number of “little bit” disciples – disciples who had a “little bit” of prayer, a “little bit” of commitment, a “little bit” of dedication, a “little bit” of love. Jesus wanted twelve disciples who were truly committed to prayer, to discipleship, (to being directed by Jesus, their teacher and Lord). And with these twelve dedicated disciples, Jesus would change the world. Today, more than a billion people gather to worship Jesus, not because of “little bit” Christians but because of people who paid the high cost of discipleship.” (Ed Marquardt – Seattle – From a sermon, Counting the Cost of Discipleship, Sermons from Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington.)

The World in Opposition to God’s Kingdom

When he was encouraging an early church of new disciples, the gospel writer Matthew gathered these words of Jesus that we hear today. In Matthew’s time, these followers of Jesus were being shunned by the Jewish synagogue. Why were these early disciples of Jesus so offensive to those who opposed to them?

Just as in Matthew’s time, so it was in Jesus’ time and it is in our own time. Our culture, our world, will be opposed to displays of the nearness of God’s kingdom. Because often times, the kingdom of God stands in opposition to life as we otherwise experience it.

When we hear Jesus’ call to be disciples, one preacher said it better than I could, stating, “we are tasked with delivering the same message that has always gotten Christians into trouble. We’re called to proclaim that Jesus calls the world to change. To live by love, to forgive one another, to seek justice, to be agents of reconciliation. To give up the stuff of this world and give ourselves to its people. To seek out the unfriended and offer them a place at our table. To avoid the charms of life and seek the challenges. To look hard into the face of temptation and stare it down. To fight for the one whose arm is weak; to say no to self and yes to sacrifice. To believe in the one who comes from God, who is God, and who will never settle for a world that is unrepentant.” (“Love Your Life and Live”, p. 51, Pulpit Resource, June 19, 2005)

Christ’s Way

This is our call to discipleship from Jesus. We are to take up our cross. In other words, we are to take up Christ’s way in this world as his disciples, as forgiven sinners who have been given new life in Christ. We take up Christ’s way knowing that, if you and I talk about and try to live the kind of life to which we’ve been called, the world might hate us for it.

The world has a different view of life. In the world’s view, you look out only for yourself. The theme of this life, according to this world, is to live in your own way and do whatever you want before you die. But Jesus warns that the world’s style of living leads to death, “Those who find their life, will lose it”.

In contrast, Jesus assures us, “Those who lose their life for my sake, will find it”.

Grace Needed

You see, when we think only of ourselves, we reveal our separation from God. This is another way to understand that Jesus comes not to bring peace but a sword. Jesus’ sword cuts away the barriers we have built that keep us away from God and each other. Jesus’ sword has now destroyed the sin and selfishness that separates us. We are in as much need of grace as anyone, as imperfect, sinful people, but we now have been met by the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

Most of us have tuned into worship this morning because we acknowledge that we have been met by that grace. And it has changed everything for us! We now find we have one other choice. We have been and are loved by Jesus. So how will we express our love in return? Will our word and actions show in our next step, that we are for Jesus?

We proclaim the truth of who Jesus is, and the truth of who we are now are as his baptized disciples. We have a new life in our identity in Christ. That identity brings with it a call to commitment, so that we become loyal to Christ and live within his priorities of love and service to others, especially the poor, the sick, and the oppressed.

Never Alone

While living this way will challenge some of our relationships, and often-times will put us in conflict with the status quo, Jesus doesn’t let us loose, on our own, as his disciples. Throughout his words in the gospel today, Jesus also assures us of God’s love that will never leave us.

As we commit ourselves to proclaim God’s kingdom coming near through our words and actions, God’s love enfolds us.

A love so all encompassing, that it is a love that marks the fall of each sparrow and counts every hair on our head! Wow!

This is a love that fills our souls.

This is a love that draws us into a new household–God’s household–where, astonishingly, we become sons and fathers, mothers and daughters, members of one another in a new family household, the church. As members of the body of Christ and recipients of the attentive and abundant love of God, we are empowered to spread the good news of the nearness of God’s kingdom through Jesus Christ with all.

Do Not Be Afraid

And we are instructed to not be afraid. We are not to be afraid of the name callers, or those who would threaten to withdraw their support or supposed love. We’re not even to be afraid of those who would threaten to take away our life.

These are hard words to hear from Jesus today as changing times swirl all around us. Yet, how interesting that this is exactly the time for Jesus’ words today.

We can only have the courage to follow Jesus’ way, because, besides his discipleship call to us, Jesus promises to sustain us on our way and give us hope in the face of our fears.

So be of good courage friends. Discipleship is not an easy way, but it is Christ’s way. And along that way, may you keep losing yourself to Christ, that you might keep finding the life he’s promised.

Thanks be to God! Amen.