Sermons for the Month
Loving Life Less Than Jesus
DATE: September 5th, 2004
SERVICE: 14th Sunday After Pentecost
TEXT: Luke 14:25-33To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
What do you want for your children or grandchildren or the young people with whom you come into contact? Think about that for a minute. If you had to list three things that you hoped would be true for them, what would they be?
Perhaps you would want them to be content in life, or to have fulfilling relationships, or to find rewarding work, or to be financially secure, or to be physically and psychologically healthy. But, would that list include your desire that they love you less than they love God? Let me ask that again, but put it another way, is one of your desires for the children in your lives that they grow to love God more than they love you?
It's a challenging question isn't it? Jesus raises it in today's Gospel lesson. "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself cannot be my disciple."
Hate is a strong word, one that adults often forbid children to use. The dictionary defines it as intense dislike or hostility; it's a word of extremes. Perhaps that's why Jesus used it; he was making an extreme point even though the Greek term is not quite as shocking as the English translation, at least on first hearing. The more accurate translation would be to "love less than". In other words, Jesus is calling his followers, then and now, to a commitment above all other commitments including commitment to family.
Of course Jesus does not want us to develop an intense dislike for family members, although I suppose some people would like an excuse for feeling the way they do about those to whom they are related. Instead, Jesus is saying that we are to love them, and indeed all people and things, LESS THAN him. Especially for those first believers that kind of love was vital because following Jesus was not going to be a walk in the park.
When he first spoke these words Jesus was countering the "party attitude" that had developed among some in the crowds. They had visions of freedom and of better times because they had pegged Jesus as the one who would bring about the fall of the Romans who dominated Palestine at that time. Or, they were thrilled by the miracles they had seen and dreamed of healing and happiness being handed to them on a silver platter. They were happy-go-lucky in their following of Jesus, and he wanted that to stop.
Instead of thinking "what's in it for me", they must count to cost of being a disciple. They must love everything else less - people, possessions, even their dreams of power, prestige and better days. This is essential because they will face persecution and even death, just as Jesus will do, if they are serious disciples.
Ah we say that's a relief. Once we've put this text in its historical context it's clear that it does not apply to us 21st century disciples of Jesus, right? Well, I suppose we would like that to be true, but the core of this message speaks to us just as it did to those who came before us.
The question remains unchanged, are we willing to make all other loyalties and ties second to devotion to Jesus Christ? Are we willing to love everything else less than him, and to encourage that kind of commitment in the lives of those who come after us? The church will thrive only if the answer to that question is "yes". So, let me go back to my original question. Are you willing for the children in your lives to grow to love God more than they love you?
As you are pondering that question let me tell you a story that was first told by the Rev. William Willimon when he served as Dean of the Duke University Chapel. He tells how an irate father phoned him one day, accusing him of influencing his daughter to make a decision that he felt was foolish. You see, she had informed her father that she intended to go on a Presbyterian mission to Haiti.
"Isn't that absurd!" the father shouted. "She has a degree in mechanical engineering from Duke University and she wants to throw it all way digging ditches in Haiti. You are responsible for this!" (No doubt he had dreams of a good job, and a settled life, for his daughter.) When the Dean asked this man why he was responsible, the father explained that his daughter admired Rev. Willimon, and he had influences her to make the decision with his preaching and teaching.
The Dean was on the verge of losing his ministerial composure and asked the father if he wasn't the one who had her baptized. The man said, "Yes". He then went on to ask if he hadn't read her Bible stories and brought her to Sunday School and church? "Yes, but .," the man said. "Don't but me!" the Dean exclaimed, "It's your fault she decided to throw it all away on Jesus, not mine. You are to blame that she believes all that stuff in the Gospel because you are the one who introduced her to Jesus."
"Well," the father said, "All we ever wanted was for her to be a Presbyterian." "Sorry you messed up," said the Dean, "and made her a disciple."
Oh that we all would mess up like that! We are responsible for turning the children and youth among us into disciples of Jesus who may just disappoint us - or hopefully delight us - by loving everything else LESS than they love Jesus and going out into the world as servants of Christ.
That's why we must push hard for consistent, quality Christian Education and youth programs, for worship that touches all ages, and for all ages to be involved in both Christian education AND worship. I am responsible for the continuation of the Christian faith, for creating disciples of Jesus, and so are you. We are concerned about more than how many people are in the building and whether or not they had a good time. Now don't get me wrong, we do pray for growth and that those who enter our doors will feel welcomed and have meaningful experiences. But we want those things to happen because we are creating followers of Jesus; everything else should come second to that because nothing else is more important.
In the big picture, although it may be difficult to see now, it is worth the struggle with schedules and with restless or reluctant children and with sorting out priorities to be here because, unless you are very intentional about doing this at home, this is the place where faith grows and where people become committed followers of our Lord.
And just think what Jesus offers us. Richard Donovon says it well when he writes that Jesus came to save us from life without purpose; we are instruments of God's purpose. We are to be salt and light in the world. He came to save us from hollowness, from living only for self, from acquiring stuff that never fills the empty places in our hearts and from selfishness that isolates us. Instead, we our empty spaces are filled with the Holy Spirit and we have the opportunity to become a part of something much larger than us that continues beyond our life times. And, Jesus came to bring us eternal life, a life lived in the very presence of God both now and in the world to come.
My friends, isn't that what we want for ourselves? Isn't that what would be best for the young people and children among us? May God save us from simply being Lutherans. Instead, we want to be Lutherans who are disciples, people who love everything else in our lives LESS than we love Jesus.
AMEN