Delivered July 15, 2007
by Pastor Eric Henderson
Perhaps you've noticed that some Mennonite men have rather large ears and receding hairlines - especially in the front. The reason is that when they are told the cost of something the usual response is, How much did you say that costs! I can't believe it's that much!
Hearing the cost of being a disciple of Jesus may leave us asking,'how much did you say it costs!'
Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying,'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace.
So therefore, none of you can become my disciples if you do not give up all your possessions.
Jesus told the crowd to sit down and consider the cost of being a disciple. Jesus fully disclosed the cost. No fine print, no hidden agenda, no sugarcoating, no tantalizing bargains, no pressure to make a quick decision before it's too late.
The rich young politician asked Jesus,'how much does it cost?' Jesus said follow all the commandments. The young man happily replied, "I've kept them all since I was knee - high to a grass hopper, I must be in!"
But Jesus said, "One more cost. Sell all you own, and distribute the money to the poor, then follow me."
After estimating the cost, the rich young politician decided he wouldn't pay.
Jesus said there is a cost to being a disciple - carefully consider, estimate the cost and decide if your willing to pay it.
How much does it cost to be a disciple of Jesus?The first cost of being a disciple Jesus said is to hate mother and father, wife and children, sisters and brothers. Does Jesus really mean hate as we usually use the word - extreme dislike, abhorrence, loathing, disgust for family members? If so, what will we do with passages like
Eph. 5.28 - 29 husbands should love their wives as Christ loves the church.
Or what will we do with Jesus telling us to love our enemies? The meaning may be clearer if we consider Jesus response to his own family of origin recorded in Luke 8.19 - 21
Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."
He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."
Matthew 10.37 - 38 might also help where Jesus is recorded as saying,
anyone who loves his father or mother ... son or daughter more than me ...
Jesus disciple's first love and first loyalty are to him. We love and respect parents, children, spouses, family, one another, but our greatest love and first loyalty is Jesus.
When those two come into opposition, what will we do?
Some families choose to be safe and close, even if they feel called to serve in unsafe situations. Some choose to follow Jesus, even thought other family members ridicule and ostracize them. How much does it cost? We are to love Jesus above all others. The second cost of being a disciple is to hate self, take up cross and follow Jesus.
Again, hate must mean something other than the strong emotion usually associated with that word. Jesus said in another situation that we are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. If we don't love our selves, that doesn't bode well for our neighbors. In that response we are helped to understand what Jesus means.
Our greatest love and loyalty is not to self and:
I was saddened to hear a woman's encouragement to graduates being, to "be true to yourself." People demonstrating the most evil behavior would probably say they were being true to themselves.
Our greatest love and loyalty is to follow Jesus and God's plan for our life, enduring pain and ridicule if necessary.
Clarence Jordan, author of the "Cotton Patch" New Testament translation and founder of the interracial Koinonia farm in Americus, Georgia, was getting a red - carpet tour of another minister's church. With pride the minister pointed to the rich, imported pews and luxurious decoration. As they stepped outside, darkness was falling, and a spotlight shone on a huge cross atop the steeple. "That cross alone cost us ten thousand dollars," the minister said with a satisfied smile. "You got cheated," said Jordan. "Times were when Christians could get them for free."
How much does it cost?Disciples of Jesus are empowered by the Holy Spirit to take up our cross and follow Jesus enduring ridicule and suffering.
Two renowned leaders in the Methodist Church were guest speakers for a leadership conference. During an open mic time a pastor told his rather tragic story of preaching against racism in a church in the south and being ousted by angry parishioners. In the next church, the pastor again discovered racism and preached against it, and again was removed. Ignoring his wife's pleas, he preached against gambling when he discovered it's existence in the next town and was again removed. Rather than express condolences and pity, one of the speakers responded something like, "What did you expect?! Who told you that following Christ was easy!"
How much does it cost? We refuse to live a self - serving life. We choose to follow Jesus even if it means social ostracism and suffering. Disciples of Jesus serve others as Jesus served, even if it is uncomfortable and costly rather than continually seeking our own comforts and expecting to be served.
Walter Wangerin writes about Arthur who lived in a rotting stuffed chair in one room of his small house. Arthur expected the pastor to visit him in his filthy, roach infested room, with moldy damp newspaper strewn on the floor.
During the visits the man who had attended church for seventy years would debate the goodness of God. With various proofs he delivered shattering damnations of hospitals, doctors and somehow lumped them all together to question the goodness of God.
As he became feeble and incontinent, Arthur would greet the pastor naked and ask the pastor to cloth him - after serving him communion.
In those moments, and the embarrassing, stomach churning times that followed, the young pastor began to understand service, discipleship and ministry.
Wangerin concludes that in service when we feel we've failed, service that diminishes us, leaves us feeling insignificant, weak, and a failure, we discover what being a disciple of Jesus means.
How much does it cost?The cost of being a disciple is to Love Jesus more than anyone else and Daily suffer any ridicule, disgrace, or pain inflicted because we choose to do what Jesus did and taught.
Finally, none of you can become my disciples if you do not give up all your possessions.
After moving three times within 10 months, I'm certain and many of you can testify, we've not taken this literally. But if we become convinced that Jesus calls us to take this literally, please follow Jesus, not our bad example.
How much does it cost?After reciting his impressive resume', the apostle Paul concluded,
I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake, I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish ... I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death ...
Do we consider our possessions, our education, experiences, power, whatever we hold dear, a loss compared to knowing and following Christ, becoming like him?
Jesus warned numerous times about the dangers of money and possessions. Money a potential master and is put on the same level as God.
Either we hate the one and love the other, or we will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Lk. 16.13)
And Jesus counseled people sell your possessions, and give alms.
Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Lk. 12.33 - 34)
We are engrossed in a culture of material abundance. Richard Foster contends that the Spiritual Discipline of "simplicity sets us free to receive the provision of God as a gift that is not ours to keep and can be freely shared with others. Simplicity sets possessions in proper perspective." (Celebration of Discipline, p.84 - 85)
Jesus confronts us with the invitation to calculate the cost of being his disciple. The price involves our attachments or loves of family, self, social status, possessions and Jesus. Jesus asks, do you love me more than these?
We may question, is it possible to be a disciple of Jesus? Or How is it possible?
C. Arnold Snyder wrote that, "True discipleship does not happen by a pure act of the will;"
I understand him to mean that we cannot grab hold of ourselves or each other and say, now lets love Jesus more than anyone or anything else, and lets take up our cross and follow Jesus.
Snyder continues, "true discipleships is not fundamentally a matter of ethics."
Believing and valuing everything Jesus did and taught does not a disciple make. Even though it is important to believe and value what Jesus did and taught.
Snyder claims, "True discipleships is the visible part of a spiritual condition, the result of God's grace. True discipleship grows out of a genuine spiritual empowerment. That genuine spiritual empowerment comes as the church cultivates and rediscovers a vital spiritual relationship with the living God." (Anabaptist Visions for the New Millennium p. 30)
Simon Peter declared his belief that Jesus was the the Messiah, the Son of God. But when the cost of following Jesus involved suffering he denied Jesus. However, after receiving the Holy Spirit, Peter witnessed, healed, cast out demons confessed belief in Jesus even though it meant suffering. He was spiritually empowered to be a disciple.
I commend to you regular times for prayer, scripture reading, worship, fellowship with other believers, simplicity and other disciplines to cultivate a vital spiritual relationship with the living God. If our lives are too busy, too cluttered with something or someone else that we will not regularly pray, read scripture, worship, fellowship, and are not willing to make any changes, we've decided that we are not open to receive God's grace and the Holy Spirit's empowerment to be disciples of Jesus.
After this short time with you, I consider you to be people desiring to be and living as disciples of Jesus as you serve, live simply, generously share, worship, and enjoy one another's fellowship. As you continue the ministries already begun, and consider new ministries that God may be calling you to, may you be empowered by the living God and encouraged by one another.
Petitcodiac Mennonite Church