26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and
mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own
life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me,
cannot be my disciple. 28 For
which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth
the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not
able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to
finish. 31 Or what king, going to
make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether
he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty
thousand? 32 Or
else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and
desireth conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all
that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill;
but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Luke
14:26-35)
The
Collect
Sixth
Sunday after Trinity
|
O
|
GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such
good things as pass man's understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward
thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which
exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
How
often have we heard the lament, "Why can we not have the peace of God and
not continual wars?" Because evil exists. It has always existed from the
moment Eve arose early and walked to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,
and paused there to listen to the discordant voice, and made her bed with
Satan. Evil exists today and shall exist in all of the future days of this
fallen world. Good and evil cannot walk together in peace. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came
not to send peace, but a sword. (Matt 10:34) Peace is a
commendable objective if it is a peace that brings a people, or a nation, into
compliance with the will of God. There are many poorly grounded
Christians who have claimed that ALL war is evil. Do you believe so? The blood
of countless millions cries from the dust of the concentrations camps of the
Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, of Armenia and of Maoist China. They cry for
vengeance for their innocent blood, and against those who sat by doing nothing
and, by doing nothing, gave tacit approval of the crimes perpetrated against
humanity. General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur quoted Plato in his
farewell address to the US Military Academy at West Point in saying: "Only
the dead have seen the end of war." The quote rings with such truth that
Santayana and others have quoted the same line. It is inarguably true. The
momentous question that remains is this: To which side shall you muster – the
side of the Army of God, or the minions of the Devil?
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and
mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own
life also, he cannot be my disciple. Now,
dear reader, before you burst out in angry disagreement with God, please pause
to understand the truth of Christ's words. For
I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against
her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's
foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother
more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than
me is not worthy of me. (Matt 10:35-37) Christ came to turn our
hearts back TO God and to make" the adoption of sons and daughters to
God" a reality for us. All hearts are deep in depravity and sin ere the
Holy Ghost performs a marvelous work and a wonder in awakening those dead
chambers and tissues to Christ and drawing them to the throne of mercy and
grace in Christ.
Those
hearts that remain unredeemed and unrepentant are full of hate and resentment
for those who belong to God. The greatest atrocities known to man have occurred
when evil men and governments have attempted to eradicate the Christian faith.
When we become a son or daughter of God, we are new creatures, totally
different in nature and disposition from the old self. Our wills are centered
on that will of God in Heaven, and not upon the old sinful desires of our
previous estate. We are even in a new family – the family of God. We are far
more related, through the blood of Christ, than we have ever been through that
sinful blood that coursed through the veins of Adam. But we also, being a close
relation to God and His Son, Jesus, take upon our shoulders to bear the same
cross that He bore, and we take it up daily. We were not saved into a life of
luxury, prosperity, and opulence, but a life of love and sacrifice. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come
after me, cannot be my disciple. Are your shoulders worn and
calloused by the rub of a rough-hewn cross? If not, you have NOT FOLLOWED
Christ. Disagree with me if you must, but do not disagree with God in Heaven!
The
decision to follow Christ is not a "whim of the moment" proposition
unlike many churches who offer `altar calls' at every gathering, simply to
obtain a profession with the lips, of faith. These who make that profession are
then quickly added to the church roll and boasted of in church publications as
being Christian. To receive Christ means to receive all that Christ did, said,
and meant. 28 For which of you,
intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost,
whether he have sufficient to finish it? Can
one come to know Christ simply by professing a belief that he does not
understand? I do not believe he can. I believe a person must consider the cost
of the relationship and, knowing that cost, forsake all and follow Christ. Is
this not what the Gospel tells us? If we make that commitment, can we remain
true to it? Have we considered the possibility that we may love the world more
than Christ and be unable to remain true when the hot winds of persecution
blow? Can we do, as Paul did, and finish the course which we have undertaken?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not
able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to
finish. The world watches every man or
woman who has committed their lives to Christ to learn if they are able to stay
the course.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king,
sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to
meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he
sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. When battlefield reports began to filter back to the
Japanese High Command after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, many senior staff
began to celebrate and congratulate themselves. But the somber Naval Chief, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, remarked only: "I
fear that we have awakened a sleeping giant!" The admiral realized
that the Empire of Japan had not considered the cost and retribution sure to
ensue from that surprise attack. Any veteran field commander will always
consider the relative strength of his troops in the field against the
deployments of the enemy prior to launching an attack. Should we not do the
same? If we are of our right mind, we will recognize that there is, in fact, no
real cost to following Christ – only profit. The greater and terrible costs lie
in the rejection of Christ just as Blaise Pascal's Wager alleges:
1. If you
believe in God and God does exist, you will be rewarded with eternal life in heaven; thus an infinite gain.
2. If you
do not believe in God and God does exist, you will be condemned to remain in hell forever; thus an infinite loss.
3. If you
believe in God and God does not exist, you will not be rewarded; thus a finite
loss.
4. If you
do not believe in God and God does not exist, you will not be rewarded, but you
have lived your own life; thus a finite gain.
I will take the prospect of an infinite gain over a finite loss any day!
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh
not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. This
is a sober and challenging fact. How many readers of this devotion are in
compliance with the above statement of our Lord? Has every possession, every
talent, every labor of your hands, been committed to the purpose of god? If
not, where do you stand in light of the above strong principle laid down by
Christ? This by no means requires us to sell all that we have and give to the
poor (unless ALL that we have has taken the place of God in our hearts). But it
DOES mean that we are good stewards of our resources of time, money, love, and
compassion in dedicating these to the glory of God in the way we live and
benefit others in that Christ-like love that typifies the Christian believer.
34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be seasoned? Many reading this devotion may
remember my previous comments on salt. Salt is precious for, without it, no
life is possible. Salt cannot be over-used or it will ruin its object. It must
be used sparingly. It is found in diverse places and must be delivered to the
point of need. It heals and improves taste of food. It also creates thirst in
the consumer of it. We are to be all these things if we are to be the salt of
the earth. (Matt 5:13) Salt is comprised of two elements – chorine and sodium.
If we allow (for our supposition) chlorine (an invisible, deadly gas) to
represent God and His contempt for sin; and sodium (a soft, poisonous yellow
metal never found in pure form in nature because it is always `joined to
another) to represent man; we see that man is not pure without god and he is
dead. God means death to those who do not receive Him. But when man is joined
to God, the result is a compound essential for life! But if the salt is placed
in a sack and left in extended contact with the ground, the compound begins to
break down. The sodium will gradually separate from the chlorine and join
itself to other elements of the soil. It is at this point that the salt becomes
worthless.35 It is neither
fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear. When
we have been joined with God, we are a necessary and pleasant resource in the
hands of God. But when we have too much contact with the world, we begin to
break away from God and to accept the values of the world. We then become
useless to God and ourselves. Are you separated from the world and firmly
joined to God?
