Luke 14:25-33
October 11, 1998
Coupons & Discounts
Since arriving in SF, I now have a Safeway Club card and a Lucky Rewards card. Like you, I use them to discount my groceries. One time in Pennsylvania, I saved over $20.00 from using coupons! The cashier lady was surprised that I saved so much. I think because I didn’t fit into her stereotype of a discount shopper. Now I also have these MacDonald’s Get Back with Big Mac coupons that are still good until October 20th.
And at the risk of embarrassing my good friends, Marjorie and Charcoal, we would go to “early bird” dinners. Why not when you can discount the same dinners for $2-5 dollars! Even though we’re not hungry yet!
Reading, PA is probably the best-known shopping outlet center in the whole country! Tourists from all over the world would skip the historic monuments like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall to not miss shopping in Reading. Bus-loads of travelers want more than leisure and learning; they want “world-class savings of 20 to 60 percent everyday!
According to the Travel Industry Association, shopping is the number one activity of people when they travel. And of a total of 149 million adult travelers for business and leisure, 55 million of them are discount outlet shoppers. Stopping for shopping at an outlet mall has become integrated into the fabric of U.S. travel and tourism.
Unless we can see a percentage discount from our checks or bills, we feel that we have been ripped-off. We have become expectant of deep-discounts in many aspects of our lives.
Discipleship Wannabees
In our passage for this morning, we read that Jesus was at his mid-journey pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Large crowds are now following him, probably hoping to gain something from Jesus. Jesus was heading toward the cross and he knew that the ranks would soon thin out once they hear what may happen. Aware of the throngs, Jesus turns to them and utters words to deliberately diminish the “discipleship wannabees.” He wanted to see who would be the committed core who would remain.
The large crowds were desiring the same kind of “world-class” savings that tourists crave today. Without skipping a beat, Jesus turns to them and says that he wants followers who are willing to pay the full-price—not deep-discount disciples. There are no sale prices on salvation, no discount outlet malls with faithfulness marked down 50 percent.
Some churches, preachers, and TV programs present the gospel as though they were selling a used car. No money down! Attractive terms! Low, low monthly payments! They make it sound as easy as possible.
Luke 14:25-33
Jesus’ call for real commitment is unlike a used car salesperson! He wasn’t recruiting disciples who may say, “We are just looking.” He wasn’t looking for superficial commitments or a crowd of tagalongs. Instead, Jesus was requiring his followers to be totally committed if they were going to follow him.
To be a full-price disciple and not a deep-discount disciple, Jesus said there are three requirements. To pay full price, the cost of discipleship is:
Loyalty Shopping at Full Price
Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife or husband and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” Designed to shock his listeners, Jesus demands that disciples hate–yes, hate—their fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, children, brothers, sisters, and even life itself. Cut your family ties, he seems to be saying, and focus only on strengthening your faith-ties. Fortunately, the Greek word for “hate” does not mean anger or hostility; it suggests that a true disciple should value his relationship with Christ over his relationship with family members. We are not to despise our relatives, but we are not to worship them either.
Jesus wants us to have a detachment from our family ties and an ultimate attachment in him. The call to “hate” cannot be taken in face value. That would be a mockery of the gospel and contradict everything in both testaments. What Jesus is saying is that our ultimate loyalty is in him. It is like being loyal to a favorite store so much that you are willing to pay full price on everything!
Buying Only Essentials
Next Jesus said, “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Being a full-price disciple requires us to focus on the essentials of the faith. Jesus calls us to carry the cross and follow him, to accept challenges, risks, and sacrifices instead of seeking our comforts.
Many of us enjoy going to the mall to cruise and window shop. Although we may have no specific thing to buy, sometimes we come home with non-essentials: nice to own, but not necessary. Jesus is saying that to be a full-price disciple, we need to buy only the essentials: carry the cross of Christ.
“Carrying the cross” is an anachronism in our day. Sometimes, during Lent, churches would act out the scene of having a person portray Jesus as he carried his cross up to Mt. Calvary. When we see this re-enactment, we think about it as only a story and not necessarily real. Crucifixion is not like the sugary religious art we have seen. It was not a sweet sight, and few of us would dare to have a real picture of a crucifixion on our bedroom walls.
To be a full-price disciple, we need to reflect and live out the meaning of “carrying the cross” today. Carrying the cross is constructive Christian behavior that we participate in and not simply the empathy of sharing in Christ’s suffering. Carrying the cross of Christ
involves walking in the way of Christ. Carrying the cross is being a full-price disciple who sacrifices and suffers in the name of Christ.
Shopping Spree
Lastly Jesus said, “So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.” If Christians give with generosity, we know that they have escaped the discount outlet mall mentality. They see it as a privilege to give—generously, lavishly, joyfully, recklessly—knowing that their treasure is in heaven, not on a 60 percent off rack. It’s not the Lucky Rewards card expecting something back. They have discovered that the greatest joy and satisfaction come from giving to others, as Jesus did.
What does giving up our possessions means for us today? Do we sell everything and give it all to the poor or to the church? Is material poverty a condition for following Christ? I don’t think so. To me, giving up our possessions means that we recognize that all that we have comes from the Lord. Therefore, we give them up into his hands. We seek his guidance as to how he desires that we use these resources.
When Donald Trump visited a New York public school, he offered to buy the children new sneakers. A student asked, “Why did you offer us sneakers if you could give us scholarships?”
To be a full-price disciple means that we take our possessions and go on a shopping spree! We are willing to give generously and sacrificially because we know that our treasures are in heaven and not on earth.
Cost of Discipleship Today
Besides the obvious of giving our possessions and resources to the work and ministry of Christ, the cost of discipleship today is also on our time and talents. We are so busy and overly committed that we literally don’t have time to give to the church. Sometimes we would prefer to give our resources before we are willing to give our time. Some of us may sincerely want to serve this church, but we haven’t figure out a way to do this in the midst of the “outlet mall rush” in our lives.
Jesus shared two parables. The builder of the tower should count the cost before building the tower if he is to complete it successfully. Likewise, if the king carefully assesses the battle-readiness of his troops, he is likely to gain victory.
As we approach ever so closer to the time when we are invited to consider our financial commitments to the Continue the Legacy stewardship campaign, we will all need to count the cost of retrofit and renovations. We will be assessing the preparedness of our congregation’s ability to successfully see these projects through to their completion. The cost is our time and talents we give to First Chinese Baptist Church.
Being a Disciple
William Willimon tells of an irate father who 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!” he shouted. “She has a degree in mechanical engineering from Duke University and she wants to throw it all away digging ditches in Haiti. You’re responsible for this!” he accused.
“What are you talking about?” Willimon inquired.
The father explained that Willimon had won his daughter’s admiration and had influenced her to make her decision.
The Dean of the Duke University Chapel was on the verge of losing his ministerial composure and asked if he (the father) weren’t the one who had her baptized.
“Well, yes, but…”
He went on to ask if he hadn’t read her Bible stories and brought her to Sunday school and worship.
“Yes, but…”
“Don’t but me!” Willimon exclaimed. “It’s your fault that she decided to throw it all away on Jesus, not mine. You’re to blame that she believes all that stuff about the gospel and the full cost of discipleship because you’re the one who introduced her to Jesus.”
“All we ever wanted her to be was a Presbyterian,” he meekly commented.
“Sorry, you messed up and made her a disciple,” the chaplain said.
Even today, the call of Christ is for full-price disciples, not deep-discount disciples.
Let us pray.
O merciful God, grant us the forgiveness of seeking an easy term, deep-discounted discipleship when your Son gave all of himself for our sake and life. Challenge us to give only you our utmost loyalty. Strengthen us to be able to carry our cross knowing that discipleship means sacrifices and sufferings. And help us to give so lavishly and generously that we believe our rewards are truly in heaven. Amen.