Sermon
30th June 2019 – 3rd Sunday after Pentecost
Text:
Luke 9:51-62 – Following Jesus, at what cost?
Have
you ever signed up for something and it’s turned out to be something different
to what you expected?
Or
have you ever committed yourself to something and not realised just how much
effort it was going to be?
Did
you know that nearly two billion dollars a year on gym memberships is wasted in
Australia?
Around
30 per cent of the population have a gym membership but around 30 per cent of
those barely use it — going less than once a week.
This
adds up to a staggering $1.8 billion.
Many
people struggle to find the time to go to the gym, but seldom do they cancel
their memberships.
Likewise,
more than 50,000 students who started university in Australia this year will
drop out.
Commitment
– sometimes it looks easy from the outset but ends up much harder once you’re
involved.
In
today’s Gospel reading this is what Jesus is addressing – commitment for
following him – for calling yourself a Christian.
In
our Gospel reading Jesus faces 3 different people – one who called on him and
others he called to follow him.
The
first one comes up to Jesus and says: "I will follow you wherever you
go."
He
sounds like the man last week who was healed from his demon possession and
wanted to follow Jesus.
He
also sounds a bit like Peter who said that he would never fall away from the
Lord – even if everyone else does – I never will - but who would later deny him
three times.
Jesus
says to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the
Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
So
Jesus is saying – it’s not going to be easy.
Jesus
is heading to Jerusalem where he will die a brutal and painful death through
crucifixion on a cross.
Is
this really what this man wanted when he says he will follow Jesus wherever he
will go?
Saying
you’ll commit and committing are 2 very different things.
Remember
the rich man who came up to Jesus and said – what must I do to inherit eternal
life?
Jesus
said to him: You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not
commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you
shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.
“Teacher,”
he said, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
He
found it easy at that level.
Jesus
looked at him and said. “One thing you lack,” “Go, sell everything you have and
give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At
this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Are
you prepared to commit and experience the good with the bad?
To
go the whole distance as a Christian?
Are
you prepared to allow Jesus to lead you and all that it means?
To
another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go
and bury my father."
The
first question I would ask here is whether his father had actually died yet?
He
doesn’t say so and maybe he is putting off a full commitment to following
Jesus.
Today
he might have said:
I’m
too busy – I need to focus on my career – or a myriad of other reasons.
This
is not in any way criticising anyone but acknowledging that life has encroached
into church commitments.
Whether
it’s Sunday sport – 24/7 work seeing more demands on Sunday shifts – growing
expenses of mortgages and household expenses, childcare expenses needing extra
shifts or just tiredness – the reality is that commitment to the church is
being challenged.
Jesus’
reminder to the person is that the Kingdom of God needs to be proclaimed.
That
was Jesus’ very first message – repent – the Kingdom of God is near.
In
another place he says that no one knows the day or the hour of the coming
judgment and there are so many parables like the unwise bridesmaids who were
not prepared when the bridegroom came and missed out on eternal life.
And
that’s what Jesus is concerned about.
This
person wanted to wait until his life was more freed up, before he followed
Jesus, which might have yet been years away.
That
sounds like so many people today who put off following Jesus until some other
day.
But how do we know precisely when our or our
loved one’s last day will be?
"
Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to
those at my home."
Jesus
said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit
for the kingdom of God."
A
person who has committed themselves to following Jesus will be tempted to look
back at what they’ve missed out on especially if the way forward looks
daunting.
Israel
kept looking back to what they believed were the good old days when their
bellies were filled in Egypt as slaves rather than looking ahead and continuing
to eat this detestable manna, as they called it.
Even
Peter when he was on the mount of transfiguration didn’t want to come down from
there but stay and offered to build three shelters because the present looked
better than the future.
Maybe
the future looks uncertain for the church.
We
remember the good old days when Sunday Schools were overflowing – when church
pews were filled – when finances weren’t a problem.
We
remember when Christian values were the norm rather than an offence to society.
We
remember when youth groups were how children entertained themselves and met
their husband or wife.
The
good old days.
Jesus
calls us to follow Him and not look back or stay static.
When
Peter again misses the point and wants Jesus to not go the way of the cross he
rebukes him and says – get behind me Satan.
Follow
me!
And
make no mistake, following Jesus is costly.
But
following Jesus is actually freedom though it might not look that way from the
outset.
Many
believe that following Jesus restricts our freedom.
They’ll
quote you the 10 Commandments – Thou shalt not!
But
Paul talks about freedom in a different way in our Galatians reading today:
“It
is for freedom that Christ has set us free”.
Paul
warns that freedom can be understood in the wrong way.
You
were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful
nature.
Somehow
people will believe that freedom means I can do whatever I want.
But
sadly, because of our human nature, freedom to do whatever I want leads to
enslavement.
And
Paul lists a whole lot of behaviours that on the outset look like they are an
expression of freedom when in fact they actually devalue our lives and some
will trap a person with addiction.
This
is what he says:
Now
the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness
(which means to being promiscuous or unfaithful, idolatry, sorcery, enmities
(or hostility), strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions (or
disagreements), factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing (or abuse of alcohol),
and things like these.
These
are things that begin as expressions of human freedom – seemingly fun even -
but end up controlling us.
And
that’s what Paul is warning against and says that following Jesus allows us to
escape from them.
That’s
why Jesus, seemingly over the top, warns against looking back or putting off
commitment for now – because he knows what our human nature is like.
Following
Jesus allows us to see true freedom that is not wrapped up in lights and
glitter like what the world believes freedom looks like.
Just
look at pictures of Las Vegas and all its lights and glitter but inside are
people trapped - addicted to gambling ruining their lives and the lives of
others.
Jesus
offers us a different way – the way of the Holy Spirit whose fruit is seen in a
different light:
Love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control.
There
is no law against such things, Paul says – because they don’t trap or devalue
human life
For
many, maybe some of you, following
Christ has been costly.
Maybe
you’ve had to give up something or sacrificed something.
Maybe
you’ve given up an opportunity.
Maybe
you’ve had to say no when everyone else is saying yes.
You’ve
given up weekends – finances – free time – and much more.
Yes
it can be costly to follow Christ but what Jesus gives to us is priceless –
eternal life which cost Jesus a lot more than it will ever cost us.
Don’t
be fooled into thinking that freedom means to be free to do whatever I want.
Freedom
is to be free from the stranglehold of things that offer us plenty but deliver
nothing.
There’s
no such thing as “the good old days” to look back to;
I’m
sure in those “good old days” they too were looking back.
Keep
looking forward because your salvation is one day closer today than it was
yesterday.