Luke 14:25-35 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost Sunday, September 4, 2022 “Carry Your Very Own Cross”
It almost sounds like a lesson in what not to do, doesn’t it? Jesus is making his way toward Jerusalem, and there is a large crowd with him. The number of people in the crowd could have been due to the upcoming festival in Jerusalem. It might have been a case where the pedestrian traffic was particularly heavy, but it seems there was more to it also. The crowd is eager to listen. They have come to see Jesus and to be with him. And no wonder. He’s done miracles where he has provided food for people. He has healed the sick and even raised the dead. That sure sounds like a great way to gather a crowd. And Jesus, with the crowd gathered and eager to hear, him turns and addresses them. And you might expect him to tell them how thankful he is that they have come. You might expect him to offer more miracles to impress them. At the very least, you would expect him to say something to encourage them to stick with him. And Jesus tells them that following him means hating father, mother, wife, children, sister, brother, and even your own life. He tells them that they need to carry their cross. It really does sound like the exact opposite of what we might expect Jesus to say. This is not the sort of message that can be expected to draw a crowd. It is not a flashy, miracle-laden speech. It sounds much more like discouragement than encouragement. And that’s exactly why these words end up in our series entitled “Hard Truth.” This is a hard truth. This is talking about something difficult and painful and challenging. But it was important enough that Jesus needed to say it, and it is important enough that we also need to listen. And along with the crowd, Jesus tells us what we can expect as his disciples. Each particular instance may be different. Each perspective is unique, but to every follower, Jesus says, “Carry your very own cross.” And that means hating what you naturally love. It is an extensive list that Jesus presents of close relatives: parents, children, spouses who were to be the object of such a strong reaction. But what exactly does that mean? We know that God expects us to love and honor our parents. He’s given us that charge in the fourth commandment. So Jesus cannot be making a blanket statement that runs contrary to this will of God. No, he is talking about his followers, and he is insisting that he be given the primary place in their lives. He expects that his followers are going to be entirely devoted to him and so nothing and no one could get in the way of that. If mother or father were to stand in the way of serving Jesus, that cannot be allowed. And while our natural reaction might be to avoid conflict or to give way to important earthly relationships, that is not in keeping with the call of Jesus. We could say the same about parents in relation to their children. God directs us as parents to raise our children in a loving and supporting way, but we cannot allow our affections for even our children to get in the way or become more valuable than our relationship with Jesus. In fact, Jesus even calls on us to hate our own lives. Again, it is clear from the fifth commandment that we are to regard our lives as a precious gift from God. But in this context, Jesus tells us that even our own earthly lives, as dear as they may be to us, are not to be more valuable to us than he is. What Jesus describes here is a tall order. He calls it a cross, referencing that now ancient torture device, an object of disgust and revulsion. We are so far removed from the cross being used in this way that it is hard for us to imagine how the people on their way to Jerusalem, people who would likely have seen crucified criminals, how they must have felt hearing these words. It seems fitting to use the word from our service theme. Carrying the cross, your very own cross, means picking up something that you loathe. It is something that you detest. And so that is the trade that Jesus is calling on people to make, or at least be willing to make, that they give up what they love for a cross instead. It sounds like the very thing to disperse a crowd. It sounds like what would convince many to turn away in disgust. This is a hard truth indeed. But we can overcome those objections by considering the outcome. If what we love would keep us from loving Jesus more, if anything would take us away from him, the result would be devastating. We would be left in our sins, and we would be left with the punishment that we