Luke 14
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
Hold your donkeys, Jesus. Are you teaching hate? What is this all about? Hate moms and pops? What about the 10 commandments? It states to honor your parents and that is what our society does—honors ma and pa. What you are saying is highly offensive to our culture.
And what is this nonsense about carrying a cross?! That is how the wicked are killed by the Roman Empire! I would not choose to be jeered and ridiculed while carrying the weapon in which I would die on. Why would I ever want to carry a cross…especially for you?
I know you are referring to the ampitheater that fell down a couple of years back (AD 27). How embarrassing. Is that what you are saying it takes to be your disciple? I don’t want to be ridiculed and embarrassed. I don’t want to hate my parents. And that last statement about giving up everything I have to become your disciple?? Give me one good reason I ever would want to do that, Jesus?!
Okay, so I’m sure you caught on that these aren’t my feelings. When I read this parable, I put myself in the audience and tried to imagine what it was like to hear Jesus say these things. I then checked my concordance which filled in some holes.
Simply stated, Jesus is not asking anyone to hate their parents. He is using “hate” as a hyperbole.
Just for fun, let’s review what a hyperbole is:
hy·per·bo·le (hahy-pur-buh-lee)
noun, Rhetoric.
1. obvious and intentional exaggeration.
2. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”
Jesus is trying to make a point. In comparison to the love we should have for Christ, the love we have for others will be less. This would have been highly offensive to the Jews who followed the 10 commandments. And Jesus is offensive because….???? Because He is trying to change the thought process. Jesus is radical.
Jesus also wants people to know that it will not be easy to be His disciple. I have experienced that first hand. No, I have not been killed or my life threatened for my faith. However, I have had friends and family members reject my new found “crazy Christian” beliefs. “You shouldn’t be taking all of this so seriously,” I heard more than once. As easy as it wasn’t, my life has improved a great deal. There is a cost to count. There is a cross to bear. The hope and love given in return is more than enough.
The part I struggle with is that last part about giving up everything. Back in the day, the disciples did not really give up all they had. It’s true that they immediately left their jobbys to follow Christ but they still had homes which were visited. What the disciples did do was share all that they had. Jesus is saying, “you can not love possessions and be my disciple.” We must share what we have, not to the point where we are needy but not have our fists gripped tightly around what is “ours.” Truthfully, it’s God’s. I know I joke about that sometimes but nothing you have is really yours at all. Remember that if God asks you to give it up. We are like Golloum from Lord of the Rings (I can see me sitting with my fingers tightly wrapped around my laptop, gently stroking the keys whispering, “my pretty.”). God does not ask us to give up everything we have. He asks us to share it. Will I let it go?
Two things stick out in my mind. Both are told by Noel (my pastor) but I found the story online and made some minor changes.
The Necklace
Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl. One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that necklace, and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, "Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the necklace.
How Jenny loved that necklace. She wore it everywhere: to kindergarten, bed and when she went out with her mother to run errands. The only time she didn't wear them was in the shower. Her mother had told her that it would turn her neck green!
Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite story.
One night when he finished the story, he said, "Jenny, do you love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you," the little girl said.
"Well, then, give me your necklace."
"Oh! Daddy, not my necklace!" Jenny said. "But you can have Rosy, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?"
"Oh no, darling, that's okay." Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. "Good night, little one."
A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, "Do you love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you."
"Well, then, give me your necklace."
"Oh, Daddy, not my necklace! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She's my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy," the little girl said to her father.
"No, that's okay," her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. "God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams."
Several days later, when Jenny's father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling.
"Here, Daddy," she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father's hand.
With one hand her father held the plastic necklace and the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the box was a real, genuine, gold necklace. He had had it all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing.
So it is with GOD. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so he can give us beautiful treasure. Isn't God good? This made me think about the things I hold on to and wonder what God wants to give me in its place.
God offers us the real thing but will we give up the fake stuff to receive the real? Did I just give you another parable?
Noel: Give so you feel it but not so it hurts.
Questions? Comments? Dirty Words?
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