Giving up and Becoming

Luke 14:25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26  "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27  Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29  Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30  saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 31  Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32  If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33  So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

This passage of scripture is about followers of Jesus being qualitatively different from the prevailing society. Luke writes his Gospel at a time when Christians were arguing about their importance and status in following Jesus. Some students of the Apostles claimed superiority over others because of their association with a particular disciple;[1] there were Jewish Christians who thought themselves greater than Gentile Christians;[2] and there were wealthy Christians who struggled to associate with poorer Christians.[3] He reminds those who read this that one who follows Jesus must not mirror the social divisions of our society. Instead, followers of Jesus are to soberly count the cost of relinquishing the status conferred by family and possessions and instead embrace the disgrace associated with a cross.

When this concept is transferred into our own history we discover that Jesus is not asking us to abandon family and possessions. What he is saying is that his way of life asks for a different set of life-values. We who follow Jesus do not sacrifice our time and energy in pursuit of material wealth, or social status, or family approval. Instead, the central value that drives our lives is “carrying the cross”. We who walk in the footsteps of Jesus deliberately embrace service instead of status.    

For Prayer:

Make me a servant Lord, make me like you
For you are a servant, make me one, too.
Make me a servant, do what you must do
To make me a servant, make me like you.

To love my brother, to serve like you do.
I humble my spirit, I bow before yo.
And through my service, I'll be just like you.
So make me a servant, make me like you.

Open my hands Lord and teach me to share
Open my heart Lord and teach me to care,
For service to others is service to you.
Make me a servant, make me like you.

Jimmy and Carol Owens

Fourth Sunday after Trinity

35 The Cost of Servanthood

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 219.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

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[1] 1 Corinthians 3:1-6

[2] Acts Chapter 15

[3] 1 Corinthians 11:17—22.

Psalm 5

To the leader: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

1  Give ear to my words, O LORD;

give heed to my sighing.

2  Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God,

for to you I pray.

3  O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;

in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.

4  For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;

evil will not sojourn with you.

5  The boastful will not stand before your eyes;

you hate all evildoers.

6  You destroy those who speak lies;

the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.

7  But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,

will enter your house,

I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.

8  Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies;

make your way straight before me.

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 207.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Remain Faithful

2Timothy 2:1 You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; 2  and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well. 3  Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4  No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier's aim is to please the enlisting officer. 5  And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules. 6  It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7  Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things. 8  Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David--that is my gospel, 9  for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10  Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11  The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12  if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; 13  if we are faithless, he remains faithful--for he cannot deny himself.

Serve like a soldier, compete like an athlete, work like a farmer…. Paul/the writer of this letter mixes metaphors in order to make the point: this Christian life demands obedience to God, and commitment and perseverance in our practice. We follow Jesus both when it pleases us, and when it does not; both when it is easy, and when it is not; both when we feel like it, and when we do not. We are to remain faithful.  

The Methodist Church makes this explicit in an annual prayer said by all members in a Covenant Service.  This acknowledges that Christian discipleship is both “in season and out of season”. Perhaps you might read this prayer as your reflection for today.

The Methodist Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own but yours.

Put me to what you will,

rank me with whom you will;

put me to doing, put me to suffering;

let me be employed for you or laid aside for you,

exalted for you or brought low for you.

Let me be full, let me be empty,

let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things

to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

you are mine and I am yours.

So be it.                                    

And the covenant made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 207.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Pay Attention to Your Living

1Timothy 4:6 If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed. 7  Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives' tales. Train yourself in godliness, 8  for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9  The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. 10  For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 11  These are the things you must insist on and teach. 12  Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13  Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. 14  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15  Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. 16  Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Timothy (Τιμόθεος), which means “honouring God”, becomes a student of Paul in Lystra in Anatolia. [1] It would seem that he is walking in the faith-footsteps of his mother Eunice and his grandmother Louis.[2]  In this passage he is reminded that, like his mother and grandmother, he is in turn setting an example for other people to follow:

Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16)

Here is a healthy reminder to all who read this passage: our words and actions matter! We who claim the name of Jesus become a public witness to our beliefs. We are being watched and weighed, and ought therefore to live in a way that points beyond ourselves to the One who has called us.

For Thought

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
― Brennan Manning

Prayer   

Make my life a prayer to you
I wanna do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise
 Keith Green - Make My Life A Prayer Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 207.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

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[1] Acts 16:1

[2] 2 Timothy 1:5

Oh Grow Up

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13  for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 14  Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 15  so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. 16  It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labour in vain. 17  But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you-- 18  and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me.

Paul urges the Christ-followers in Philippi to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”.  This is not saying that salvation is obtained through work. Paul’s repeated affirmation for salvation by grace through faith is beyond question. Instead, this is a blunt injunction to “grow up and live as an adult Christian”. This is the point at which Paul tells those who follow Jesus that they are to get on with being Christ-like of their own accord, without needing a supervisor.  They are to cultivate the capacity “both to will and to work for God’s good pleasure…without murmuring and arguing”.

How sad it is when Jesus-followers live life in a way that constantly needs direction from someone else. We do not need a pastor, or a theologian, or a text from the Bible to give us permission to live life. Instead we can confidently trust the Spirit of God to guide us as we draw on our experience, our faith’s tradition, on our reading of the Bible, and our common sense. Let us beware of becoming so afraid of putting a foot wrong that we end up doing nothing at all. I dare us all to become pioneers who allow our passion for the values of Jesus to reshape the norms of social convention into something more Christ-like.

For Thought:

“The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creation. Not to make people with better morals but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian.”
― Brennan Manning, The Furious Longing of God

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 207.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

Flesh & Spirit

Galatians 5:16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17  For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19  Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20  idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21  envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22  By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

In this passage Paul addresses the Greek philosophical concept that explains lives as consisting of body and spirit. His context suggests that God is only interested in our spiritual life and does not much care about the physical. Paul begs to differ and uses a juxtaposition of ‘flesh’ and ‘spirit’ to offer a new way of understanding our lives a followers of Jesus. The Greek word for flesh (sarx σάρξ ) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit (pneuma πνεῦμα). When assisted by the original Greek, the verses above read as follows:

I say then: Walk in the pneuma, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the sarx. 17 For the sarx lusts against the pneuma, and the pneuma against the sarx; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the pneuma, you are not under the law.

Paul encourages followers of Jesus not to be distracted by their own human sarx/σάρξ, but instead to submit their lives to the transformation of the Divine pneuma/πνεῦμα.  The desires of the flesh are therefore not to be feared, but are instead to be offered in service to God.

No one can claim to be “passionate for God” and exhibit arrogance, lust for power and cruelty. Instead a God-infused passion produces “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”.

For Thought

Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne

Frances R. Havergal, 1874

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 207.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

The Blasphemy of the Prosperity Gospel.

Luke 18:18  A certain ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19  Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20  You know the commandments: 'You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother.'" 21  He replied, "I have kept all these since my youth." 22  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." 23  But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich. 24  Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." 26  Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" 27  He replied, "What is impossible for mortals is possible for God." 28  Then Peter said, "Look, we have left our homes and followed you." 29  And he said to them, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30  who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."

Jesus lived in a culture that believed that God showered riches on the righteous, and - conversely - poverty was a sign of God’s displeasure. Luke records a moment when Jesus rejects this idea: the crowd is stunned to hear their teacher/rabbi say “how hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God” (Lk 18:24).  They would have been thinking – “Surely their riches are a sign of God favour… a guarantee of their membership of God’s realm”.   Jesus repeatedly hammers the message home that God has a particular compassion for the poor, the helpless, and the marginalized. [1]

Sadly there are many who have not heard this. There are Christian teachers who teach that prosperity is guaranteed for those who follow Jesus. One such preacher insists that followers of Jesus have “been predestined to prosper financially… You have every right to possess material wealth—clothes, jewelry, houses, cars and money—in abundance.”[2] This “Prosperity Gospel” is the ultimate blasphemy:  it turns God into a service provider – and humanity into greedy consumers of God’s provision. Only when we recognize our status as stewards of this earth will we discover the call of God to use our possessions to benefit all of creation.

For today: ask how you can bless someone who has a greater need than you.  

Hymn:

For the healing of the nations,
Lord, we pray with one accord,
for a just and equal sharing
of the things that earth affords.
To a life of love in action
help us rise and pledge our word.
Words: Fred Kaan
Words © 1968 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188. 

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 207.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

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[1] See for example Luke 6:20-25; Matthew 25:31-46.

[2] Creflo Dollar