Opening Prayer: Deliver
us when we draw near to you, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind;
Grant that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections, we may worship you
in Spirit and in truth. Amen. (Venite by Robert Benson)
Scripture: Luke
14:25-35
Journal: How
do these words of Jesus strike you? How
do they disturb you? How do they inspire
you? How do they challenge you? How does your love for Jesus compare to your
love for the other things in your life?
Reflection:
It
seems like a pretty extreme statement doesn’t it? It’s very disturbing and disruptive,
especially to our “have our cake and eat it too” mentality. Somehow we have tried to tame Jesus and his
words. Somehow we have convinced
ourselves that we can be “half in.” But
Jesus will not stand for that. He will
not settle for less. He will not be
tamed. He is wild and free. He is disruptive and disturbing. As John Powell once said. “He comforts the
afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.”
You cannot “buy him” in small quantities, with him it is “all or
nothing.” Our problem is that we tend to
want a limited quantity of him; five dollars’ worth, if you will. We want just enough to make us comfortable,
but not so much that it disturbs our lives or disrupts our plans and
agendas. But of course, Jesus will not
operate by our rules. That’s just the
way he is. And as you read Luke 14:25-35 that
becomes pretty clear.
Jesus doesn’t just desire our love and allegiance, he
demands it. In fact, if in comparison to
our love for him we don’t “hate” all else, we are not worthy of him. There is no room for negotiation, no room for
debate. His love for us demands our full
love and allegiance in return. If,
indeed, we really want to follow him we can only do so with all of our being.
One day when large groups of people were
walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but
refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes,
even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own
cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.
“Is there anyone here who, planning to
build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if
you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of
money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun
at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’
“Or can you imagine a king going into
battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with
his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if
he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce?
“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take
what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you
can’t be my disciple.
“Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes
flat, it’s useless, good for nothing.”
“Are
you listening to this? Really listening?” (Luke
14:25-35, The Message)
Prayers
Closing Prayer: Take
Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire
will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O Lord,
I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give me
Thy love and thy grace, for this is sufficient for me. ~Ignatius Loyola
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