Costly Discipleship
March 1st, 2010Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “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. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
The words of Luke make my guts get all twisty. My mind begins a reel of images that bring joy and fear. My heart begins to race.
Following Jesus is the greatest joy of life. My days following his lead provide more joy in the worst of times than anything I do on my own in the best of times. Still, I get caught here in Luke 14 wondering what else does it take?
This season of Lent that began with Ash Wednesday February 17 and extends through Easter April 4 provides us an opportunity to consider what else Jesus needs me to do as a follow him. Wesley is exploring the joy of salvation through The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. We are looking at the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and the call of our Heavenly Father to come home and experience my true joy. This Lenten journey will conclude with the intensity of Holy Week – Palm Sunday, March 28, through Easter.
Holy Week’s weeks intense journey will take us into the seven last words of Christ. Peter Storey, former Bishop of the Methodist Church in South Africa, writes in Listening to Golgotha, that we all need to have a conversation with the Cross. That “we each need to bring to Calvary the issues of sin and righteousness, both personal and systemic, that we wrestle with in our time and place. We need to do this with utmost seriousness if the Easter that follows Good Friday is to mean anything at all.” We need to wrestle with our identity in the Cross that the world might not know us but the Cross that we have become.
Discipleship is becoming friends with Jesus in such a way that we are one with Him. How close is your relationship? How is Heaven’s Joy brining you to a life of joy? How is taking on the Cross displacing sin in your life? Believing in Jesus can be easy; following him is costly. Carrying the Cross leads us to unexpected places. It takes us into new relationships with those who were once strangers. It takes us into dark places to shine new light. It takes us away from comfort into places where only Jesus would lay his head. Followers of Jesus give more generously to the point they give it all. Here are five things you too can do as a way to give more to Jesus:
- Take someone new to lunch (or take ‘em dinner, or grab a coffee). Turn a stranger into a new friend in Christ.
- Mentor a kid! The host of experiential wisdom at Wesley is priceless. Adopt one of our young people and share life with them once a month.
- Sacrifice a group. We huddle up toooooo much. Break the comfort zone! Let go of one of your group meetings and take an adventure. Help is needed at the MERCI Center to pack goods for Haiti. Families need childcare that they can grow in Christ beyond Sunday morning. Homeless in Raleigh need someone to transport them to church.
- Take a computer class on social networking. Stay connected with people around the world and share the Gospel in the process.
- Let scripture be your TripTik!!! Read and listen to God’s Holy Word as a way to take into the World. Make a covenant to let the Book of Acts be your road map for mission.
Walk with me this Lent as we become more meek that we seek Christ’s strength to carry His Cross becoming Easter People who have died to self and been raised with Christ.
Peace,
Pastor Dennis