Luke 14. 25 – 33
"I
say to the House as I said to ministers who have joined this government, I have
nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal
of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and
suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea,
land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give
us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark,
lamentable catalogue of human crime."
When
we approach this passage in Luke’s Gospel this is the image we should have in
mind.
Speaking
to the large crowd following him Jesus spoke very soberly about the war being
waged and the cost of signing up as a soldier.
Today
many of our Christian brothers and sisters will pay the ultimate price for
their faith, whilst millions more across the globe face harassment and
persecution.
Jesus
begins with a call that may at first strike us as harsh, about hating one’s own
family. However we must put aside our
understanding of hate as something or someone that we loath. In the times of
the Patriarchs such a term would be used when someone like Jacob favoured
Rachel over Leah. It was a matter of choice. When Jesus was dying on the cross
he took care to see that his mother would be cared for, so we mustn’t take this
idea of hating your family out of context and make it a pretext.
However
as those going in battle have to be prepared to say goodbye, perhaps for ever,
to loved ones, so is the call to be a disciple of Jesus. Single minded and
focused.
It
may also be as we heard from one lady we met on holiday in an Anglican Church.
As a direct result of her becoming a Christian her husband ended their 38 year
marriage.
And whilst on holiday we kept in touch on Facebook. My daughter wrote on there about having just finished a Mt Eiger of ironing, mostly my T-shirts.
As
a runner I have accumulated quite a few over the years. She decided that she
was going to cull some and take them to the charity shop. I responded by saying
that perhaps I should emulate St Francis.
I
had in mind the time when Francis’s’ exasperated father drags him before the
Church leaders because Francis had been emptying his father’s store house of
merchandise. So, Francis strips naked, giving back to his father everything he
had given him, and embraces his heavenly Father and lady poverty.
So,
when people heard Jesus say about taking up your own cross there would have
been absolutely no confusion in their minds that this meant being prepared to
give up absolutely everything.
Jesus
then talks about weighing up the cost of following him with two illustrations.
The
first is about a building project. Could
it be that Jesus has cast an eye on the Temple
And
when he speaks of a king going into battle and the need to ascertain military
strength, was Jesus perhaps looking at one of those who were advocating open
armed rebellion against Rome Rome
Jesus
as true King will stand against Rome Rome will try to do what Rome
However
we know that although this temple was destroyed God raised it up to glorious
triumph three days later.
And
that my friends is the battle we are called upon to fight and sign up for.
That
we stand against all the bullies of this world, against all the wrong and evil
in this world. Not with Peter’s Garden
of Gethsemane
We
will put ourselves under discipline, so that we can be better equipped,
stronger and bolder, not having the spirit of timidity but of boldness borne of
our having spent time in the presence of Father God.
We
will spend time with each other, mutually encouraging each other, laughing and
weeping together as we soldier on, offering our blood, toil, tears and sweat in
our Gospel endeavours.
On
Facebook this week friends have been posting pictures of their children going
to school with their new uniforms on.
As
Christian’s what uniform might we wear?
Might
I suggest that it is the fruit of the spirit we find outlined in Galatians
5:22-23
… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Can
you imagine if we were disciplined enough to be able to bear these out in our
daily lives?
Can
you imagine what a difference this would make in our homes, in the supermarket,
on the roads as we drove our cars? At work or at leisure, on our holidays,
especially when queuing up to book in at the airport?
Every
day we have opportunities to be a blessing to people if we are attuned and
alert, listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. By such means, little by
little, step by step, the Kingdom
of God
Winston
Churchill said… “You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by
sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can
give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark,
lamentable catalogue of human crime."
That
war continues, but not personified in a single person like Hitler, but in the
evil that consumed him. That monstrous tyranny continues to wage war and seeks
to despoil and destroy. However at Calvary
this monstrous tyranny was struck a mortal blow.
Jesus,
now raised from death leads us on his disciples singing a victory song…
March we forth in the
strength of God,
with the banner of Christ unfurled,
that the light of the glorious gospel of truth
may shine throughout the world:
fight we the fight with sorrow and sin
to set their captives free,
that earth may filled
with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
with the banner of Christ unfurled,
that the light of the glorious gospel of truth
may shine throughout the world:
fight we the fight with sorrow and sin
to set their captives free,
that earth may filled
with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
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