Luke 14:25-33

Romans 13:8-10

Psalm 112:1b-2, 4-5, 9

Luke 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,

and he turned and addressed them,

“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,

wife and children, brothers and sisters,

and even his own life,

he cannot be my disciple.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me

cannot be my disciple.

Which of you wishing to construct a tower

does not first sit down and calculate the cost

to see if there is enough for its completion?

Otherwise, after laying the foundation

and finding himself unable to finish the work

the onlookers should laugh at him and say,

‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’

Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down

and decide whether with ten thousand troops

he can successfully oppose another king

advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?

But if not, while he is still far away,

he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.

In the same way,

everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions

cannot be my disciple.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, your eternal plan of creation and salvation is truly awesome. You did not abandon us when we sinned against you, but sent your Son to save us and teach us how to be reconciled with you and live with you forever.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Three Conditions for Discipleship: The Gospel passage opens with a Jewish idiomatic term that contrasts hate and love. To “hate,” in this instance, does not mean to scorn, but means to “love less.” Jesus teaches that we should not love our parents, our spouse, our children, our siblings, or even our own life more than God the Father, his Son, and his Spirit. The first and greatest commandment is to love God above all things. The second commandment is to love our neighbor. To be Jesus’ disciples means first being committed to him more than our family attachments. The second condition to be Jesus’ disciple is to take up our cross and follow him. The third condition is to renounce all our possessions (Luke 14:33). This third condition requires serious deliberation and is illustrated with two parables. The first parable is about building a tower and discerning, like a good builder, whether or not you have sufficient resources to bring the project to completion. The second parable is about marching into battle and discerning, like a good king, whether or not you have sufficient troops to be successful in battle. What are the resources I need to attain the goal of eternal life? What are the troops I need to attain victory in the battle of life?

2. Love One Another: In the Letter to the Romans, Paul continues in Chapter 13 to offer practical instruction on Christian living. In Chapter 12, “Paul outlined the believer’s responsibility to love sincerely and to leave the avenging of personal wrongs to the Lord. He takes up the same themes in chapter 13, but now he moves beyond the confines of private life into the public arena. Private justice for personal injuries is not an option for disciples of Jesus. However, it is the business of God, who not only keeps account for the final judgment, but who also confers on legitimate government the authority to punish criminal behavior. In view of this arrangement, Christians must submit to civil authorities and their laws (13:1-7), just as they submit to God and his laws by the exercise of love (13:8-10). Paul finishes the chapter with an appeal to Christians to live in the daylight of gospel morality amid the darkness of a sinful world (13:11-14) (Hahn and Mitch, Romans, 226). Love has a primacy in the Christian life.

3. Love is the Fulfillment of the Law: The purpose of God’s law was to teach his people how to love. The 613 precepts in the Torah contained laws given by God and some laws given by Moses. They didn’t have equal weight. And the Scholars of the Law debated which law was the greatest and the foundation, so to speak, of all the other laws. Jesus and Paul agree that the law of love is the greatest. Thus, the law of the Old Covenant and the gospel of the New Covenant direct God’s people to the same goal: the vocation to love. Obedience to God’s law in the New Covenant, however, no longer depends on sheer human effort alone. Believers in Christ are offered the gifts of grace and the Holy Spirit, which empower them to fulfill the law of love.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I love you and desire to love you above all things. Support me as I bear my cross and suffering. Guide my steps as I follow you. Help me leave behind the things of this world and be more deeply attached to you and your Kingdom.

Living the Word of God: How many times have I already grumbled and complained today? How can I express my Christian joy and hope better and more frequently? Do I need to start my daily prayer with time for thanksgiving rather than petitions?