Rev. Eric Anderson Pastor's Corner, What I'm Thinking

What I’m Thinking: Obstacles to Discipleship

Jesus did not believe that his way was easy. He warned people to prepare.

Here’s a transcript:

I’m thinking about the fourteenth chapter of Luke’s Gospel (Luke 14:25-33).

As I read the Gospels, Jesus had a habit of consistently raising the bar for expectations of faithful people, of his own followers, and I think you’ll find that right here in chapter fourteen. A crowd was following him. He said to them, if you want to be my disciple, if you want to be an acknowledged follower, then you’ve got to hate your father and mother, and indeed the rest of your family. You’ve got to hate life itself. You must face execution — carry your own cross, f you want to follow me. He completed his instructions by saying, you’ve got to give up all of your possessions, and then you can follow me.

He certainly didn’t make it sound easy or inviting. The fact is, there is not much in this section to say why one would follow Jesus at all.

Jesus told those who were curious about following him that they needed to consider it seriously, that faithfulness was deeper than they might be prepared to go. He compared it to preparing for a major construction. He compared it to preparing for a war. You’ve got to commit, he said. You’ve got to prepare. You’ve got to be ready to go the distance.

What is it, he asked, that would hold you back? What is it that you would prioritize over following me? What is it that keeps you from a whole-hearted commitment to God and God’s way?

Some of it might be loyalty to family, might be loyalty to others. There may be times when God’s call summons us away from our obligations to family, and to do other things, to say other words. What about life? Are you prepared to give up some portion of this life, whether it be to death or whether it be to taking part in things that you might otherwise not? What pleasures are you prepared to leave behind?

And, of course, he closed with money. It is, after all, the single most common temptation most of us encounter. Or rather, money is the thing that summons so much of our attention, so much of our commitment. Can you give that up, said Jesus. Do that before you follow me.

The question, I think, for each of us is: what is the thing (or more likely what are the things) that we are in practice place before our commitment to Christ? What are the things that we will do before we enact our obligations to Jesus? What is it that has our hearts before the heart of God?

Take a good look. I know I’ve found them in my own heart. What are they in yours?

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m curious to hear what you’re thinking. Leave me your thoughts in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you.

Rev. Eric Anderson Pastor's Corner, What I'm Thinking

What I’m Thinking: Focused

Most of the things we focus on in the world, said Jesus, are distractions. Concentrate on being ready for the visit of the Holy Spirit.

Here’s a transcript:

I’m thinking about the twelfth chapter of Luke’s Gospel (Luke 12:32-40). This passage follows up on the one that we read last week: Jesus’ story about the wealthy man, all of whose riches served him very little in the end.

There is a passage that the lectionary editors skipped over, and that’s a familiar one: the one about the ravens whom God feeds and the lilies of the field that are more beautiful than anything that king Solomon had ever done. And God, said Jesus, takes care of all of these.

And so we enter into this passage, where Jesus advised being ready. Jesus advised distributing one’s possessions as alms for the poor. Jesus compared the Christian life to servants in a great house whose master was away. These servants, if they are ready when the master comes home, will be rewarded, not just with thanks. The master, said Jesus, would invite them to sit at the table and the master would serve them.

That is the world turned upside down.

Jesus, in telling a hopeful heir to some portion of his father’s holdings, had advised people not to be concerned with money or with wealth. And Jesus followed up on that with the comparison with the birds and with the lilies. Jesus followed up on that by urging his followers to leave behind even what they had, and to distribute that to those who had even less.

Readiness, said Jesus, is all. Preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Preparation for the reign of God.

The reign of God is not going to be found in riches, and it is not going to be found in worry. The reign of God is not going to be found in anxiety, it is not going to be found in flurried preparation. The reign of God is going to be found when we set aside those things that distract us, which summon us away from God.

The reign of God is going to be found when we are ready, and the door is flung open so that the Holy Spirit may come in.

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m curious to hear what you’re thinking. Leave me your thoughts in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you.