The first reading is Deuteronomy 30:15-20.
The second reading is Philemon 1-21.
The
holy gospel according to Luke (14:25-33)
25Now
large crowds were traveling with Jesus;
and
he turned and said to them,
26“Whoever
comes to me
and
does not hate parents, spouse and children, siblings,
yes,
and even life itself,
cannot
be my disciple.
27Whoever
does not carry the cross
and
follow me
cannot
be my disciple.
28For
which of you, intending to build a tower,
does
not first sit down and estimate the cost,
to
see whether there is enough to complete it?
29Otherwise,
when a foundation has been laid
and
the builder is not able to finish the building,
all
who see it will begin to ridicule the builder,
30saying,
‘This person began to build
and
was not able to finish.’
31Or
what monarch,
going out to wage war against another ruler,
will
not sit down first
and
consider whether with ten thousand
to
oppose the one who comes with twenty thousand?
32If
it is not possible,
then,
while the other is still far away,
the
monarch sends a delegation
and
asks for the terms of peace.
33So
therefore, none of you can become my
disciple
if
you do not give up all your possessions.
The
gospel of the Lord.
-----
These
texts are tough. There is nothing
easy or exciting about Jesus’ words to the crowds following him—unless you’re
an adrenaline junky who gets a high from risking or losing your life, I
suppose.
These
words are a hard truth for those of us who live in a world that is not black
and white—a world made not only of various shades, but of an entire rainbow
spectrum of colors, shades, and hues; of jewel tones and ring tones; of family
and friends whom we love; of houses, buildings, books, and toys that we
cherish; of questions, ambiguities, and endless options.
While
there is some nuance to how we translate hate and how we interpret Jesus’ words
in particular, the message comes through loud and clear. There’s no mincing words.
That’s
part of what is so tough. Both in
Deuteronomy and in Luke, the words and the call are simple—they’re
understandable—“Choose life so that you
and your descendants may live.”
All you have to do is “obey the commandments of the Lord your God … by
loving the Lord your God, walking in the Lord’s ways, and by observing God’s
commandments, decrees, and ordinances.”
Or
as Jesus puts it, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate parents, spouse and
children, siblings, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever
does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” “33So
therefore, none of you can become my
disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”
Simple,
right?
But
simple does not always mean easy. I give people great, simple advice in
competitions all the time. In
fact, if they would just follow my simple advice, they would always win. You see, to the runners I say, “Run
faster than everyone else.” To
those playing sports, my advice is “Score more than the others,” “block all
their shots.”
Simple,
right?
Easy? Not so much.
The
same goes for today’s texts. And
so together we hunker down to figure out what this choosing life business is
all about, especially when Jesus’ call is to take up the cross, an instrument
of torture and death that Jesus himself will soon take up.
We
will soon find help in figuring this out from Paul in his letter to Philemon,
but first in Deuteronomy, Moses challenges the Hebrews, now that God has
established another covenant with them and their descendants, to choose where
their allegiance, their loyalties lie.
Will they choose life, “20loving the Lord your God, obeying the
Lord, and holding fast to your God”?
Or will they choose death, turning away so they “do not hear, but are
led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them”?
Will
they pledge their allegiance to God?
Or to another people, other gods, a nation, or even to themselves? God, having entered into covenant with
them, laying a claim on their lives, waits to see what they choose.
This
claim that God lays on all of our lives is a claim of love that we understand
through our baptism. The love that
God willingly pours out on us, more abundant even than the water that fills
oceans and floods rivers. This
love brings us in our baptism through death with Christ on the cross and into
new life and a new way of being.
This
new way of being—this new life—is what Paul calls Philemon to in our second
reading. Paul knows the choices
and sets them before Philemon.
This is the real, simple yet not easy, dilemma of choosing life to free
Onesimus or choosing death to keep him bound as a slave.
While
we may read Paul’s letter as a bit passive aggressive today, in that time,
Paul’s rhetoric is understood as a sincere reminder of Philemon’s own call in
Christ to this new way of life, this new allegiance.
It
would’ve made life way easier, especially when arguing against slavery earlier
in our country’s history, if Paul had simply commanded Philemon to free
Onesimus, as he is fully capable of doing. But that’s not how God has ever worked and Paul knows
it. God is always about giving us
options and whispering the hope of life to us as we discern. No matter what, God loves us. We could do anything and God still
loves us.
God
enters into a covenantal relationship with us and gives us the choice of how we
respond. As Moses says, “15See,
I have set before you today life and
prosperity, death and adversity” “Choose
life so that you and your descendants may live.”
Paul
sets this before Philemon as well.
Affirming the love of God from which Paul, Onesimus, and Philemon all
live, Paul is clear as to his hope for Philemon and he is equally clear that it
must be a choice. Paul is not
trying to coerce Philemon into anything, but instead, appealing to the love of
God already at work in Philemon’s heart and life.
Paul
encourages Philemon to choose life, saying “17So if you consider me
your partner, welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me. 18If he has
wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19I, Paul, am writing this
with my own hand: I will repay it. I say
nothing about your owing me even your own self. 20Yes, brother,
let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. 21Confident
of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing
that you will do even more than I say.”
These
readings today are not just about whether we cover our heart during the
national anthem and pledge allegiance to a flag, the symbol of this country, or
refuse and pledge our hearts to God, though those are small ways we choose our
allegiances.
Our
readings call us to the choice each day in each decision of our lives.
Do
we choose “between what is right and what is easy”?[1]
Do
we choose love of neighbor or fear of the “others” who don’t look like us?
Do
we choose to pledge our allegiance to the way of the cross—solidarity and
advocacy with the oppressed and marginalized—or to the way of glory—storing up
for ourselves wealth and power at the expense of others?
Set
before us each day in little ways and in big ways are “life and prosperity, death and adversity.” “life and death, blessings and curses.”
“Choose life so that you and your
descendants may live.”
Choose
life so that your neighbor around the world will know peace.
Choose
life so that workers will know fair living wages.
Choose
life so that the oppressed will know justice.
Choose
life so that the outcast will know belonging.
Choose
life so that the foreigner will receive sanctuary.
Choose
life so that all may freely live.
Choose
life as Christ already lives in you.
Amen.
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