Proper 18C, 2025

Text: Luke 14:25-35

Title: Cost

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How much is this going to cost me?

I’m sure it’s a question you ask yourself all the time.

How much is this going to cost us?

This question comes up all the time at church as well.

We want to start a music conservatory.

Well, how much is this going to cost us?  What will all the expenses be?  Are we thinking about all the possible financial implications of this decision?

We want a new piano.

Well, how much is this going to cost us?  Can we afford it?

Those are responsible questions for us to ask as individuals and as a church before undertaking a new project.

Jesus gives the examples of building a tower or going to war.

If you’re going to start a construction project, you need to be sure you have the resources to finish it.

If you’re going to war, you need to be sure you have enough soldiers to defeat your enemy.

If you can’t finish the tower, if you can’t win the war, then you will bring shame on yourself.

It’s simple.  It’s logical.  You need to ask yourself how much something will cost before you begin.

Have you considered the cost of following Jesus? Is this something that you sat down and calculated before deciding whether or not to become a disciple?

If I had to guess, I would imagine that the answer is “no.”

Most of us were probably raised in the church. We didn’t have a choice growing up whether or not to go to church or attend Sunday School or be confirmed. It’s simply what you did.  Telling mom or dad that you didn’t want to go didn’t get you very far.

And if you weren’t raised in the church, you might have entered the church by marriage.  It was something important to your husband or wife and so you went along with them, even if you weren’t completely on board with it yourself at first.

Chances are, you never sat down, got out a sheet of paper and wrote down all the costs that would be involved with being a disciple and then made a logical decision about whether or not you could afford it.

If you did, you probably would not be here, because the cost of following Jesus is astronomical.

Jesus mentions two ways that following Him is costly.

First, Jesus says that you have to hate your family if you are going to follow Him- hate your mom, dad, wife, husband, children, brothers, sisters.  Hate them.

This is harsh language.  And we’re not used to hearing Jesus talk this way.  I wish I could say, “Jesus didn’t really mean that.” Or “this word has a different meaning or could be translated in a different way.”

Sorry.  This is what Jesus says.

There’s no way to take the edge off the word “hate” or get Jesus off the hook.

The reason is, if your family keeps you from following Jesus, you must leave them behind.

We don’t think this way.  We always talk about putting family first.  People tell me that they’ll be missing church to attend a family event as though it’s an acceptable excuse because it’s family.

Saying “Yes” to Jesus means that sometimes you’ll have to say “No” to other people, even to your own family.  You’ll have to tell them following Jesus is the number one most important thing in your life and that you love Jesus more than you love them.

If you can’t say that, if you’re not willing to pay that cost, and to put Jesus ahead of your family, then you’re not ready to follow Jesus.

And it goes beyond even your family.

How much is it going to cost me?

It will cost you your life.  Jesus says that you must hate yourself.  Jesus says that you must carry your cross if you want to follow Him.

Crosses are not minor inconveniences.

Crosses are not obstacles to be overcome.

Crosses kill.

There may come a time when you are called upon to give your life for your faith.

What did you promise when you were confirmed? That you would suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from Jesus.

Carrying your cross means more than just martyrdom.

Carrying your cross means dying to yourself each day.

Carrying your cross means putting yourself last, dying to every action, every word, every thought that does not come from Jesus. It means putting yourself to death as you drown your sins in confession.

Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean just giving up an hour or two every week for the Divine Service and Bible Class.

Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean just giving up ten percent of your income in the offering plate.

Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean just giving up a few hours now and then to pull a few weeds or wash a few dishes at the church.

Being a follower of Jesus means giving up your entire life, all day, every day, everything you are, everything you have completely devoted to following Him.

It’s an incredibly costly venture.  It’s expensive beyond belief.  There is nothing in this world that could cost you more than your entire life.

And so you should not be surprised when people fall away, when people who were raised in the church get a bit older and independent and say, “I can’t afford this.  I don’t want to pay the cost.”

We should not be surprised when people of any age stop following Jesus. It’s the logical choice. 

We should be surprised that anyone follows Him at all.  It’s a miracle that any shows up here or at any Christian church to follow Jesus.

How much is it going to cost?

Whenever you ask and answer that question, after you’ve calculated the cost, there’s always another question that follows:

Is it worth it?  Is the benefit worth the expense?

Here at Zion, we said, “Yes,” to the Music Conservatory.  Yes, it’s worth teaching music because music bears the Word of God in our hymns and our liturgy.  Music a great gift of God for expressing our faith and adding beauty to our worship. Learning to make music gives us a picture of heaven itself.  Yes, it’s worth the cost.

Here at Zion, we said, “Yes” to the piano. Yes, it’s worth having the best possible instrument.  It’s not good enough to just get by and make due, but we want to give God our best.

Is it worth following Jesus?

You’re here, because you’ve said “Yes.”  The Holy Spirit has been at work in you to recognize that apart from Jesus you would be lost eternally, that your very soul is in danger of death.

You’re here because you want something more than what this earthly life provides, and the Holy Spirit has created faith in you to believe that this is something more, that through Jesus Christ you have the promise of a new life in paradise that will never end.

And most of all, you’re here because Jesus thought that you were worth it.  You were worth the cost to Him.

Jesus didn’t have to suffer and die, but He loves you.  He doesn’t want you to be lost.  Jesus renounced everything to come to earth, to walk the way of the cross, to suffer and to die for you, that you would have the free gift of eternal life.

And it doesn’t cost you a thing.

It’s not that all that you give up to follow Jesus is somehow paying for your salvation.  That’s already been paid for in full.

Whatever it costs to follow Jesus is a price you pay simply out of love and thankfulness for all that He’s already given you.

What does it cost to follow Jesus?

Nothing.

And everything.

And because of what Jesus has given you, the cost is definitely worth it.

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