Jeremiah 18:1-11; Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost- Proper 18- September 7, 2025
If this scene in Luke 14:25-33 seems familiar, it is because it is the second time this summer that we have encountered this passage: Jesus among a crowd on the road to Jerusalem, questioning people’s abilities and willingness to be truly committed to discipleship. In fact, throughout our lectionary passages, we have listened in as Jesus specifically tells would-be disciples that they must be ready to leave their families and their possessions in order to follow him. Jesus has talked about how he will be the cause for division among family members and told parables about what it means to be rich towards God instead of rich on earth. Christ continues to be very clear about the importance of attentioned discipleship.
Yet, as we are apt to do, we try to find ways to soften Jesus’ rhetoric. In this case, there is historic, cultural precedence for doing so. At that time, telling someone to hate something or someone was often a Semitic idiom for telling someone to love something less than they currently did. Maybe by using hyperbole you could help someone see their imbalance, and by turning them just a little towards hate, you’d help them find appropriate attachment. The BDAG (biblical Greek dictionary) uses this sense of the word for one of the definitions of “hate,” citing our passage as its example. This would mean that Jesus is saying is that his disciples need to be able “to disregard” or be “disinclined to”— i.e., do not favor—their own family, life, and things.
This definition and explanation make sense and fits the way of discipleship. This definition also allows us to breathe a sigh of relief that Jesus isn’t telling us that we must walk away from our loved ones and break all ties for his sake. What God is saying here is that we have to take serious consideration of the people and things that have the most influence and control over the shape of our lives.
In a roundabout way, Jesus is describing idols: the things we love, serve, and allow to weigh heavily on our decisions under the guise of the “needs of our circumstances.”
I want to be very careful and clear here. I do not mean that I think Jesus is condoning abandoning one’s familial responsibilities for the sake of ministry. Nor am I saying that Jesus is teaching that we serve our family first, then our churches/ministries. This is too simple a reduction, a shortcut away from what Jesus is really getting at with his description of the cost of discipleship.
In both of the stories Jesus shares, he gives a picture of what he wants people to do: he wants them to sit down- STOP!, take stock- BE HONEST!, reflect- THINK AND PRAY! about the shape of their life and what’s possible with it, given all of its attachments and commitments. Not doing so is disastrous—for us and others.
It will come at the personal cost of ridicule and taunts of hypocrisy. And like the king’s decision to either put his soldiers in harm’s way or not, our egos and naivety have the distinction of causing great harm to those we love the most. Jesus isn’t telling us to be uncaring and careless towards those closest to us, far from it. He’s underscoring that without reflecting about the direction, purpose, orientation, and attachments in our lives, i.e., spiritual and emotional maturity, the unintended consequences are real.
And yet, the consequences for choosing the right posture, differentiation, and purpose in life are also quite difficult to follow through on.
Sometimes, hating mother and father will be metaphorical: turning against the understanding of the past generation out of conviction that a new wineskin moment has come. Sometimes it will be a literal disobedience and refusal to play the role that your family has set before you. Sometimes, hating your possessions will literally mean selling them all for the benefit of the common good, while other times it will mean changing your attitude about what you have, deserve and/or need. Hating your life might mean making some drastic life-changes because you realize how unhappy you are and know you need a change. It might also mean that God humbles you and you learn the hard way to live your life for God and not yourself.
The reading from Jeremiah 18:1-11 is about God’s sovereign authority to mold and shape individuals and nations according to their response to His guidance and teachings, emphasizing the importance of repentance and the potential for both judgement and mercy. Reflecting on this verse, we are prompted to consider the profound impact of repentance in our spiritual journey. How does our willingness to repent and seek forgiveness influence the direction of our lives? How does our openness to God’s molding and shaping guide us towards His purpose for us? This verse invites us to contemplate the transformative power of repentance and God’s ability to reshape our lives according to His divine will. We can actively participate in the beautiful work of God’s hands through repentance, allowing Him to mold us into vessels of His grace, mercy, and love as we ponder on this message.
And the Reading from Philemon 1-21is a powerful and compassionate message Paul conveys in his letter to Philemon! The essence of this verse lies in the profound call for forgiveness and reconciliation in a challenging situation. The enduring relevance of Philemon resonates in today’s world, where fractured relationships abound. Its emphasis on forgiveness and reconciliation serves as a timeless reminder for individuals to seek harmony and extend grace, mirroring the transformative power of the Gospel.
Many people think that being a Christian is simply a matter of getting saved or being baptized, but Jesus said in Luke 14:27 that it involves so much more. He said, “And whoever does not pick up his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” Jesus taught that we exist to deny ourselves and follow Him.
God has called us to follow Jesus, be His witnesses, grow in grace, make disciples, work at building His church, seek His kingdom, pursue holiness in the fear of God, and seek His glory in everything we do. Luke 14:25-33 makes it clear that to be a follower of Jesus is not for the faint of heart. Christianity is not a system of belief that will make an already pleasant life better.
Blind commitment that expects only blessings is of no use to God: he wants disciples who are committed and prepared to live sacrificially for him. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian and pastor, demonstrate in his book, The Cost of Discipleship, a unique view of discipleship that emphasized the communal aspect of following Jesus. Bonhoeffer, as a theologian and pastor, strongly opposed the Nazi ideology and its interference in the Church. He believed that the Church should not compromise its principles and teachings to align with the Nazi regime. Instead, he advocated for a faithful, active discipleship that resisted the pressures and temptations of the world.
My sisters and brothers, the bible readings for today are for us to undergo a transformation in our lives to become new women and men, as Jesus told Nicodemus. But once we undergo this personal transformation, we then move on to transform this world where there is so much evil, hatred, oppression, and injustice.
Compassion is the awareness of the suffering of another combined with the desire to help relieve that suffering. When compassion is offered to relieve suffering on its arising but fails to address the root cause of that suffering, the suffering will return again and again. Peacebuilding, social justice, and social change require us to address the systemic issues underlying and causing suffering to bring about sustainable shifts. Systems change is where courage and compassion come together to make a difference in our challenged world.
I wonder if we want to apply this theology of resistance to President Donald Trump’s degrading policies, to the Christian nationalism, and to Governor Jennifer Gonzalez’s blind colonial commitment to these policies when they ask her to jump and she jumps. Our call is to action to defeat all these injustices and make the presence of God’s kingdom-community real on Earth. This is the cost of following Jesus.
Remember, your silence and inertia bless and implement these policies against humanity. So don’t come to me with the story that the church shouldn’t get involved in politics. The church as an institution is immersed in politics, right wing politic. Your silence and inertia are your politics, which coincide with Trump’s politic, those of the religious right, and Jennifer’s. I’m simply reminding you that Jesus is saying that we need to change our politics because these people’s politics betray Jesus’ project of salvific liberation.
Amen & Ashé