20.03.25 Luke 14:25-34

Prepare -

God, create in us a hunger, a desire, a thirst for you. Clear our minds from the many distractions that we’ve got and help us want you more than anything else. 

Read – Luke 14:25-34

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Reflect

When Jesus says “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” It is usually something challenging and something important. Verse 26 is the kind of verse we try not to think about, but he says “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple”. The word ‘miseo’ translated as ‘hate’ can be used as hate, but also means ‘loves less’ or ‘esteem less’. The rest of the Bible clearly states that we have to love others, so Jesus is not saying please hate others, he is saying love me more.

James K. Smith said “You are what you love. But you might not love what you think. Who and what we worship fundamentally shape our hearts. We may not realize, however, the ways our hearts are taught to love rival gods instead of the One for whom we were made.”

Be

Let’s spend a minute telling Jesus that we love Him. What do you love about Him? 

Jesus we love your humility, authentic love, that you didn’t care what others thought about you, your grace, what you did for us on the cross and also coming to Earth and showing us your character. We love everything about you. Help us draw near to you.

Become

Father, shape my heart to be open and responsive to Your call. May I fall more in love with you today. May my character reflect the love that I have for you.

Do

Holy Spirit, help us to build practices in our lives that will enable us to love you more. Help us to lay good foundations in our love for you. 

Practice:

Let’s reflect for a minute on our weekly spiritual practices. How is your life’s rhythm helping you love God more? What might be pulling you towards loving other things more?