Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (G)

Luke 14:25-35

²⁵ Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. ³³ So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

³⁴ “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? ³⁵ It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

We each need the count the cost be for we set out to do something. This simple proverb would apply greatly to the world today. If you are going to start a war on drugs, or war on terror shouldn't you figure out how much it costs. Previous generations have taught us that a declarative statment to put a man on the moon works. But when I say I want to put a car in my garage, I need to count the cost. I might be able to get it done, but I may go into debt or not have the car I want or need.

When it comes to our faith do we really count the cost. (I may be moving away from the text.) Do we really think about how much missing one Sunday of Church can affect our entire week? Do we think about how much extra time we really gain by not doing devotions in the morning? Do you think about the effect your church discipline has on your children, or other family? It is easy for us to think that the way we act with friends, does not affect their view of christianity, or our faith.

When salt is removed from the thing that makes it good (namely the thing that gives it taste) what good is it? It is of no good and should be disgaurded. When you have removed the thing that makes you good, what good are you? You are no good. Thanks be to God! He sent his only begotten son into the flesh to die for the forgiveness of your sins. He died and rose to transform you into a good person. he sends his Holy Spirit into your heart to creat a right spirit within you. He continues to strengthen you in the true faith and point you to the cross of your forgiveness (not the burden you carry around because of your sin).