Sep 9, 2001
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September 9,2001 Pastor Ole Amund Gillebo
Gospel Luke 14: 25-33 The cost and income of true religion. Today is the kick-off for a busy fall. Every week we have planned many activities for children, youth and adults. We hope for growth. That might be personal and human growth. A growth in Christian knowledge. A spiritual growth in faith, hope and love. And we really want our congregation to grow. We will work for economic growth and increase of our membership. We can all do something. You may increase the amount of money in your offering envelope. You will not lose because of that. You will be more blessed by giving than by receiving. You are able to invite people to the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church and the Sunday Services. You might contact family and friends and other people you know. If all of you brought one with you next Sunday, the attendance would double. You should not let the attitude of frustration and " it does not work" overpower you, but be empowered by faith, hope and love. There are so many good things to invite people for here at the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church. Let us do it! Today’s word of Jesus are very powerful:" Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." This seems to be against the commandment of loving our fellow human being, and to love and honor our father and mother and our wife as our own body and to foster our children in love and care. In Matt. 10:37 Jesus is saying the same thing in different words:" Whoever loves his father and mother more than me is not fit to be my disciple, whoever loves his son or daughter more than me is not fit to be my disciple. Whoever does not take up the cross and follow in my steps is not fit to be my disciple." It is important to understand the biblical language. The word for "hate" means "love less". Our love of our nearest must be less than of the Lord and our love of him must be greater than of anyone else and anything else. The words for "hate" and "love" do not express intense emotional feelings but rather practical priorities. It is about what do we put in the first place? Above all what is of highest value to me? What is my choice facing a particular situation? When God calls me, what is my choice? In some cases we are challenged to obey God more than human beings. Even the strongest ties to family and to our spouse and parents and children may be our second choice if necessary to follow God’s way. When we served in Hong Kong one of my colleagues was a married man. He stayed for 8 years when his wife and children lived in Norway. In this particular situation the whole family agreed to this. But obviously this was a great sacrifice to all of them. There are many examples. Sometimes it did hurt the family, especially the children. That could not be proper. Sometimes there is a conflict between the two divine calls, the mission and the family. Once Peter said to Jesus: " Look , we have left everything and followed you." Jesus answered: "Yes, and I tell you that anyone who leaves home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and for the gospel, will receive much more in this present age. He will receive a hundred times more houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields - and persecutions as well - and in the age to come he will receive eternal life." Mark 10: 28-29. The Gospel of today does not say we MUST say good bye to our dearest and we must give up our possessions, but we must be prepared and we must be willing to do so if the situation requires it. Can you follow a few more minutes? Jesus follows up this and says:" Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." These words refer to the tradition of having the one sentenced to death to carry their cross. Jesus carried his cross himself. The true disciple must be prepared for persecution and death. This is the case for many Christians different places in the world to day. It is said that it is one of the main handicaps of the church today that in it there are so many distant followers of Jesus and so few real disciples. Someone was talking to a great scholar about a young man and said that he knew this young man was his student. No, the scholar said, he used to attend my lectures but he never became one of my students. The death of Jesus himself deepened these words to his church. He loved the world so much that he died for all of us. He rose to a new life. To carry the cross and follow him means that we also are put to death with him. And we are raised with him to a new life. This is the case for all Christians. Listen to Paul in Romans 6:" For surely you know that when we are baptized into union with Christ Jesus, we are baptized into union with his death. By our baptism, then, we were buried with him and shared his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life." V.3-4 This is the case for all baptized members of the Christian church, for all Christians. Baptism and the follow up Christian life is in unity with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The letter to the Galatians reads; "I have been put to death with Christ on his cross, so that it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. This life that I live now, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me." Gal 2:19-20. I must draw the line here. Finally I want you to lift your eyes and look for the promise. Jesus told a parable and said:" The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man happened to find a treasure hidden in the field. He covers it up again, and is so happy that he goes and sells everything he has, and then goes back and buys that field." Matt 13:44 Amen.
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The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church · 924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 · (612)874-0716 |