Pentecost 16: The Believer Hears Jesus’ Warning–Count the Cost of Discipleship

For the past three Sundays, we have seen that the narrow path to heaven is marked by division and humility. Yet another warning is heard this week: the life of faith may come at great personal expense. Counting the cost of discipleship leads to true wisdom.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!

VERSE OF THE DAY

Alleluia. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Alleluia. (Philippians 4:4 RSV)

or

Alleluia. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia. (John 6:68)

THE GOSPEL: LUKE 14:25-33

Jesus warns all those who would come after him to count the cost of discipleship. Jesus’ statement may seem hyperbolic to those who have been blessed with doctrinal unity within the family. But the weight of each one’s cross is different. Those whose families have been ripped apart by religious differences know how heavy our Savior’s cross can be. Know this; know well; know now what it takes to follow our Savior. The life of faith is certainly not for the faint of heart. Remember, however, whom we follow. We follow a Savior who carried the cross for us and for our salvation. Remembering his love leads us to follow him at any cost.

The Lumo Project — The Cost of Discipleship

Among its key target are the students. viagra 100mg mastercard There can be several reasons behind that can cause such worries are numerous, from erectile dysfunction to easily curable STDs but still, whatever the problem, finding the courage to visit your doctor before taking the drug. viagra mg Now, the patients can buy kamagra without consulting with the physician or expert. canada tadalafil Improper food combinations such as proteins, starches, and sugars together may also cause a lot online viagra without prescription of gas and heartburn.

Visual Exegesis by Christopher Powers

FIRST LESSON: PROVERBS 9:8-12

A righteous man may be mocked by society. But “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” The heart of faith desires to grow ever more rooted in the Word of Lord and Savior, regardless of worldly wisdom and its self-destructive priorities. The righteous will live eternally while the mockers suffer eternal death. Wisdom knows both the cost of discipleship and the value of God’s promised rewards.

Visual Exegesis by Christopher Powers

Artist Commentary: Visual Exegesis

Many of you probably recognize this, but today’s picture is built on Plato’s famous “analogy of the cave”. Briefly, the analogy presents a cave in which people sit facing the back wall. The bright light of the sun streams in behind them, but they have never turned around and so they believe that all there is to reality are the shadows that the light casts on the wall before them. They see shadows of themselves, of people walking back and forth, of trees, etc. etc. But to them, reality is the cave and the shadows.

Now, in this cave people study the shadows, measure the shadows, make interesting observations and theories about the shadows, and even perceive truly beautiful things about them. However, they cannot make any meaningful progress because they are only ever in a cave and only ever working with shadows…The task of the philosopher, Plato would say, is to come alive to the world outside the cave. The philosopher must turn around, as it were, and leave the cave and go out into the Sun. There they see the true things, the real and permanent things, in relation to which all that the cave dwellers thought of as real were only the shadows.

Well—to appropriate Plato’s analogy—in Proverbs 9:10, we are told that the only way to “turn around” and leave the cave is the fear of YHWH (ie, right recognition of who he is coupled with right response to the recognition), and knowledge of the Holy One (which, rightly understood, is synonymous with the fear of the Lord). Until the human soul has come to know the character and nature of the Only True God—and therefore to know itself in light of him—there can be no true, meaningful wisdom. Oh, there can be wonderful and true insights….insights that consider closely the shadows of the world, wise thoughts about the inner workings of the cave and of our place in it, to be sure….but all thinking, all philosophizing, all study and insight carried out apart from a knowledge of YHWH (I do not say “God,” but YHWH, the personal God of scripture)—all these things carried out apart from a recognition of YHWH as the one from whom, through whom and to whom all things exist will amount to nothing more than musings in the cave.

How does one leave the cave? Proverbs is clear….the fear of YHWH, the knowledge of the Holy One. In other words, until we come to know the person for whom and through whom and to whom and in whom and by whom all of reality exists….we will be unable to truly advance in wisdom and understanding.

And how do we know Him? How do we cave-bound men and women know YHWH? We know Him not because we—by our wisdom—have ascended to Him, but because He—in His Wisdom—has descended to us. He has entered our cave…..the Sun itself—the entire outside world, as it were—has clothed itself in flesh and come to radiate its fullness into our subterranean ignorance through the life of the man Jesus of Nazareth. And He enters not as a King or Philosopher or Ruler, but as a Servant who pours Himself out…..and who—in that life-giving—reveals Himself to be the Wisdom, the Power, the Glory, the Exegesis of YHWH God.
Wisdom and insight are more than just knowledge, they entail an understanding of reality and an application of that understanding to reality. Therefore, we cannot really be said to have begun in these things until we know the character, the nature, the identity, of the PERSON upon whom reality is built and for whom it exists…..and we cannot know this person unless we know Him in the man, Jesus of Nazareth, who dies under His enemies’ hell on the cross and yet rises again, bearing the fruit of fellowship within the heart of God Himself for all of those enemies who will recognize and receive Him. This—He—is the pattern upon which all that is not God is based and toward whom all that is not God points.

It is only when we, by the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit, rightly know and so rightly fear YHWH here, in the man who is crucified and rises again, that we “turn” from the cave wall and see the True Form, the Beloved One from whom all the beautiful forms of thought and shadow within our cave have come, of whom they speak, and in whom they find their appointed consummation.

Christopher Powers

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

What do you think of this artwork and the visual exegesis provided by Christopher Powers? Is there anything you would add to the discussion?

SECOND LESSON: PHILEMON 1:1,10-21

Philemon had every societal right to demand the return of his slave, Onesimus. Yet Paul, who had already lost everything for the sake of Christ, asks Philemon to live his faith and receive Onesimus in a different way. At great personal sacrifice and financial loss to Philemon, Onesimus was to be received as a brother in Christ. Only a man who feared the Lord could see the wisdom in bearing this cost of discipleship. Yet Paul was confident not only of Philemon’s obedience but of his even greater acts of devotion.

God opens eyes and brings freedom.

The Bible Project Poster

SUPPLEMENTAL FIRST LESSON: GENESIS 12:1-8

Leaving his homeland behind, Abram believed the Lord’s promise and moved a second time to the Promised Land of Canaan. Abram left safety, home, and even family behind to take possession of his inheritance. There he lived in communion with his Lord and heard the Lord’s promises again and again. So great is our Promised Land that we will willingly carry our crosses and bear any cost to follow Jesus into eternity.

Visual Exegesis by József Molnár

SUPPLEMENTAL SECOND LESSON: PHILIPPIANS 3:4B-11

When Paul lists his qualifications as a son of Israel, many might have thought it was too much to leave behind and follow the Way. Paul, however, views everything differently in Christ.

The NIV uses the polite term of “rubbish” to reflect Paul’s analysis of his former way of life and earthly possessions. A closer look at the Greek reveals just how little value Paul placed on such things in comparison to the “surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus *as his+ Lord.”

Chasing after worldly gain will only result in the loss of the soul. Rather, with faith firmly rooted in him, follow Jesus and share in his sufferings. Suffering for his sake will miraculously result in a share of his resurrection and eternal inheritance. Paul counted the cost of discipleship and God gave him both the fear of the Lord and true wisdom.

Visual Exegesis by Christopher Powers

The Worst Person Ever: A Powerful Modern Illustration

David Zahl from the website Mockingbird provides an incredible modern illustration of what Paul is talking about here as he describes “the worst person ever.” Tullian Tchvidvian also comments on this “worst person ever” and provides commentary on Philippians 3.

HYMN OF THE DAY

437, I Trust, O Christ, in You Alone

464, Jesus Christ, My Pride and Glory

PSALM OF THE DAY: Psalm 19

Psalm 19: Introductory Commentary

Most of the psalms surrounding Psalm 19 are prayers for deliverance or thanksgiving for deliverance. Psalm 19 is an interlude of praise that momentarily sets aside David’s concern with his enemies and directs our attention to the glory of God. The Lord deserves our praise, not only for delivering us from enemies but simply because of the majesty and glory that are his by his very nature. This glory is revealed by creation, by God’s Word, and by his power in the believer’s life.

Brug, J. F. (1989). Psalms 1–72 (2nd ed., p. 96). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.

Visual Exegesis by Christopher Powers

The word of Creation and the word of Scripture point to, are illuminated by, and are summed up in the Word Incarnate.

Christopher Powers

Songs with Psalm 19 Themes

Creation Sings the Father’s Song by Stuart Townend and the Gettys

All Creatures of Our God and King by Francis of Assisi performed by All Sons and Daughters

Questions to Consider

(Please share your answers/thoughts in the comments below)

1. What is God saying to me in these lessons?
2. For what do these lessons lead me to give thanks?
3. What sins do these lessons lead me to confess?
4. For what do these lessons lead me to pray?
5. What is the connecting thought that sticks out the most in these lessons? What major theme(s) connect(s) all the lessons?
6. Which piece of artwork did you find to be most beneficial? Why?