As hurricane Dorian crawls her way up the Eastern Seaboard I am reminded that life along the coast is not without its challenges, but despite the threat of death and total destruction of house and home, life along the coast can be quite enjoyable. There is something about the feel of the sun on your skin and the sand under your feet and the sound of waves crashing upon the shore and the smell of salt air that sooths your soul. It is hard to get your boxers in a bunch when you are at the beach. When you are at the beach it feels as if the surf has the ability to carry your worries and anxieties away. One of the most peaceful times in my life was when I was standing waste deep in the ocean with a string of fish tied to my waste and a cast net in my hands and the sun setting on the horizon painted the sky with all sorts of shades of red…. That is until my son, Aidan caught a shark while standing 10 feet away from me, things got real un-peaceful real fast … but that’s another story for another time.
Shark attacks aside, ask Jimmy Buffet and he will tell you, beach life is a worry free, tranquil, mellow existence. They have a phrase to describe people who have embraced this lifestyle. They say such people are living the salt life. For those whose lives are full of cares and concerns, living the salt life is very enticing. I know that it has enticed many of you. I have seen your Facebook posts from the beach with you wearing your wide brim hats, flip flops, and holding a refreshment in your hands. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that some of you have a Salt Life bumper sticker or t-shirt.
It occurred to me that this is how some people view the life of a Christian. There are people who think life as a Christian is a salt life, that is a worry free, tranquil, mellow existence. We talked about this a little bit in bible study last week. I said one of the devil’s more devious deceptions is to convince people that once they become a Christian their lives will instantly get better and all their cares and concerns will simply be swept away. Well, those of us who have been Christian for longer than a minute know that simply isn’t the case. In some ways, life as a Christian is full of more cares and concerns than life as an unbeliever. I think the devil just tells people this so that when a spiritual hurricane comes into their life they are disillusioned with Christianity and return to their former way of living.
In Matthew 5:13 Jesus tells us we “are the salt of the earth.” To live life as a Christian is to live the salt life, but that does not mean that life as a Christian is comparable to a day at the beach. Today, in our gospel lesson from Luke 14:25-35, Jesus is going to clear up some misconception about what that really means to live the Salt Life.
In verse 25 Luke tells us “large crowds were traveling with Jesus.” In the previous chapter we learn that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem for a very specific reason. He is on His way to make the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. However, Jesus is not the only one heading to Jerusalem at this time. The roads to Jerusalem were filled with faithful pilgrims who were on their way to celebrate the Passover. Many of them had heard about Jesus of Nazareth. They had heard how He taught as one who had authority. They had heard about the miracles He performed. They had begun to suspect that He might be the promised Messiah; the one who would restore the nation of Israel to her former glory and bring peace and prosperity to the people. (Do you see the devil’s devious deception at work here?) The idea of a better life, a worry free, tranquil, mellow existence was very enticing to many of the people in the large crowd that traveled with Jesus. Some of them were thinking of becoming His fulltime followers.
To them Jesus says, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” These words must have sounded as harsh to the ears of the crowds that traveled with Jesus as they do to ours. Frankly, that is as Jesus intended it. As you might suspect Jesus is not advocating that we treat our families with hostility. Matthew’s gospel makes it more clear to our ears what Jesus is saying by telling us Jesus said, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”[1] Here “hate” is a hyperbolic way of saying “love less”. Jesus is telling His would-be followers that they must everyone, even themselves, less than they love Jesus.
Jesus knows that the devil often uses those who are closest to us to lead us astray. It is amazing how clear the Ten Commandments are until someone we love is guilty of breaking one of them. Suddenly the broken commandment becomes less clear as excuses are made, and exceptions are sought. By telling His would-be followers that they must “hate”, Jesus is showing us the level of devotion a follower of Jesus must have. Whatever stands in the way of following Jesus is to be hated. Even if that means the thing standing in our way is a family member. We may love them for who they are; mother, father, brother sister, son or daughter, and yet hate them for what they are attempting to do; cause us to question Jesus and compromise our faith. Jesus gives us an example of how we can hate the people we love when He said to Peter, one of His best friends, “Get behind me, Satan!”[2]
Absolute devotion, such as Jesus requires of those who would follow Him, is not easy. That is why Jesus does not invite His would-be followers to pick up their parasols and follow Him, rather, He invites them/us to carry a cross. With these words Jesus gives an eerie foreshadowing of what awaits Him in Jerusalem. But even before a crown of thorns is placed on His head and nails pierce his hands and his feet the illustration is not lost on the would-be followers. They were familiar with the Roman use of crucifixion. They knew how the Roman’s sought to disgrace and humiliate people by forcing them to carry a cross through the streets as people mocked, ridiculed, and jeered them. The would-be followers of Jesus understood the illustration, a life spent following Jesus wouldn’t exactly be a day at the beach.
Instead of inviting the would-be followers to compare their lives to a day at the beach Jesus invites them to compare their lives to a laborer building a tower and a king fighting a war. Jesus says, “28 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’” Several years earlier (a.d. 27) a poorly built amphitheater had collapsed, with an estimated fifty thousand casualties. In a culture that prided itself on the ability to build magnificent structures, the shame associated with a poorly built structure were well-known to the would-be followers of Jesus.
Jesus compares our lives as Christians to a laborer building a tower. Meaning, the Christian’s whole life is to be a monument to God’s glory. By fearing, loving, and trusting in God above all things we lay a foundation for this monument. And with every neighbor that is loved by us as we have been loved by Christ, this monument to God’s glory grows higher and higher. But building such a structure is not easy. A fickle fear, conditional love, and wavering trust in God shake the very foundation of our tower. Every unpleasant thought, cruel word, and hateful action against our nieghbor cause the walls of our tower to crumble. It is not easy to love the Lord your God with all your heart and it is not easy to love your neighbor as yourself. That’s the point Jesus is making. Living the salt life, that is a life that gives glory to God, is not easy.
Jesus continues, “31 Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not 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.” Herod Antipas had recently lost a war with a neighboring Roman vassal, in a culture that prided itself on its military might, the humiliation associated with defeat was well known to the would-be followers of Jesus.
Jesus compares our lives as Christians to a king fighting a war. Except, as saint Paul reminds us, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”[3] These enemies are formidable, but perhaps the greatest enemy of all is the one that lives inside of us. I am referring of course to our sinful nature, the part of us that convinces us there is no reason to do the good we want to do and compels us to do the evil we do not want to do. Day after day we are engaged in a spiritual battle. And just when it seems we might be gaining ground we are overcome by a temptation and it seems as if the enemy might win the war. Being engaged in constant battle with the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh is not easy. That’s the point Jesus is making. Living the Salt Life, that is a life that resists temptation, is not easy.
Living the Salt Life is not easy, but it is essential to salvation. Jesus warns, “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.” Salt was a valued for its ability to preserve and season food; in fact, part of a soldier’s pay was given in salt. (The words salt and salary are related; hence, the saying, “He’s not worth his salt.”). However, salt at this time was not the pure salt that we are familiar with. It was possible for salt to lose its ability to either preserve or season food. When that happened, the substance was worthless. In the same way the would-be follower of Jesus who fails to glorify God and resist temptations is worthless. They deserve to be thrown out.
I could at this point say “Amen”. Everything I have told you is true. Living the salt life, that is being a follower of Jesus is not easy, in fact at times it seems unbearable, impossible even. Many people in the large crowd that traveled with Jesus to Jerusalem would determine that living the salt life was not for them and there are many people in our world today who have determined the same thing. As I said, at this point I could say amen, but Jesus doesn’t. Here in Luke 14:25-35 Jesus warns us that life as a Christian is not easy, but Luke’s gospel continues. It continues with the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin and the lost son; It continues with stories of how Jesus seeks after His followers who have lost their way. It continues with Jesus assurance that as long as one has faith the size of a mustard seed they will be able to follow Him. It continues all the way to Jerusalem where Jesus built a monument to God’s glory and won the war against the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. It continues to the vicinity of Bethany where with hands raised to bless His followers, Jesus ascends into heaven. Living the salt life, being a follower of Jesus is not easy, but when you see how Jesus guides us and where Jesus leads us, you realize the salt life is the only way to live. Now I think I will say, Amen.
[1] Matthew 10:37-38
[2] Matthew 16:23
[3] Ephesians 6:12