Tuesday after Reminiscere Sunday
Posted on March 10, 2020 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 14:25-35 (NKJV)
14:25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me land does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—29 lest, after he has laid the 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 to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Devotion
Satan often tempts us to think that we are reasonable. He wants us to believe that we can have it all figured out. But one important aspect of our Lord’s preaching in this reading is that all of our reasoning and all of our accounting have to be subject to God’s will—not ours—if we are to be disciples of Christ Jesus.
A teacher who tells us to love others, even our enemies, but also says we must hate our family is offensive to our reason. A teacher who tells us to bear our crosses, but also teaches us to be mindful about the mockery of others seems confusing and inconsistent. And the idea of salt losing flavor and needing to be re-seasoned sounds like foolishness to some people.
But to have “ears to hear” means one has the Spirit of God and faith to submit to His will. A disciple of Christ does not place his own reason or reckoning above the Word of God.
In spite of Satan’s prideful teaching, faith from the Lord makes us understand how hate and love, suffering and honor, diplomacy and salt all can make sense according to context and perspective when one faithfully submits to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer: O God, who seest that of ourselves we have no strength, keep us both outwardly and inwardly that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
