Sunday, September 7, 2025

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 1
Philemon 1-21
Luke 14:25-33

Therefore choose life, that you may live...

We always stop at the Texas Welcome Center in Texarkana when we drive home in that direction from out of state. It usually works out to be a good time to take break, and it is a bit of a joke for Texans to celebrate reentering our home (even though we still had four hundred and fifty miles to go.) The rest area has a cool statue of Texas for photo ops, and the center is filled with information about Texas. I always get the updated travel book and map so that it is available for our guests when they come. It is a stop we look forward to during every road trip.

Unfortunately, there is road construction in that area right now, and we missed the sign that told us that we had to get off early and follow the frontage road to the rest area. We aren’t the only ones that miss it; the parking lot was surprisingly empty. When I complained to the girls at the information desk, they assured me that it is a common complaint and that they are trying to get the state and city to make the signage better so that it will be easier for visitors to find them.

This was not the only time we got “lost”. Wrong turns are common when driving through unknown territory, especially when the traffic is heavy or the signs are confusing. The GPS can help, but it is difficult to pay attention to the phone and the traffic and decide which lane is the best option. None of our mistakes were horrible, but I have to admit that I’ve made some scary wrong turns in my life. I have experienced wrong turns that ended on dead end streets in bad neighborhoods. Some wrong turns have added miles to a trip and taken extra time. Of course, sometimes wrong turns can lead to fun adventures, too. Some of the best views are found on the less traveled road.

My daughter never liked when I got lost. She always got nervous if I made a wrong turn. Wrong turns can get a person in trouble, like a time I was driving around New Jersey, trying to find a business. I came to a crossroad that I thought would lead me to the place. I was in the left-hand-turning lane and when I got the green arrow, I began the turn. A drunk driver ran his red light and smashed into my car. I was not injured but I believe that my seat belt saved my life that night. That wrong turn could have meant the difference between life and death.

In today’s Old Testament lesson, two ways lie before the people of Israel, and before us. We are given the choice between life or death, good or evil. Many of our choices have no real consequences. It doesn’t matter if we have hamburgers or spaghetti for dinner or what I wear today. It does matter how we live our life. It does matter if we believe in God or in ourselves. It does matter if we obey the commandments of God or if we decide to walk in His ways. These choices mean the difference between good and evil, between life and death.

Paul gave Philemon a choice. Like my GPS, Paul has a direction he’d like Philemon to go, but it is still a choice that Philemon has to make.

Paul’s letter is a brief snippet of a much larger story. We do not know the beginning or the end. As we read this text, many questions come to mind. We know a little bit about the characters, the time and place where this story is set. Paul is the writer, a passionate Christian who has not only taken God’s word to the world but has suffered for its sake. He is a prisoner, though we do not know from which imprisonment he was writing. We know that Timothy is a friend and co-worker in Christ, a ‘son’ of Paul not in the biological sense, but because Paul was the one who instructed him in the Christian faith. We know that Philemon is a man from Colossae of some means, since he had at least one slave. We also know that he was a Christian. We know that Onesimus was a slave from Colossae who became a Christian under the instruction of Paul.

We do not know how Onesimus became a slave or why he ran away. We do not know how he became friends with Paul. We also do not know what happened to these characters after Paul sent his letter. Did Paul have any impact on the relationship between Onesimus and Philemon? Were they reconciled? Did Onesimus suffer the consequences of his infraction against Philemon? Did Philemon have mercy and receive the slave as a brother in Christ? Did Paul ever see them again?

Paul’s concern was not just for his new friend and brother Onesimus. He was concerned about Philemon. There is a question of a financial matter involved in this story. Was Onesimus purchased or did he owe Philemon a debt which forced him into slavery? Did Onesimus steal from Philemon when he escaped? Paul was so concerned for the welfare of both these men that he was willing to repay the cost to restore the relationship. That is what this story is all about; the details of the lives of the men do not matter as much as Paul’s lesson about the purpose of Christian faith.

The purpose of Christian faith is restoration and forgiveness. Philemon knew the power of God’s forgiveness in his own life because he’d become a Christian. He knew the transforming power of the call of God in the lives of those who believe. Onesimus also learned about the forgiveness that comes from faith through the teaching and concern of his new friend Paul. Onesimus, though still a slave, was something new, he was a brother in Christ to all those who believed in Jesus. He was transformed and willing to serve. Did his good graces extend even to the one who had held him as a slave, and did he return with courage and hope to the place where he belonged?

Along with forgiveness, we see a lesson is living our vocation in and through the faith we have been given. Philemon was master, Onesimus a slave. In Christ the roles of life do not change but the way we deal with one another does. In our churches there are often people who are CEOs of a company worshiping next to employees. That relationship reaches beyond the church door as the CEO is expected to treat the employee with Christian love and respect even in the workplace and vice versa, neither one taking advantage of their position in the church or in the world to set themselves ahead or above the other.

God puts us in a time and place and in relationships to accomplish His good and perfect work. He needs people who are masters and slaves, CEOs and employees, and He calls each one of us to live our Christian faith together not only within the walls of the church, but in our little corner of the world so that others might see how God’s grace is transformative. We don’t know the full story of Philemon and Onesimus, but we see in Paul’s letter the purpose of the church: restoration of relationships for the sake of God’s Kingdom. Those two brothers in Christ were called forgive one another so that they could work together in Colossae with grace to help the church grow in truth and in spirit.

Our drought is far from over, but we have been blessed with more rain this summer than usual. Much of the state is recovering, while a small area is still dry. It is greener than normal for this time of year and there is the promise of more rain to come. I watched a video this morning a man took with a drone of a lake north of us that went from half empty to nearly full in a matter of one storm. Waterfalls that disappear during times of drought are flowing. Though some of the other lakes are still quite dry, you can see how even a little water can make a difference.

This is not unusual for Texas. We only have one natural lake, and that is in the east. The other lakes are reservoirs created by dams on the rivers. It has been so dry that many of those rivers, and the creeks that fill them, have been dry. After years of drought, it is hard to even see that there are creeks in the landscape. There are many of these dry creek beds around the state. When I first moved here, I didn’t even realize they were creek beds because there had never been any water, and yet when it does rain they fill to the brim and flow like rivers. One thing I’ve learned, though, is that those dry creek beds are recognizable by the trees that line them even during the dry times. Those lines of trees often seem out of place, seeming to follow an imaginary creek. They grew there because of the water that occasionally flows in our semi-arid environment. We don’t see it, but those creeks continue to flow underground even when the surface creeks are dry. Those trees have water we don’t see.

The psalmist wrote that the man who lives by God’s Word is like a tree planted by the streams of water. This is not simply a matter of living a life that is righteous according to the Law but is about living in a relationship with God. God does not come to us because we are righteous, but we are made righteous by His presence. We are given all the faith and grace we need; dwelling with those gifts will keep us on the paths which God has designed for us. Dwelling in those gifts means avoiding the things that will bring harm upon us, our neighbors, and the world. Dwelling in God’s grace means that we won’t walk in the counsel of the wicked because we have His council by which to walk. Dwelling in God’s faith means not conforming to the ways of the sinners because we are being transformed by His love. Dwelling in God’s presence means that we will meditate on His Word, day and night.

Does this mean we are to reject the world and become hermits with only the Bible to keep us occupied? No, we are called to take God with us wherever we go. This means keeping His Word in our hearts and in our minds. It means taking time daily for prayer and study, for renewing ourselves by drinking in the waters of life. All too often we think that we are strong enough, faithful enough, knowledgeable enough to live on what is already a part of our lives. We may have read the bible a dozen times, so why do we need to read it again? We go to church and hear a few passages read and expounded, why do we need to read it ourselves every day?

The problem with living in a semi-arid environment is not just that our lawns are not green and our flowers die. Unfortunately, the growth in Texas means there is less water for everyone. When those lakes are empty, the farmers don’t have enough water to grow food. Our water source is disappearing, so we are forced to ration. We still need to use water, but the aquifer where we get most of our water is not being refilled as fast as we are using it. Thankfully, recent rains have helped, but there is still a long way to go.

Have you ever experienced a spiritual drought? Have you had times when you just didn’t feel the living water fill you? Sadly, there are churches where the Word of God is not proclaimed and the people seem to be following that wrong path. The choices they make may not have earthly life or death consequences, but they do affect the eternity of those who listen. They’ve lost touch with the God of the Bible. A friend once told me about a conversation that he had with a person who attended a different church. He questioned the friend about decisions they were making and how they stood in light of the scriptures. “Oh,” his friend said, “The Bible has changed.” While the Bible is a living document that we must interpret to understand, we are reminded that God is the same today, tomorrow, and always. His Word does not change, even as we might hear it in new ways. God has a path He has designed for us to travel, but like me and the GPS, sometimes we decide to go our own way.

I read a lot of commentaries as I prepare the lessons for my classes. It is interesting, however, to note how often the commentaries do not agree. Even trained theologians see the scriptures from different points of view. I follow a gifted teacher, and he’s constantly upbraided by commenters on his posts about how wrong he is about his lesson for that day. Too many people will pick and choose what they want the Word to say instead of seeking what God means. I once attended a “bible study” that never opened a bible. We read books about issues than discussed them from every point of view but God’s. It is no wonder many Christians are living in a spiritual drought.

While it is good to follow good teachers and to read commentaries to better understand, we need to keep reading the scriptures daily on our own, to hear God speak to us through His Word, to pay attention to what the Bible says. We need to do this with prayer, not trusting in the writings of human begins, but trusting God to dwell in our hearts and our lives through the Holy Spirit, filling us with His Word so we’ll follow the right path.

I didn’t write for two weeks while we were on vacation, but I continued my daily devotions and even began working on my next study. I knew that if I set it aside for even a few days, I’d lose touch. This may seem impossible, but it is much easier to atrophy than we expect. For the past few years I have tried to build muscle while I worked to get healthier, and even a few days of riding in a car made my muscles week. Even a few days without God’s Word makes it easier for the world’s ways to creep into our minds.

We need to drink water daily to live; the same is true of the scriptures. After a time without renewal and study we lose sight of what matters, the lines between the wicked and the righteous blur. We lose touch with God. When we live without regular study and reading of the scriptures, we are like the tree that is planted in the dry field far from the source of life. God intends for us to be like the tree that dwells by the streams, drinking in His Word daily for life. We can choose to be satisfied with what we know of the scriptures, but then we will risk losing touch with the God who speaks to us daily when we are willing to listen. When our spiritual muscles atrophy, we are more likely to follow the wrong path.

God has a plan for our life, like Philemon and Onesimus. We might not always like what He is calling us to do. No one wants to be a slave, yet even a lowly position at a company can serve God’s purpose in ways we do not understand. Paul wrote to Philemon to encourage him to receive Onesimus as a brother, to grant him forgiveness, and to be reconciled to him in Christian love. It went against everything he understood about business and society, but for him it was the cost of discipleship. To be a follower of Jesus means more than just words or good deeds. It means more than giving up the easy things like immoral behavior. It means hating your very life, turning your back on everything for the sake of Christ. It went against everything he knew about business and society, but for him it was the cost of discipleship.

Jesus not only asks us to follow Him, but He demands that those who want to be His disciples “hate” everything else. Most of those who were in the large crowds that followed Jesus believed in Him, at least to a point. They believed that He could do great things and that He was a charismatic and credible speaker. He had authority they had never seen in any man.

They followed Him until He told them what it meant to be a disciple. His words were too harsh. Discipleship meant putting Him first. The people in the crowds had not given themselves fully to Jesus. They could leave at any moment, to go home to care for the needs of home and family. They believed but had not committed themselves to Him. It is a very hard thing that Jesus asks. It is hard to give up everything, to turn our backs on everyone we love. I can’t imagine giving up the wonderful life I have been living. It is an impossible request from Jesus.

And yet, does the servant who stays with the master want for anything? No, the master’s servant had everything he needed: a home, food, work, clothes, family and friends. This is what Paul was encouraging Philemon to do: to treat Onesimus as one of his own. That’s what Jesus does for us. He does not call us to live life with nothing. He does not tell us to become penniless wanderers. He asks us to give up our very lives for His sake to be more than just followers. He calls us to pick up our cross and follow Him.

It might not see like a very good path to follow. For two thousand years people have picked up a cross to follow a path that led to martyrdom. Even today people suffer for the sake of Christ, losing jobs because they refuse to give in to the expectations of the world or losing family and friends that do not understand their faith.

Our choices have consequences, and though we will not suffer the wrath of God for poor decisions, we will suffer the consequences of a life poorly lived. We will also miss out on the blessings of grace if we turn our back on the One from whom true life comes. God, in His love and mercy, calls us to put Him first. Following Jesus comes at a great cost, but God already paid a greater cost. Jesus made the greatest sacrifice so that we could follow Him. He paid the debt to set us free. In that freedom we are called to willingly serve Him, to turn our hearts away from the world to become His disciples. As disciples we truly know what it means to be blessed, even if we suffer the wrath of the world. Our sacrifice will last but a season, but we will one day know the blessing of dwelling with Him forever.

We are shocked by Jesus’ comment in today’s Gospel lesson. He said, “If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.” The word “disregard” in World English Bible is often translated “hate.” It seems like Jesus contradicts himself since He talks about honoring mother and father, loving our neighbors and enemies. How can we both honor and love them but also hate them? In this passage, Jesus tells us to consider the cost of following Him.

The word “hate” is defined in Webster’s as “intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury, extreme dislike or antipathy, loathing.” If it is used as a verb, it means, “to feel extreme enmity toward, have a strong aversion to, find very distasteful.” Imagine the shock Jesus must have provoked with His comments in today’s lesson. Are we really to hate our mother and father?

“Hate,” as it was understood in ancient Israel, had to do with priorities. To hate something meant to turn your back on it, to separate yourself from it. Jacob loved Rachel but hated Leah. Obviously, he did not feel a strong aversion to her since they created several children together. This passage simply means that Jacob put Rachel first, turning his back on Leah for Rachel’s sake. When Jesus calls us to hate our mothers and fathers, our wives and our children, our friends and neighbors and enemies, He is not telling us to abandon them or treat them as if they don’t exist. He is simply calling us to put Him first, setting aside everything and everybody else for His sake. It is a matter of priorities, placing God ahead of everything else, including ourselves. It is a heavy cost and never easy, but it is the life to which each disciple is called.

Jesus told them two parables: one about a builder and the other about a warrior king. He asked what would happen if they did not count the cost of their projects. The builder would be seen as a fool when his foundation lay undeveloped, the king would be routed by the enemy. The builder and the king had to count the cost so that they knew if they could succeed. The cost of discipleship is great. It means giving up everything for the sake of Christ. Jesus wanted the crowds to consider whether or not they wanted to be followers or disciples. It is much harder to be a disciple. “So therefore, whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.”

I wonder if it is possible to truly become this kind of disciple, though there are some throughout history that seem to have come close. I can’t imagine giving up everything I own and everyone I love or to turn my back completely on the society in which I live, to follow Jesus wherever He might lead. I praise God for the incredible blessings I have in my family, my home, my work in this world. Perhaps this is an impossible request from Jesus. Yet, this is the demand of discipleship, and by God’s grace we can fully commit to Him.

The crosses we must bear have nothing to do with the suffering we experience in this imperfect world. Jesus gives us a choice but calls us to willingly give up the freedom we think we have and take up a life following His direction, even if it means the loss of everything we love in this world. We will find, in the end, that by hating the world and turning to Him, that we will have so much more love to give to the world through Him. It is, perhaps, the most difficult choice we will ever have to make, but being a disciple will reap the greatest benefits in this life and the next.