As a casual fan, I love watching basketball this time of year. It’s a wild ride to the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, and championship game. In the end, only one team claims the title, and the fans of that team will be proud and happy! Then it’s over until next year.
But what does it mean to be part of the winning team? Being on the team means hard work, self-denial, and sacrifice. It means working together, relying on one another, and being willing to step up or assist so the team can win. It means taking direction from a coach and going into hostile arenas that taunt and attempt to undermine confidence and skill. But in the end, it’s the team’s win. It is their name on the trophy, etched into history. And in their stories and memories, they will have more than what fans have—they will have a share of the victory!
In today’s reading of Luke 14:25-35, Jesus tells the crowd what it looks like to be a disciple, not just a fan waiting for the next sermon or miracle. He’s not pulling any punches in telling them what they’ll face, what they will have to be willing to give up, and what the world will throw at them as a result. In doing so, he is reminding the crowd there can be only one God in our lives, only one “most important” element of our existence.
Earlier in Luke, Jesus confirms that the greatest commandment is to love God with our whole being (Luke 10:27). Jesus is calling us off the bleachers to get into the game, and he wants us to know what it means to be on his team. He’s reminding us that God’s kingdom is where our true allegiance should be, not to anyone or anything else. As his disciples, we will be faced with choices to go with what is comfortable, familiar, and worldly secure … or choose to remain loyal to God and follow the example of Jesus. He is telling us to trust him. We are not called to add God into our ideas about what a “good life” means, but to trust him fully.
We can’t hold onto our own ways and grab onto God’s ways too. The life God has for us is better than what we hold onto and trust in this life. The things of this world can’t give us a rich, satisfying, and eternal life. We have to be willing to give up hate, pride, prestige, always being right, people-pleasing, manipulating, controlling others, revenge, greed, and positions of being served. When we trust God’s abundance fully, we receive the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
And even when we say we’re willing on one day, we are prone to let other distractions whittle away our allegiance to Christ. If someone who follows Jesus is not living a life that reflects their relationship with God, can they be used for him? The salt of living for ourselves will lose its flavor and the process can be so gradual we may not even notice it at first. But eventually, we are left with a worthless substance that’s only fit for discarding. The salt God creates in us, however, never loses its essence and utility.
So, as we watch the games, eat our salty snacks, and listen to the roaring crowds, let’s remember Jesus is inviting us to be part of his team and his kingdom. “Those who have ears to hear, let them hear” (Matthew 11:15).
Reflection:
- What does it look like to love God with your whole being?
- What allegiances do you have that might keep you from giving your all to God?
- What commitments do you honor that fulfill God’s will?