Prepare (This section is preparation for the leader, not content meant for the whole group.)
Luke 14:25–33 gives us two of Jesus’ hardest sayings: that anyone who doesn’t “hate” their family and life itself cannot follow him, and that disciples must give up all their possessions. These statements sound extreme, but some context helps.
At the start of the passage a large crowd is following Jesus. Crowds have been gathering around him since the very beginning of his ministry in Luke. Each time, Jesus makes it clear that following him is costly. Here, he uses deliberately shocking, hyperbolic language to force the crowd to consider what discipleship really requires.
In the first-century Jewish world, family responsibilities were foundational. To abandon or even appear to neglect them could bring severe social, physical, and material consequences. So when Jesus says his followers must “hate” even their own families, it would have landed even more harshly then than it does for us now. The word “hate” here doesn’t mean hostility but comparison—it points to the idea of loving something less than something else. Jesus is saying that following him requires placing him above everything else, even the most important commitments and possessions in life. That’s why, after offering two examples that show the importance of counting the cost—one about building a tower and one about a king preparing for war—Jesus concludes by saying that anyone who wants to follow him must be willing to give up all their possessions.
This passage reminds us that discipleship is not casual. It demands reordering our loves, loosening our grip on what we hold most dear, and choosing Christ first.
Opening Exercise
- In a pair or a group of three, tell of the best volunteer experience you have ever had and what made it the best?
Read Aloud
Discipleship, Time, and Loving Less
Today we celebrate God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday across the ELCA. Since it began in September 2013, this day has invited congregations to show the love and concern God’s people have for one another. Through acts of service—big and small—we explore one of our most basic Lutheran convictions: by God’s grace we are free to love and serve our neighbor. We don’t have to do that. We want to do it in response to the love and grace God has first given us.
But there’s a challenge to loving and serving—and it’s one many of us face every day: time. Many studies indicate that one of, if not the, biggest barrier to serving or volunteering is lack of time. And with little to no concrete data, but with a fair amount of certainty, I’d bet that lack of time is what keeps many teens from becoming more involved at church or in the youth group. Sports, school, band, dance, a job, and any number of other things are competing priorities that make it hard to serve or get engaged. It’s not that the things we do aren’t good or worthwhile. But, sometimes, what we love most prevents us from responding to the love God calls us to share.
This tension echoes Luke 14:25–33, where Jesus challenges the crowd with the cost of discipleship. He uses shocking language, saying that anyone who doesn’t “hate” their family and possessions cannot follow him. Yet, I don’t think “hate” here means hostility or contempt. Rather, I read it as loving something less than something else. Jesus is asking the crowd to consider: what do we love most? And are we willing to place him above all—even our family, our possessions, our time?
Like the crowds following Jesus, many of us want to do good in the world—but feel we don’t have the time. And yet, hidden in Jesus’ hard words is an invitation: an invitation to reorder our loves and to follow him—not alone, but alongside others. With the school year starting and schedules filling up, this is a moment to pause and reflect: what in our lives is getting more of our love and attention than God? How might we choose differently so that we can live into the service God calls us to?
God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday is a small reminder that discipleship is costly—but it is also a gift. The gift is not just the work we do for others, but the chance to follow Jesus together, letting our lives bear witness to God’s love in a world that desperately needs it.
Reflection Questions
- What sticks out to you most in the scripture passage we read and why?
- When Jesus says we have to “give up all our possessions,” what do you think he means? Do you hear that as literal, or pointing to something else?
- Why do you think Jesus talks about following him in such extreme ways? What does that show us about what discipleship means?
- If you were to love other things less and take discipleship more seriously in the year ahead, how would your life be different, if at all?
Closing Activity
- Have each person list how they spend their time during the week. Suggest checking their phone’s screen time for a reality check. Then ask: Is this how you want to spend your life? What’s missing? What would you take off?
- Come up with a list of service events you and your young people can do throughout the year.
Prayer
Gracious God, our hearts are pulled in many directions. We give our time and energy to so many things—some good, some not so good. And yet you call us first to follow you. Teach us to love what you love, and to serve as you serve, so that our lives show your grace at work in us. Forgive us when we chase after lesser things, and keep drawing us back by your mercy. Strengthen us to count the cost of discipleship, and to discover in it the joy of life with you. Amen.
Bio
Cogan Blackmon is a pastor who believes the church is at its best when it listens closely to the stories people carry. As Associate Pastor of Cross of Grace Lutheran Church in New Palestine, Indiana, and editor of Faith Lens, he explores the intersection of scripture, culture, and everyday life, sharing reflections that help readers see faith in fresh ways. Outside of ministry and editing, you’ll likely find him with a cup of coffee in hand, exploring local food and beverage venues with his family, or listening to folk and Americana music.
