"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, 2 September 2016 with Scripture: Luke 14:25-33

"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Friday, 2 September 2016
with Scripture: Luke 14:25-33
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Luke 14:25 Large crowds were traveling along with Yeshua. Turning, he said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, his mother, his wife, his children, his brothers and his sisters, yes, and his own life besides, he cannot be my talmid. 27 Whoever does not carry his own execution-stake and come after me cannot be my talmid.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Don’t you sit down and estimate the cost, to see if you have enough capital to complete it? 29 If you don’t, then when you have laid the foundation but can’t finish, all the onlookers start making fun of you 30 and say, ‘This is the man who began to build, but couldn’t finish!’
31 “Or again, suppose one king is going out to wage war with another king. Doesn’t he first sit down and consider whether he, with his ten thousand troops, has enough strength to meet the other one, who is coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he hasn’t, then while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation to inquire about terms for peace.
33 “So every one of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has cannot be my talmid.[Complete Jewish Bible] 
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What has my faith actually cost me? This is a question I find myself asking today. I also think of a friend of mine who lives in the Congo in Africa. I think of his letters in which he has shared with me atrocious stories of rebel groups coming into his community and rounding up the Christians--executing the men, carting the children off to become soldier slaves and doing unspeakable acts to the young women. When Christ asks us to wager the cost of discipleship, I admit that I struggle to fully understand what that cost will actually look like. However, this text must not be viewed as a scale to measure one culture against another. No matter who we are or where we live, we must all ask ourselves, "Am I living for God, or am I living for something or someone else?" This is something for each of us to ponder and pray over.
God of life, help us to reflect on the cost of forgiveness. We pray and give thanks that your son sacrificed the greatest cost on behalf of all our lives. Today we give thanks for those who have sacrificed on behalf of others—may they always be remembered. Amen.
Craig Wexler, '10

Pastor, Lutheran Memorial Church, Pierre, SD 
Luke 14:25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them,
26 "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.
27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?
29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him,
30 saying, "This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace.
33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.[New Revised Standard Version]
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