September 14, 2025 Written Sermon

Pastor John Eich

 Luke 14:25-35 

25 Large crowds were traveling with  Jesus. He turned and said to  them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and  does not hate his own father and  mother, wife and children, brothers  and sisters, yes, even his own life, he  cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever  does not carry his own cross and  follow me cannot be my  disciple. 28 For which of you, if he  wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has  enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not  able to finish, everyone who sees it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This  fellow began to build, but was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, as he goes out to  confront another king in war, will not first sit down and consider if he is able with  ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty  thousand? 32 And if he is not able, he sends out a delegation and asks for terms of  peace while his opponent is still far away. 33 So then, any one of you who does not  say farewell to all his own possessions cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good, but if  the salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again? 35 It is not fit for the soil  or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. The one who has ears to hear, let him  hear. 

Can you imagine Taylor Swift telling any would be fans that they have to  hate their families to be her followers? Can you imagine a sports figure  telling someone who wants an autographed jersey that it will bring them  resentment, hatred and persecution when they wear it? Can you imagine  any leader telling his followers that it will cost them everything and if  they don’t give up everything they will be thrown into prison?  

Those are the hurtful words of Jesus. 

Jesus is not trying to get rid of followers. He just wants them – and us – to know that the cost is high to be a disciple of Jesus. So we need to  consider: Is it worth it? 

Jesus’ first statement is alarming: If anyone comes to me and does  not hate his own father and mother, wife and children,  brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my  disciple. We actually heard Jesus make a related point three weeks ago. Is Jesus saying I must hate my family to be a Christian? No, that’s not  what he’s saying. But he is saying something not too far from it.  

“Hate” is a strong word in our language. When we hear the word, “hate,”  we are usually thinking of a deep, intense loathing. It doesn’t seem to fit  mesh with what the Bible says in the fourth, fifth, or sixth commandments. We’re supposed to love our parents, love our neighbors,  love our spouses. The Bible tells us that “Anyone who hates his  brother is a murderer.” So how can Jesus be telling us to hate? 

It’s interesting that neither the most common word for “love” in the  original Greek, nor the most common Greek word for “hate,” refer to an  emotion. To “love” someone means to act in his or her best interests  despite your feelings toward that person. Likewise, to hate someone  means to treat them a certain way despite your feelings for them. And in  this context, it means ranking them behind Jesus in order of importance  in our lives, no matter how strongly we feel about them. It means siding  with Jesus’ words or commands even when every fiber of our relationship  with someone screams not to. To be Jesus’ disciple, he has to come first,  even ahead of our families. Is it Worth it? 

Jesus continues, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and  follow me cannot be my disciple.” As shocking as the word “hate,” is  for us, the picture of carrying a cross would have been even more jolting  for the crowds following Jesus. The cross was the favorite tool of  intimidation and torture for the Romans. However, Jesus says that  following him means being ready to carry a cross. So why are we  surprised when we find out that Jesus was right? When being a Christian  makes our family conversations awkward, that’s the cost of following  Jesus. When someone makes fun of you for doing what Jesus wants,  that’s the cost of following Jesus. When you feel sad about your sins and  you can’t just do whatever you want, that’s the cost of following Jesus.  Following Jesus means you will give up things you want and have things  you don’t want. It means that we will have to deal with problems, issues  and hurts that non-disciples won’t have to deal with. It isn’t being easy  being a Christian. The devil, the world and our own sinful flesh war  against us. And the world will think we are fools for believing and living  as we do. And here’s the most challenging part… you don’t get to pick  your struggles. Jesus does. Is it Worth it? 

Jesus lays out these hard truths before the crowd because he wants them  to know in advance what being his disciple means. He wants them to  carefully calculate the cost. He wants this to be a deliberate decision  rather than impulsive, which is why he continues with his two  illustrations. “For which of you, if he wants to build a tower, does  not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has enough to  complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is  not able to finish, everyone who sees it will begin to ridicule  him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build, but was not able to  finish.’ Or what king, as he goes out to confront another king in  war, will not first sit down and consider if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with  twenty thousand? And if he is not able, he sends out a  delegation and asks for terms of peace while his opponent is  still far away.” 

It’s clear from Jesus’ words that being a disciple of Jesus is an all or  nothing proposition. There’s no straddling the fence – “I’ll follow Jesus  here, but I won’t give up that.” You have to make a choice, and keep  making that choice. This isn’t a one--and-you’re-done thing. It’s an  ongoing, day-by-day, moment-by-moment surrender to God. Jesus is telling us that we need to have our priorities in order. He needs to come  first.  

And so the question before us then is: Is it Worth it? 

On the surface, it may not seem like it. How can it be worth it to possibly  alienate ourselves from friends and family? How can we possibly leave  everything behind if it gets in the way of obeying everything Jesus  commands? How can we choose what we don’t want over what we want? By nature, we can’t. By nature, the cost isn’t worth it because by nature  we hate God. We see God as an angry judge who wants to punish us. No  one loves the judge who is handing them a death sentence. And if we had  stayed in that condition there’s no way that we’d see being a disciple of  Jesus as worth it. But something has changed. God worked that change  in your heart through the Holy Spirit. Through that gift of faith, we no  longer see God as an angry judge, but as our loving heavenly Father.  Through that gift of faith, He allows us to see the incredible value of put,  prioritizing him in our lives.  

When Jesus walked this earth, He did it as our perfect substitute. We fail  at times to put him first. We side with our family instead of him. We take  the path of least resistance instead of taking up our cross. At times we  treat the things of this world as more valuable than the things of heaven. But Jesus didn’t. He never wavered in his priorities. Even when it meant  turning his own mother away at the wedding at Cana, or calling one of his  disciples “satan,” or even allowing himself to be tortured and killed  rather than to backtrack on God’s word. He counted the cost for your  salvation and He gave it His all. And by grace through faith His  perfection becomes ours. Not as a license to not try, but as an assurance  of forgiveness when we fail. 

But not only should we consider what it costs to be a disciple of Jesus, we  should also consider the benefits. Like a stock market investment  discipleship brings great returns. But with no risk! We gain a life with  peace knowing that God is in control and works everything to be a  blessing. That even includes the crosses and troubles discipleship will bring. It’s a life penetrated throughout by love. Love for God, love for  others and love for ourselves that embraces us. There is hopefulness that  stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances. Discipleship  brings a power to say or do what is right even when it brings trouble.  

The question you have to ask yourself is this: Is it worth it? Is it worth  giving up abiding peace with God to have peace with people? Is it worth  sacrificing a life penetrated by limitless divine love to settle for earthly  love that is fickle and fades? Is it worth cutting yourself off from the faith  that trusts in God’s overarching plan for your good, in order to run your  life the way you want to? Is it worth giving up hope, and the power to do  what is right? Is it worth it to you to say “No” to God’s abundance, so you  can skimp by on your own meager resources? Is it worth losing an  eternity with God in order to sit with sinners? Because that’s what it costs  to not follow Jesus. 

When we say “yes” to following Jesus, when we surrender our will to his  will, something amazing happens. Bit by bit, we change. Each time we  keep saying “yes, Lord, I leave behind everything to follow you,” we are  re-formed, transformed, becoming more and more like Christ. We  experience abundant life, by God’s grace. And we discover that the cost of  following Jesus, something we thought we couldn’t possibly afford, is  worth it all. Because the price has already been paid out of God’s deep  love for us. When we give our all to Christ, we receive so much more! 

Here’s how I know. Jesus didn’t say, “Pick up your cross and head that  way. I’ll meet you in heaven.” No. He said, “Follow me.” If you’re  following Jesus, then you’re right behind him and he’s right with you.  When being a Christian is hard, Jesus is with you. You might not know  how he’ll take care of you, but you know he’s not far away. 

It’s about Christ and his kingdom taking first priority amidst everything  else in life. That’s important, friends: for the time will come for each one  of us when we will need to be clear about the path of faith we are taking  in this life; when our next steps forward will be as a witness to the life  that is real life. 

So let’s do a cost-benefit analysis. Is following Jesus worth the cost? It  will be hard. You’ll need to trust him. But both here on earth, and forever  in heaven, you’ll be happy you did. 

Count the cost – Jesus did.


Written Sermon 7/27/2025

 Written by Pastor John Eich

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Alma, MI

Luke 10:38-42 

38 As they went on their way, Jesus came into a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who was sitting at the Lord’s feet and was listening to his word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her serving. She came over and  said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to  serve alone? Tell her to help me.” 41 The Lord answered and told her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and  upset about many things, 42 but one thing is needed. In  fact, Mary has chosen that better part, which will not be  taken away from her.” 

To the holy and faithful in Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our  Father. (Colossians 1:2).  

One day a man named Dan took a walk through the park. Dan was a very  friendly extrovert. So it was no problem for him to stop to talk with a local  man named Bob. During the conversation, Dan asked Bob, “What do you do  for a living?” Bob replied matter of factly, “I’m a Christian.” Dan was puzzled  by the answer. He tried again, “I don’t think you understand me. What is  your job? What do you do to earn a living?” Bob said, “Oh. My job is to be a  Christian. I earn a living as a butcher. I just cut meat to pay the bills.”  

What is your business? What do you do for a living? It’s very easy to get so  caught up in your job, your career, your education, your family – that the  business of being a Christian is left to a few hours spent in church on Sunday  mornings. We are very busy people. Who of us here hasn’t used the busyness  of life as an excuse to not do the business of Jesus? 

Our text about Mary and Martha is a familiar one, and its lesson is very clear.  “Make time for the word of God, because God’s word is the one thing truly  needed in life.” Why share this lesson in a worship service? Presumably those  in attendance already know this lesson. So aren’t we just preaching to the  choir? 

And yet, “Martha, Martha” of today’s text also knew this lesson. Martha, like  her sister Mary and brother Lazarus, was a devout believer in Jesus. Martha  loved Jesus and recognized Him as her Lord and Savior. When Lazarus  unexpectedly died, Martha expressed trust in Jesus as her Savior and a  confident hope in the resurrection of the dead. 

Martha was not a bad person. Martha was a distracted person; distracted  from the word of God by dinner preparations. Her intentions were right. Her  priorities were wrong. She focused on what she was doing for Jesus instead  of what Jesus was doing for her. 

This story is ultimately about Jesus. 

This is why Jesus lovingly told her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried  and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed,” Luke  10:41-42. And this morning, the same Jesus says the same words to us: “Only  one thing is needed.” 

But do we really need such a reminder from Jesus? Without question. Like  Martha, we are Christians. Like Martha, we love Jesus and recognize Him as  our Savior. Like Martha, we welcome Jesus into our house. And on Sundays  we visit His house. Like Martha, we want to serve Jesus. But also like  Martha, we face daily distractions, worries, and pressures that threaten to  steal our attention and misplace our priorities regarding the word of God. 

“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be  made…” We instantly criticize her, don’t we? “Martha, how could you be  distracted from the word of God with Jesus Christ sitting in your living  room?” But isn’t Jesus Christ with us today in this room? Aren’t we often  distracted in church, and in much the same way Martha was distracted—by  all the preparations that had to be made?” Dinner preparations. Work  preparations. Even church preparations. 

Ironically, while sitting in these very pews, we can hear the Savior say, “but  only one thing needed,” and yet find ourselves thinking: “Yep, one thing.  Jesus is right. I only need one thing in my life. That reminds me, I have one  thing I need to pick up from Meijer on the way home from church. I have one  thing I need to complete at work. I have one thing I need to say to my  coworker at lunch. And by the way, is the thermostat working? Is that a fly on  the wall? Must be. It’s moving.” Distractions, imperceptibly leading us away  from “the one thing needed.” 

Or what of all the distractions and interruptions of our electronic age—phone  calls, text messages, emails, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Snapchat, Youtube,  Zoom; all the gadgets that ping, beep, and buzz day and night. Our modern,  insane way of life is filled with these electronic distractions. How can we  concentrate on anything?  

And perhaps the greatest distraction of all is worry. “Martha,  Martha,” said Jesus, “you are worried and upset about many  things.” The Greek word translated as “worried” in this verse literally  means ‘to have a divided mind;’ to be double-minded or to be of two minds  about something: indecisive, uncertain, unable to determine what to do or  where to turn, pulled in multiple directions. 

We must hear the Law, because Martha’s distraction is ours. Her anxiety is  ours. Her preoccupation with doing, fixing, arranging, and accomplishing—it  mirrors our lives in this fallen world. We fill our days with busyness and  burdens. We obsess over what needs to be done. And even our service—yes,  even our church work, hospitality, and vocations—can become distractions if  we place them above the Word of Jesus. 

We live in a Martha world. We are people addicted to motion. The Law  confronts us: when we neglect the Word of Christ for the work of our hands,  we risk losing the one thing needful. When we treat the Gospel as secondary  to our duties, even noble ones, we’ve flipped the script of the Gospel and the  order of faith and life. 

Martha is not condemned for serving. But she is gently rebuked for allowing  her service to obscure the Savior.  

Like Martha in our story, our sin distracts us pulling us to think of ourselves  and what we need to do instead of what Jesus does for us. I need to come up  with a solution. I need to be more faithful. I need to read the Bible more.

That is actually what we do when we ignore God's commands and desires for  our lives and live however we want. We ignore God's will and do whatever we  want, we are in effect telling God He doesn't know what is actually best for  us. We also tell God what to do when we decide how to worship Him or serve  Him. When we spend more time performing for God than receiving from  Him, we have reversed His plan.  

You see, Jesus came to reveal God's love, to love you God's way. He came to  pay the price to bind up our wounds. He came to restore us. Jesus came to  bear the sins of the whole world. To share that love with us, to get us to  realize how God wraps our minds and lives in that love, that is the one thing  needful.  

Jesus came to serve us with the love of God. He continues to serve us here.  Our Lord speaks and we listen. His Word bestows what it says – peace, faith,  forgiveness and life. Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the  gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise.  

That’s why Mary chose the right thing because she allowed Jesus to be  exactly who He came to be – the servant of all. She received from Jesus His  Word and His love. The Gospels are not written to teach us what people  should do for Jesus. There are very few stories of anyone doing anything to  benefit Jesus. Instead, the main story of the Bible is what God is doing for us.  The overarching story of God is how He serves those whom He loves. 

This is your story about what God has done for you. You are the one who is  loved by God in Jesus Christ. You are being served by God. You are one who  gets what God gives - life, salvation. This is our act of worship. This is how we  believe. This is how we trust. Faith and trust mean not trying to rely on  ourselves spiritually. Instead, we love and trust Jesus by repenting of our sins  and letting Him give us His gifts of love, forgiveness, and grace. 

In the place of your sin, He gave you His perfect love. That is His role in your  life. He is not in your life to be served so that you have to live up to certain expectations. Jesus came to give you rest from all that by serving by dying for  you and rising again. 

The rhythm of our worship is from Him to us, Him serving us and then from  us back to Him. He gives His gifts, and together we receive and exalt them.  We build one another up as we speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and  spiritual songs. Our Lord gives us His body to eat and His blood to drink.  Finally His blessing moves us out into our calling, where His gifts have their  fruition.  

There is a time to sit, and there is a time to serve—a time to rest, and a time  to work, just as Ecclesiastes says (3:1). But the order matters. Faith first, then  works. Grace first, then service. Receiving first, then giving. 

This is not a call to abandon our responsibilities; it’s a call to reorder them  around Christ. It’s a call to remember that when your to-do list is  overwhelming, when your life seems stretched thin, Jesus does not need your  work. He invites you to His Word and welcomes you to rest. For the Lord of  the Sabbath has said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,  and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am  gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is  easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). 

There are many things to occupy you. But there is only one thing that is  needful, necessary, and indispensable. That one thing is sitting at Jesus’ feet.  It is listening to him speak to you. It is setting aside everything else in your  life and making Jesus your priority. It is not working or vacationing or  carting your kids to their activities. It is resting in Jesus. It is not giving to  Jesus but being given to. It is not serving Jesus but being served by him. It is  gathering where two or three have come together in his name. 

He still speaks today—in His Word in your Bible, in the preaching of the  Gospel at the pulpit, and in the Sacraments. He speaks forgiveness, peace,  rest, and life. Sit at His feet. Listen. Be still, and know that He is God (Psalm  46:10); for this is the one thing needful. 

And then, when your heart is filled, rise and serve with joy. Be a Martha who  has first been a Mary. Serve in freedom. Work in the peace of knowing that  Christ has already served you with all you need for eternal life.  

Amen.