My sister and brother-in-law live out on the plains east of Colorado Springs, CO.  Although they live quite a distance from Pike’s Peak, on most days they have a perfect view of it from their living room window.  They are so far from town that you can hear the wind blowing and for many years, they had more antelope for neighbors than people.  In fact the only homes for many miles were the ones on the road where they lived.

            More recently, suburbia has begun to encroach on their little neighborhood and the road to town is dotted with other small housing developments.  They have watched them develop from the first road graders, to the concrete trucks, the carpenters and the roofers.  They have driven by on their way to work to see moving vans arrive and gradually seen fences grow alongside grass and trees and flowers as the desert plains have seemed to come to life - except for one little housing development.

            On the way into town, there is one little housing development that hasn’t sprung to life.  As you pass by the road that leads into this housing development, the road is blocked by saw horses.  If you look past the saw horses, you see that although the housing development was started years ago, none of the houses was ever finished.  The various homes remain in various stages of construction.  This one is almost completed.  On another the tar paper that once covered the roof is torn and waves its black hand in the wind.  On another the Tyvek house wrap has partially come off and lays on the sandy ground.  Another stands with only the wooden frame – still exposed to the elements and occupied by a flock of birds.

            What happened?  Certainly the builders did not intend for their project to become an eyesore along the road.  Surely they did not start this project so that the houses could stand in a lonely, barren cluster surrounded by so much new and lively development.

What happened?  The story is that the builders ran out of money and could not finish.  Gossip says that the entire project is tied up in bankruptcy court and that the whole place is falling into decay waiting for lawyers and creditors to settle the accounts.

In this morning’s scripture portion from Luke, Jesus and his disciples are still making their way to Jerusalem.  Things are looking up for Jesus and his followers.  Jesus is healing the sick.  He is teaching those hungry for truth.  He is putting the religious leaders to shame.  He is surrounded by large crowds who travel with him and want to be part of his entourage when he arrives in Jerusalem.  They see a big confrontation coming and they are certain that Jesus will do something spectacular and change the kingdom of Israel forever.

But as Jesus looks around at the crowds who have flocked to his side, he knows that all is not well.  He understands that the crowds have only half the picture.  They come for healing.  They stay for bread.  They look forward to power and glory.

And so Jesus turns to the crowd and begins to set them straight.  ‘No one who loves father and mother, husband or wife, brothers or sisters, children or grandchildren move than they love me can be my disciple.’  Then he adds, ‘Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.’

Have you ever worked hard to prepare a special dinner, a reception or an anniversary party only to have some of the people you invited beg off because they have something else to do?  If you have, perhaps you felt a bit miffed that their task took precedence over your invitation.  It’s not so much that what they had to do was necessarily bad.  The problem is that, in their eyes, their task – which could certainly be rescheduled – was more important than you.

Discipleship, Jesus tells us, is not cheap.  Mere church attendance does not guarantee a life of ease.  Mental assent to the truth of God does not entitle us to bulging bank accounts and fancy cars.

Discipleship, following Christ truly and faithfully, is going to cost us something.  It’s going to cost us some of our priorities.  Not that our current priorities are bad –but the priorities of God will have to come first.

It’s going to cost us some of our time.  Not that how we spend our time is bad – but God will get the first part not the last part.  And who knows what God might do with us if we give more of ourselves to the God who loves us?

It’s going to cost us some of our relationships.  Not that our relationships are bad – but our relationship with God will be foremost.  And truly, what better example can we give others than to let those others see God living in us?

            The news does not sound good.  But there is good news for us this day because it doesn’t have to be like this.  Unlike that builder in Colorado, we don’t have to wait for lawyers and creditors to settle our accounts.  We don’t have to wait for the courts to decide what will happen with the investment we have already made.

            Unlike those decaying homes on the plains, we can resume construction on a moment’s notice.  We may have to do a little cleaning up, but the Creator of the universe will be there to help up.  We may doubt that we can complete the project, but Jesus himself promises that we can and with his help, we will.  We may think we have nothing more to contribute to the project, but the person of the Holy Spirit promises to come alongside and show us all we need to know.

            We just need to count the cost, to dedicate ourselves to our God, take up our cross and follow after Jesus.  After all, we do have what is takes.  Amen.