Pentecost 13—September 7, 2025

The Wound of the Cross

Luke 14:25–33 Series: Wounds That Heal

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Introduction – Words That Wound

Some words strike the ear like a hammer. They wound us the moment we hear them. Today Jesus speaks such words:

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Strong words. Wounding words. They strip away every illusion that following Jesus is easy.

We are continuing our series Wounds That Heal. Last week we reflected on The Wound of Pride—how Jesus’ parable at a banquet exposed our desire to exalt ourselves, only to show that humility in Him is the path to true honor. This week we turn to The Wound of the Cross. Here Jesus calls us to count the cost and bear the cross. His wounding words strip away illusions of cheap discipleship, but they also reveal the surpassing worth of following Him.

I. The Cost of Following Christ

Large crowds followed Jesus that day. Many were curious, others enthusiastic. They had seen His miracles and heard His teaching. But Jesus turns to them with words that cut like a surgeon’s scalpel.

He doesn’t sugarcoat. Following Him demands first place in our life. Family ties, possessions, even your very self—Christ must come before them all. And He says bluntly: “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

This is the wound. And it strikes us deeply because we want discipleship to be easier. We want a faith that fits comfortably into our schedules and lifestyles. We want blessings without sacrifice.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, writing in the shadow of Nazi Germany, named this problem “cheap grace.” He wrote:

“Cheap grace is forgiveness without repentance; it is baptism without discipline; it is the Lord’s Supper without confession; it is absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without the living, incarnate Jesus Christ.”

Does that not describe the temptation of the Church in every age, including ours? We baptize our children and promise before God to bring them to the services of His house, to provide for their instruction in the Christian faith. Yet when Sunday morning comes, how easily we choose the world’s activities instead. We want forgiveness, but not repentance. We want Jesus, but only when He seems reasonable.

The truth is, we like to walk out ahead of Jesus, going our own way, rather than following Him. And so His words wound us. They show how shallow our discipleship often is.

II. The Call to Count the Cost

Jesus drives the point home with two pictures. A man about to build a tower. A king about to march into battle. Both must sit down and count the cost.

What builder would lay a foundation he cannot finish? What king would rush into war without considering his strength?

And so Jesus says: “Any of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

Let’s be honest. When we truly count the cost of discipleship, we discover something humbling: we don’t have what it takes. Our strength is too small. Our resolve too weak. Our hearts too divided.

And that is exactly the point. These wounding words are meant not to drive us to despair, but to drive us to Christ. They force us to recognize: on our own, we cannot follow Him.

III. The Christ Who First Counted the Cost

But here the healing begins. For Jesus does not simply tell us to count the cost. He Himself counted the cost of our salvation.

Think of it like this: cheap grace is like swiping a credit card endlessly, assuming the bill never comes due. That’s how we treat forgiveness when we think sin is no big deal. But costly grace reminds us that the bill did come due — and Christ paid it in full at the cross. Every charge, every sin, was laid on Him. He bore our debt so we could be free. His costly grace heals our cheap grace by paying what we could never pay.

Or think of the promises we make at the baptismal font. Parents promise to bring their children to God’s house, to provide instruction in the faith, to place the Scriptures in their hands. Yet how often those promises get set aside when the world offers other activities. That is cheap grace — grace assumed and neglected. But Christ’s costly grace does not leave us in guilt over broken vows. His cross forgives our failures, and His Spirit equips us to live differently. Costly grace takes our empty promises and fills them with His faithfulness.

Think of it this way: “Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field, the pearl of great price. It is costly because it cost God the life of His Son; it is grace because through that sacrifice we live.” (Bonhoeffer)

The One who calls us to bear the cross first bore it Himself — all the way to Calvary. And there He shouldered not only wood and nails, but the burden of our sin, our failures, our cheap substitutes for discipleship. He bore them all, that we might be forgiven and set free.

This is the healing wound of the cross. It cuts us open, showing us our need. But it also pours in the balm of Christ’s sacrifice, revealing that in Him we have all we need.

IV. Living as His Disciples Today

So what does it mean to follow Him now?

It means recognizing that discipleship is daily: denying self, taking up the cross, and following Him.

It is a life of daily repentance: recognizing how we fall short—how we miss the mark—and desiring to change.

It means realizing that following Christ may set us at odds with the culture around us, and even at times with our families.

It means raising our children by the rhythm of Christ, rathan than the schedule of the sports league.

In a few minutes today, we are placing Bibles into the hands of our third graders. This is more than a ceremony; it is a fulfillment of the vows once spoken at their baptism—that parents would place into their children’s hands the Holy Scriptures and bring them up in the Christian faith. Cheap grace would say, “It doesn’t matter if they read it; at least they have one on the shelf.” But costly grace says, “This Word is life itself. It is worth our time, our attention, our very lives.” Parents, you are called to open these Bibles with your children, to help them read, learn, and take to heart the treasures within. You are to help them understand that it’s not just a book, but the very voice of the Good Shepherd, Jesus. In a world full of noise and distraction, His Word will guide you, strengthen you, and keep you close to Him. This is costly grace in practice—the daily rhythm of repentance, learning, and following Christ through His Word.

Following Christ means loosening our grip on EVERYTHING in life, including our comfort, and embracing the life Christ sets before us.

This is costly. But it is worth it. For in losing the world we gain Christ — the pearl of great price, the treasure worth everything.

But be on the alert, discipleship is not easy, as illustrated with cheap grace. In reality, it is the mortal enemy of the Church, and we all struggle with it every day.

But Jesus bore the cross not only to forgive broken promises, but to give His Spirit, so that parents and children can walk in new obedience. His costly grace forgives our failures and empowers us to live into the vows we made.

Cheap grace says, “Don’t worry, it doesn’t really matter — God will forgive anyway.” But costly grace says, “It matters so much that God’s Son gave His life for it.”

Cheap grace leaves us unchanged, but costly grace transforms us.

Cheap grace keeps us in our sins, but costly grace frees us from them.

And this is the good news: the costly grace of Jesus answers our cheap grace problem, because He bore the cost in full and now gives Himself to us as the treasure. This is the grace that saves us, sustains us, and sends us.

Conclusion – The Wound That Heals

So today Jesus speaks words that wound: “Any of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” We are talking about priorities here. Is there anything in your life that you have assigned a higher priority to than following Jesus Christ?

Jesus wants to heal us. He wants us to see that He is the only solution for our sin-filled lives. Because He bore the ultimate cross, He counted the cost and paid it in full, and He gives us grace that is anything but cheap.

And so rejoice. Whatever the cost of following Christ, it is nothing compared to what we gain. His wounds heal us. His cross saves us. His costly grace sustains us.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.