The Cost of Discipleship | The Single-Mindedness of Discipleship

March 23, 2025

Matthew 6:24-33

Lent 3

Rev. Teer Hardy

Following Jesus is not an endless streaming service or a New York Times-sized menu of options, add-ons, and trans fats. This is the paradox of the Kingdom. The more we cling to our lives, the more we lose them. The more we try to control, the more anxious and exhausted we become. But when we let go, when we trust that Jesus is enough—that’s where true freedom is found. Think about the moments in your life when you’ve been most at peace. Were they the moments when you were in control? Or were they the moments when you finally let go, when you surrendered, when you stopped striving and simply trusted? That’s the freedom Jesus offers.

We do not “choose Jesus” because Jesus has already chosen us. Christ has already chosen you. And in being chosen, we are free to follow the path Christ has placed before us. The path of single-minded obedience to the God who forgives, frees, and loves; a grace-filled contrast to the gods of gain and success that demand blind obedience.

In following Jesus, we find life. Jesus does not ask for your five-year plan, your effort, or your ability to think strategically. The catch? The life you cling to? It’s not yours to keep anyway. So, stop worrying. Stop juggling and pretending that you can serve two masters. Hear the call of Christ; step into grace.

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