Ordinary 23: Give It Up! (feat. Pr. Vieth)

This sermon unpacks Jesus’ hard words in Luke 14:26 about “hating” family and even one’s own life. It clarifies that in Hebrew idiom, “hate” means “to love less,” so Jesus is calling His followers to detachment—to love Him above all else. Too often, we cling to created things—family, success, wealth, or even our own lives—as if they could bear the weight of being God. When we do, they crack under the pressure, and both they and we suffer. Jesus asks us to “give it up”—to open our hands and hearts by setting down the false gods we cling to, so we are free to receive His love, mercy, and strength. Taking up our cross is not about needless suffering but about learning to rely on Him above all things. When we surrender, He returns our relationships and possessions as true gifts—loved and appreciated, but no longer idols. With simple prayers—“Jesus, give me your eyes to see, your heart to love, your hands to serve”—we learn to place everything in its proper place under Him. Detachment becomes freedom, and the cross becomes life. In Christ, we gain immeasurably more than we ever give up.