6-21-2026 “The Cost of Discipleship” Matthew 10:24-39 ~ Pentecost IV

The Rev. Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor

I’ve mentioned Dietrich Bonhoeffer before and have recommended the film recently made about him that is available on the Angel Network (I believe). He was a Lutheran pastor and part of the neo-Orthodox movement in Christianity. He lived during the time of the Nazi regime. Bonhoeffer and Karl Barth (whom I often mention) were part of the Confessing Church. Let me back up a bit. When Hitler’s power grew stronger, he declared that he was the head of the Church. The creeds and confessions of Christianity are quite clear: Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone is the head of the church. The Apostle Paul makes this quite clear in his Epistles. To say that a human being — let alone one who personified evil — to say that any person is the head of the Church is utterly blasphemous.

Hitler’s power grew. (You all know the story.) However, there were a group of pastors and theologians who rejected this, saying that Christ is the head of the Church. Barth wrote the Barmen Declaration, which stated this explicitly — and so the German Confessing Church was born. (Google the Barmen Declaration to read the whole thing. It isn’t that long and is available online.)

Eventually, when Hitler became even more dangerous, there was a plot to kill him. Bonhoeffer (the unassuming, pacifist pastor) became part of that plot. It was for the greater good, clearly. The plot failed, and the people who were part of it were arrested. On April 8, 1945, as World War II was nearing its end, Bonhoeffer was sentenced to death. The next day, he and five others were marched naked to the gallows at the Flossenbürg Concentration Camp and were hanged. Hitler committed suicide three weeks later. Germany’s unconditional surrender followed about a week after that. As with the death camps, the Nazis increased the slaughter knowing that the end was near; Bonhoffer was no exception.

Eight years earlier, Bonhoeffer wrote his most well-known book, The Cost of Discipleship. He was very clear: the life of faith is not a life of ease. Jesus told us that in order to be his followers, we need to pick up our cross and follow him — wherever he leads. Bonhoeffer is not talking about us being led to green pastures beside still waters. This is not about mountaintop experiences. The cost of discipleship requires us to be willing to sacrifice everything for the Gospel. Our relationship with Jesus is our most important relationship. That is the point of today’s reading from Matthew. Jesus says, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” In Luke 14:26, Jesus says “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters — yes, even their own life — such a person cannot be my disciple.” He does not literally mean that we have to “hate” our parents, spouse, children, and siblings. He is saying that if those relationships stand in the way of our mission and ministry, then they may have to be jettisoned. Jesus comes first.

Bonhoeffer knew this. He also knew that when faced with times of trial, the Christian may be tempted to retreat, to abandon his/her faith. We cannot, not matter what. That is the cost of discipleship. Bonhoeffer faced death for what he believed. The pages of Church history are written with the blood of countless martyrs who did the same.

In this day and age, and in the context in which we live (the United States), we do not have to worry about this, really. You will never have to face the gallows, the sword, or the rack because of your faith in Jesus. But there are people in the world who still do. It has happened in this country in the not-so-distant past. Cassie Bernall was one of the victims of the Columbine High School shooting on April 20, 1999. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 14 people and injured 23 others before killing themselves. It is reported that as the massacre was occurring, Cassie was approached by one of the shooters who asked her if she still believed in God in-light of this shooting. If she said no, he would let her live. Her answer? “Yes, I believe.”

Cassie was killed, but her faith did not die that tragic day. She inspired others through her witness, through her martyrdom. The contemporary, multi-award-winning Christian singer-songwriter Michael W, Smith immortalized Cassie in the title track of his 1999 album This Is Your Time. Here’s just a sampling of the lyrics:

It was a test we could all hope to pass

But none of us would want to take

Faced with the choice to deny God and live

For her there was one choice to make

This was her time

This was her dance

She lived every moment

Left nothing to chance

She swam in the sea

Drank of the deep

Embraced the mystery

Of all she could be

This was her time

Granted, this is an extreme example. It is not a common occurrence in this country for people to face death for what they believe. But, as I mentioned a moment ago, it is in other parts of the world, and it was through various periods in history. It certainly was the case for the early Church, which faced persecution from secular authorities for their counter-cultural message. There aren’t too many earthy kings who take kindly to his subjects saying that they pledge their ultimate allegiance to a different king.

But maybe we do face this today, to some extent. Maybe there are times when we deny our faith but aligning our values with the world’s values. This is not about any one idea in particular — although there are many to choose from. Rather, it is more about a way of thinking and behaving when we allow a political view, or a social agenda, or today’s politically correct ideology to stand as a corrective to the faith. This is where it becomes an issue for most of us.

The true cost of discipleship sometimes involves you simply standing firm on your religious convictions and saying, “No. That isn’t the way it is supposed to be.” Jesus offers another way — a radical way — one that challenges what the world, what culture, what the media, and sometimes what even what our closest friends and family members say. It isn’t easy. Maybe it’s not supposed to be. “I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Our faith in Christ needs to keep us rooted in the proper perspective — and that perspective is to always follow where he leads. Ultimately, it is about being a disciple. That word shares the same root as discipline. And so, we end where we began, with our friend Dietrich Bonhoeffer who warned us all: “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” Amen.