Is that a price we are willing to pay?
In today’s gospel lesson, Jesus does something a bit strange. There was a large crowd traveling with him, and these folks were likely pretty curious about who Jesus was. Had he been on a campaign trail, he likely would have used this opportunity to try and sell the crowd on his platform. Campaign sales pitches generally attempt to convince us that our most troubling concerns would be resolved and our lives would become drastically better if we vote for a particular candidate. Yet, with this captive audience, Jesus actually does the opposite. He attempts to convince the crowd of the price they will pay if they choose to become followers on the Way of Love. While it might sound odd, I think there is some comfort to be found in such explicit honesty. After all, it is incredibly rare to encounter such complete transparency and truth. It provides the necessary components to build an abiding trust. Who are the truth tellers in your life? It is not always easy to hear what they