Gospel: Luke 14: 25-33
The road to the kingdom of God is an arduous one. The road from Jericho to Jerusalem - the road from earth to heaven - cannot be traveled with many possessions, for they will be taken from you and your reliance upon them will lead to your ruin. The only way to succeed on the road is to walk together in fellowship with other pilgrims and with very few possessions. We must give up all in order to travel the road.
At some point in life we come to realize that all things are transitory, impermanent, and passing. Only one permanent entity exists in the universe - God and God's love. Everything else is illusory and will pass away from us. Any hopes we place in transitory things - our material possessions, our own internal attachments to self or our own ideas, power and influence - all of these are idols who will rob us along the way to the kingdom.
Religions have for all time have failed its members in giving themselves over to the powers of the world. In their pinching of incense to Caesar they think it will secure their future in the world, but in doing so they put Christ to death again and again - always in the sacrifice of millions of souls. Authentic religion tells us to put away all such things - to walk with simplicity and trust in God alone to the kingdom of heaven.
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