Robert Kearns is the guy who invented the intermittent wiper blade.  He got shafted by the auto industry who basically stole his design, and had to go to court to sue for recompense and damages.  He won after many, many years of litigation.  They made a movie about it called “Flash of Genius”.  I saw that movie a while back.  What struck me most was how completely sold out Kearns was to getting justice for his injury.  So much so, he lost everything in the process of winning his law-suit.  His wife, his kids…all who were close to him.  But he was committed to winning his case, so everything else was expendable by default.

I don’t know if I admire him or pity him…I really don’t.  The thing is, you can’t help but notice commitment like that.  It’s radical.  Troubling as it may be, Jesus calls us to that same kind of radical commitment when it comes to following Him.

We’re looking at Luke 9:57-62 this Sunday.  Jesus will be approached by three different would-be disciples.  They each represent three qualifications for commitment to Christ and His Kingdom.  This is no-holds-barred, sharped edged stuff here.  No one can read this brief account and not feel some sort of cut.  As you read it, what challenges do you encounter?  If we compare our own lifestyles (as 21st Century American Christians) with the claims Jesus seems to lay on our lives…how deep does our own commitment run?  What does counting the cost of following Christ mean to you?  I’d love to hear your thoughts…even though this is a tough subject.