Memorial Day

Memorial Day Meditation

Text: Luke 14:27,31-32

Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple…[For] what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.

“THE COST OF FREEDOM”

—Pastor Wayne C. Eichstadt

Dear Fellow Americans—Dear Fellow-Redeemed:

Each year we gather here to remember our fellow-countrymen who throughout the nearly 225 years of our country’s existence have at various times and various places given their lives on our behalf. We honor and remember those who have gone before as gifts to our country, even as we glorify the Lord God of heaven & earth Who gave them to us.

As Americans, we dare never forget nor take for granted the precious freedom we enjoy and the lives given to win that freedom. As children of God, we will never forget that the country and its freedom is dependant upon God—not on ourselves nor any other human being. Yes, we enjoy freedom in this country, but the greatest freedom we have is the knowledge that our lives on this earth are in God’s hands, the destiny of this country is likewise in God’s hands, and eternal life with our Lord forever in heaven is a gift we have received from God’s hands.

This morning we wish to COUNT THE COST OF FREEDOM—both national freedom and eternal freedom. To do this, with the light of God’s Word, we turn to Jesus’ words in Luke 14:27, 31-32.

Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple….[For] what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.

I. Count the Cost

In these words, Jesus was instructing His disciples as to the value of our discipleship and the cost of obtaining it and maintaining it. As part of His instruction, Jesus drew a parallel between “counting the cost” of discipleship and a king who is preparing for battle. A king (or President & Congress) who is facing a battle will rightly first take the time to consider whether the cost of battle is worth spending. If the chance of victory is small, then the cost would be great and the leader may well pursue peace instead of battle. Victory doesn’t need to be guaranteed before a king will enter battle, but he will be sure that the value of victory is great enough to justify the great cost.

Those who have lost their lives in service to our country “counted the cost” of freedom and what we enjoy as Americans. They counted the cost and deemed it worth the cost of giving up their own lives, if necessary. Whether it be the patriots of our early history; or the brothers who fought brothers in the Civil War; or those who left home and family to do battle in the World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf; or those who have lost their lives—not in war, but in missions and in training meant to prevent war and preserve peace; all of these counted the cost and served our country and us.

It is no small thing to leave what you have in order to preserve what you have. “Someone else will do it…maybe I can avoid it.” “How can I leave my family when I know I might never return.” It is the highest cost and greatest gift that anyone can give when he gives his life for someone else. At Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln said that those who gave themselves “…gave their last full measure of devotion…” to the country. Today, we honor those who counted the cost of freedom and paid it for us.

Jesus’ used the illustration of the king going to battle to teach an even more important truth. Just as a king counts the cost of doing battle, so too Jesus wants children of God to count the cost of being His disciples. Jesus speaks of “bearing our cross” and following Him as the cost of discipleship, but there is an earlier “counting of the cost” as well.

A cemetery is a perfect place to count the cost of our spiritual/eternal freedom. Looking around we see monuments of honor to those who have lived…but the truth remains that they are now dead. Each stone is a reminder of death—the fruit of sin. Counting the cost of sin without Christ would mean that these stones and the earthly honor they give would be the best we could hope to have; for without Christ, the only thing beyond death would be eternal condemnation in hell.

Thanks be to God, that even before the foundation of the world, God counted the cost of what would be necessary to buy sinners back from sin and death. God counted the cost and it was His Son. God tells us, “The redemption of souls is costly.” (Psalm 49:7).

It was not cost effective to redeem the world—God would be paying it all through His Son and the sinners who rebelled would be receiving the free gift of salvation. It was not cost-effective to redeem the world, but it was LOVE-effective. God’s undeserving love for us sinners moved Him to send His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Likewise, the Son, Jesus, counted the cost of our redemption and out of His love willingly laid down His life. Before dying on the cross for our sins, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for His friends” (John 15:13). Jesus showed us His great love when He laid down His life for us.

Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself won freedom for us from sin, death, and the Devil. We are SAVED to live in the freedom of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life! Jesus’ word to us is that we also count the cost If we, sinners, in unbelief choose not to follow Him, we have not accurately counted nor valued the cost of what Jesus has done and will lose its blessing. If we count the personal cost of forsaking sin and following Jesus as being too high and instead want to pursue our sins—again, we are not truly counting the cost that Jesus paid nor its value and will lose the blessing of His sacrifice.

Our freedoms on this earth came at a great cost to our fellow countrymen. Count the cost, be grateful to those who have given their lives, honor them, and glorify the God who provided them as gifts to the country. Our freedom from sin and death came at a cost to our Savior. Count the cost, be grateful, honor, and glorify the Lord of our salvation.

II. Appreciate the Freedom

Counting the cost of freedom leads to appreciating it. It is when we forget the true cost and value of something that we begin to take it for granted and perhaps dishonor it.

Each time we see countries in the world that are war-torn and whose homes, businesses, and industries are lying in rubble we can appreciate the freedom and blessing we enjoy in these United States. Each time we see poverty and starvation…each time we hear of dictators and evil governments robbing people of what we consider the very BASIC and most NATURAL of rights…each time we get in the car and casually drive from town to town and state to state…each time we read the newspaper, listen to the radio, watch TV and hear both sides of an issue…each time we gather together for worship of the one true God unhindered and unthreatened—each time we experience these and so many other fruits of our freedom, we would do well to pause, count the cost, appreciate the freedom and GIVE THANKS.

We give the greatest honor to those who died in service to our country when we don’t forget to appreciate the reasons they so willingly gave up their lives. When we appreciate our freedom we will naturally give honor to those who were instruments in bringing it to us.

The same is true of our spiritual freedom. Our cost of discipleship is not really so much a cost at all. If we truly understand the destruction and condemnation from which Jesus rescued us; if we understand the reality of sin and death, it is then not a COST to follow Christ, it is, rather a JOY! It is not a cost to give up our sinful lusts and ways of death, it is a PRIVILEGE…it is LIFE!

Just as surely as a cemetery provides a lasting reminder of the cost of sin, so too every empty Christian grave will be a glorious testimony to the freedom and life that Christ gives. On the Last Day, Christ will raise all the dead and from these graveyards, the believers will be gathered to meet Christ and so will ever be with the Lord (cf: 1 Thessalonians 4:13ff).

Appreciating the freedom and life that we have from the undeserving miraculous love of our Savior will lead us to hearts filled with gratitude and thanks to the God of our Salvation which will, in turn, lead us to follow, honor, and glorify Him all of our days!

What great things God has done for us as a nation on earth! What great things God has done for us as sinners redeemed by His Son! To Him be all praise and glory, now and forever! Amen.