When Kathi and I visited St. John’s on a sunny Spring weekend earlier this year part of our itinerary was the search for a potential new home. To prepare we first outlined our needs: # of bedrooms, square feet, commute time, public schools we hoped Graham and Hannah could attend.

There was, of course, the question of cost: How much can you spend? We reviewed assets, crunched numbers, estimated payments, giving our realtor, Carol Lunde, a price range we could live with.

And then, over the course of a Friday afternoon and Saturday morning we found it. The house we desired more than any other. Right at the top of our range. Hoping to get a bit of a deal we offered under asking price. But this was a hot market, other offers were coming in.

What is your best and final offer? The current owners wanted to know.

We sharpened our pencils, had a heart-to-heart talk, and prepared to let go of more.

Then came the phone call. Congratulations! The house was ours. Yes!

We were ecstatic. To prepare for this big upcoming change we soon began to –

toss,
donate,
pack,
box

– readying ourselves to move.

The kitchen in our new home is smaller, so we downsized there the most. Kids clothes and old toys they’d outgrown were easy discards too. But there was an awful lot of things from the old home we just weren’t sure about.

We should probably hold on to things, at least for now, we figured. Just in case.

Deciding to save many decisions for another day in the moving truck most of our earthly possessions went.

Tradeoffs
Before long all that stuff arrived in Des Moines. When unpacking kitchen wares – admittedly this was mostly Kathi – we were pleasantly surprised. Most everything fit and functioned in our new space well. Our efforts to downsize, prior to moving, at least in this one space, had paid off.

While our old and new homes are similarly sized unplanned challenges soon became clear.

We were moving from –

a split-level floorplan to a colonial style,
fewer, larger rooms to more, and smaller spaces,
lots of wall space to lots (and lots) of windows.

The homes were radically different.

It was time to –

toss,
donate,
let go of more.

The 7-foot bean bag I simply adore? Now it’s too big. A 5-foot version would do.

And that 8-foot-high ginormous Ikea library shelf? Here it makes no sense at all. At least for books. Instead, we found a long 2-foot-high shelf for the reading collection situated below windows that lets plenty of light in. For that to work even more books had to be let go.

The last house came with two 1990s floral print Thomasville armchairs. Here we only need one. If you’re interested in the other – it’s super comfy – let me know. Free to a good home.

Our theme of late when getting settled is a simple one.

Let it go.
Let it go.
Let it go.

Journey
The Jesus we encounter in today’s text finds himself center stage, with people gathered all around. Up until this moment he’d been busy –

Casting out demons,
Healing lepers,
Giving sight to the blind.

By then thousands had heard him preach.
Some had even seen him raise the dead to life.

What could this mean? The crowd was energized, excited, exuberant as they pondered who this man was. Sensing a teachable moment Christ offers those gathered some advice.

If you want to move from –

The sidelines to the playing field,
Watching a performance to acting in it,
Humming the tune to singing the song –

Don’t go into it lightly.
Know what you’re getting into.

Count the cost, Jesus tells them.
Do the math before starting the job.
Make sure you can finish it well.

Your family may not appreciate this new you.
For it is a grand reordering in all you –

think,
believe,
do.

Because being a Christ-follower requires something. For to become my disciple, Jesus reminds, you must give up everything you’ve got. To do it well you’re going to have to start letting go.

The crowd, all about Jesus and what he represents had suddenly been thrown a curve.

It’d be like going to a concert, seeing your favorite band, loving every second. And then, afterwards, some news: there is space for you to join the road crew. Sweet! Anyone who wants to can take part.

A job description is shared.
A life of sacrifice is required.
Packing light a must.

You want to do it.
You *love* this band.

But you realize something. You’ll have to let some things go. For it’s the only way to do this journey well.

Today
Claimed in the waters of our baptism, each day we are offered the chance to join Jesus on the road. More than a concert, or weekend worship, we are –

called out of the crowd,
called to carry the cross,
called to serve.

To do that well we’re asked to consider all that we have, including what’s in our –

head,
wallet,
heart.

We’re asked to give it all up in service to God, in service to neighbor. And to start in on that path we’ve got to get comfortable with letting more go.

For that which we possess often ends up possessing us.

Being a Christ-follower represents a grand reordering in how we go about our days, placing love of God and neighbor above our –

Physical possessions,
Need to acquire,
Jealousy of others,
Need to control,
Partisan politics,
Everything.

We are asked to place –

Love of God over love of country,
Love of neighbor over love of money,
Love of serving over love of self.

We’re asked to evaluate all that we have, both externally and within, and then –

toss,
donate,
pack up,
set aside –

that which holds us back.

Because not all our stuff fits well in God’s house.

These verses have been used to make a case for giving up all your earthly possessions. The passage concludes with those exact words.

So if you feel led to give up all you physically own, and give the proceeds to the church, well we won’t turn you down. Tho perhaps speak with your spouse or financial adviser first 😊.

That said, the textual takeaway today is much broader than even that. For Christ asks us to also evaluate the contents of our head, the contents of our heart. In that personal inventory review you can’t help but find unhealthy hurts, habits, hang-ups that have been holding you back from faithfully following Christ.

I guarantee it. We all have them. It is part of our fallen human nature.

When you do find that stuff, take the words from a beloved Disney movie to heart:

Let it go.
Let it go.
Let it go.

Amen.