The Cost Is Everything
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:29 ESV
In 1973 at a farm in Pennsylvania, 15,000 people gathered to hear Christian speakers and music. However, as years went by, many who had attended the festival walked away from faith in Jesus Christ. Their enthusiasm waned when some of the leaders fell into sin, when relationships disappointed them, when prayers weren’t answered as they’d expected, when life became difficult.
I couldn’t help but think of that festival as I read Luke 14:25-33. When Jesus looked at the crowds following Him, He understood their enthusiasm. It had been a long time since a prophet had spoken authoritative words straight from God and had worked miracles. Nevertheless, Jesus knew people would stop following Him when family demands arose or if following meant their lives would be threatened.
To illustrate the cost of being His disciple, Jesus presented two short parables. The first concerned building a tower (Luke
14:25-30). The builder needed to consider if he had enough money to complete the project. If he were forced to stop after laying the foundation, he would be ridiculed.
The second parable concerned a king who was about to go to war against another king (vv. 31-33). Knowing he’d be outnumbered two to one, the king had to determine if his men were capable of winning in such circumstances. If they weren’t, he should send a delegation to ask for peace terms instead.
Jesus began the parables by saying that those who wanted to be His disciples had to hate all other relationships, even their own lives in contrast to their relationship to Him. Moreover, they had to carry their own crosses. He ended the parables by saying they must give up everything to follow Him.
Being a Christian is more than gathering to listen to speakers and music. A Christian’s whole life must revolve around getting to know Christ and doing the will of the Father. Sometimes we may be asked to endure suffering and hardship, maybe even death; however, we are promised rewards in a life beyond this one where there is no suffering, no death.
Are you willing to give up all for the sake of following Christ?
DIG DEEPER:
Jesus never asked His disciples to do anything He wasn’t willing to do Himself. How did He give up everything He had according to the following verses: Matthew 12:46-50, Luke 9:57-58, John 10:17-18?
Jesus used hyperbole, exaggeration, to get His point across in using the word hate. How did Matthew (10:37-38) quote Jesus on this point?
The apostle Paul exemplifies a person who gave everything he had to follow Christ. How was he able to keep focused according to Acts 20:16-24 and Romans 8:13-18?
Nancy J. Baker
This devotion is part of a series, The Parables