WATCHWORD:
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. Luke 14:25-27, 31-33
Meditation:
Cost of Following Christ
Over the months, we have heard a great deal about polls and the census, and what they might reveal. George Gallup contends that fewer than 10% of evangelical Christians could be called deeply committed. Most of those who profess Christianity don’t know basic teachings and don’t act differently because of their Christian commitment. Fewer than 50% say they read their Bible once a week, or not at all.
Being a disciple of Jesus can be hard. Salvation is both absolutely free and yet it costs you your very life. You receive it freely at no expense to you, but once you receive it, you have just committed everything you are to Jesus Christ. Absolutely free?
I remember a sermon story I heard years ago. The pastor tells of a friend who offered him a free ride in his airplane. The friend just got his pilot’s license and was proud of that accomplishment. He went on to say that if I accept his invitation for a free flight, I have just committed my very life to him. If he learned his lessons well and he flies safely, I’m safe. If he crashes, I die. The instant I say yes to his free offer, I am totally committed to him. I have entrusted my life into his hands. Free flight?
You can’t follow Christ superficially. The Galatians in Paul’s day wanted to take a little of this, and little of that, mixed it with Moses laws and fold in a bit of the teachings of Christ. You bake that for 45 minutes at 350°, and there’s your pipe dream. The Judaizers wanted it both ways, but Christ, would have none of that.
Can you imagine the large crowds that were following Jesus, hearing him say that to be his disciples you had to hate your mother and father, your wife and all those other loved ones? It’s amazing that there wasn’t a stampede for the exit. Let me get out of here, hate my wife? She’d kill me! Besides, ‘carry my cross?’ I don’t own a cross!
Do you know what Jesus would say to those people? I think he would say ‘bye-bye’. Jesus knew that many in that crowd were following him for selfish or superficial reasons. Maybe they heard about the healings that he did, and thought that was pretty cool. But Jesus is not a false recruiter. He weeds out those who follow him for superficial reasons, or for style, or because my friends are part of that church, or that church offers a much broader customer base from my business! Discipleship carries demands — A cross.
That same pastor, with the pilot friend, spoke of those demands. He pointed out that there are many in evangelical circles who draw a distinction between salvation and discipleship. They say that salvation is God’s free gift, but discipleship is costly. They would also say that while every believer ought to pursue discipleship, it is not linked to saving faith. In other words, there are some who are truly saved but who never committed themselves to being disciples. They say it’s possible to receive Jesus as Savior but not follow him as Lord.
Well, we will think about that until and next Watchword. Let’s see if we can sort out that reasoning. Hmm, superficial believers? I think it was to such followers that Jesus lays out the cost of discipleship and he doesn’t want to recruit anyone under false pretenses.
To truly follow Christ, we must consider the cost. Amen.
A Word of Truth:
Every now and then, the right chord is struck, and God’s Word becomes a verb –
Morning Prayer:
As I start this day, help me remember that I belong to you, and my desire is to act accordingly. Keep my feet from stumbling and my mind from wandering into distractions that could steal precious time and energy from the most important things you have designed for me. I’m proud to be your child, Lord. And I’m so grateful that you died for me—rising again on your own new morning—so that every day could be filled with the wonder of your love, the freedom of your Spirit, and the joy of knowing you. Amen.
