Serious about Discipleship? Weigh the Cost

A completed tower in Istanbul. 

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Scripture:

Luke 14:25   Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, ²⁶ “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. ³³ So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

Observation:

Large crowds continued to follow Jesus around. He was a popular preacher and the people loved hearing him speak, and they especially were in awe of his healing power. However, on this entire journey Jesus was mentoring his disciples. Many in the crowd would disperse when things became difficult and Jesus understood this, but he needed his inner circle to be prepared. 

When the term “hate” it is used here, it “refers to a choice of loyalty in the face of opposition rather than a priority of affection. The visceral nature of the word hate is hyperbolic rather than a literal command to hate” (Neale, NBBC). Jesus understood the reality that would face the disciples and that they would have family members who would stand against them. There would be parents and siblings trying to take them away from following Jesus and encourage them to come back home. They would have to withstand these pleadings and recognize the cost of serving in the kingdom. 

Jesus didn’t try to coerce the disciples into following him and he was transparent about the cost to them and their lives. Usually Jesus spoke to disciples as a group, but here he spoke about the individual cost. He laid the cost analysis before them for the entire project. To be a disciple was to follow all the way to the completion of the task. You do not begin this journey and then stop half-way through. The disciples had to give up all their possessions for those would weigh them down on the journey. That was the cost of true discipleship. 

Application:

I’ve read this passage many times and yet, this time it gripped me in a new way. It’s far too easy to think that we will follow Jesus when it doesn’t cost us much of anything. However, sitting down and counting the cost is a fascinating way to look at being a Christian these days. 

The reality is that it will cost us everything to follow Jesus — maybe even our lives. Before we say that we will follow him, we are encouraged to take a serious look at what we are willing to give up. Jesus doesn’t need half-way followers who are going to bail on him part-way through the journey. Judas becomes the prime example of this kind of discipleship that is willing to sell out the Master for money, which brings him no satisfaction. 

The journey of following Jesus will be counter-cultural. We will not necessarily be revered by society, nor lauded for our beliefs. This is an expensive journey in terms of personal cost and Jesus wanted to know if the disciples were really up to the journey. These were people who were spending time with Jesus in the flesh — and if they were going to struggle with the cost — what about us? 

A call to serious discipleship is coming to us today. The Lord needs those who will follow him now, just as they did in the first century. The cost remains the same, and so we must consider whether we are willing to go all the way with Jesus? This journey requires much more than an occasional trip to church and a 30 second daily devotional reading. This is a commitment to wholeheartedly following Jesus all the way until the very end of our days. 

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for the challenge to my heart today. I want to know you more, and I really do want to follow you. I’m not sure I’ve totally weighed the cost, but I pray that you might help me to see this through and remain committed to you to the very end. Amen.