Count The Cost

I ADMIT IT! I HAVE A TENDENCY TO BE “CHEAP”! WHEN FACING UTILITY BILLS, CAR REPAIR, MEDICAL CO-PAYS, OR HOME REPAIRS, I ALWAYS SEEM TO AKS ONE PARTICULAR QUESTION FIRST: HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING TO COST? IT IS AN HONEST QUESTION. WE’LL ALWAYS BE CONCERNED WITH COST AND HOW MUCH WE WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THINGS. THE SAME CONCERN IS TRUE FOR OUR FAITH.

WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FAITH AND BEING A FOLLOWER OF JESUS, WE DON’T GET ANY OTHER OPTION. WE ARE REQUIRED TO STOP AND CONSIDER THE COST. THIS IS “BLUNT-FORCE REALITY” IS GIVEN TO CHALLENGE US TO SEE IF WE ARE WILLING TO TAKE THE LIFE CHANGING ACTIONS AND MAKE THE LIFE ALTERING DECISION TO BE A CHRISTIAN.

JESUS WARNS US ABOUT THE EXTREMELY HIGH COST OF DISCIPLESHIP. COMMITMENT TO HIM MUST FAR EXCEED ANY DEVOTION TO OUR EARTHLY OBLIGATIONS. WORDS, LIKE “SACRIFICE” “RADICAL OBEDIENCE” AND “COMMITMENT” MUST BE ROOTED DEEPLY INTO OUR HEARTS. IT IS THE STARK REALITY THAT WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO WITHDRAW OR TURN-BACK TO “POLITELY EXCUSE OURSELVES” TO GO STAND OVER ALONG THE OUTSIDE PERIMETER AS INDIFFERENT, UNENGAGED, AND DISTANT FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST.

THERE IS A COST INVOLVED WITH DISCIPLESHIP. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE OF FOLLOWING JESUS? CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT WHO ONE IS AND WHAT ONE BECOMES.

JESUS CALLS US INTO A RELATIONSHIP NOT "JUST" A DECISION. JESUS NEVER SAID HE WANTED JUST DECISION-MAKERS TO FOLLOW AFTER HIM. JESUS WANTED DISCIPLES WHO WOULD PAY THE PRICE OF ENTERING INTO A LIFE-LONG RELATIONSHIP OF LEARNING ABOUT AND RELATING TO BOTH HIM AND THE FATHER.

THIS RELATIONSHIP HE SPOKE OF WOULD DEMAND EFFORT AND A LOT OF COMMITMENT. IN OTHER WORDS, ONE WOULD HAVE TO PAY A PRICE IF THEY WANTED TO FOLLOW AFTER JESUS. THIS WAS THE COMMAND JESUS WAS TRYING TO GET ACROSS TO THE LARGE CROWD THAT HAD BEEN FOLLOWING HIM ON HIS WAY TO JERUSALEM.

THREE TIMES JESUS SAID IF THEY DID NOT GO ALONG WITH THE DEMANDS OF THE KINGDOM, THEY COULD NOT BE HIS DISCIPLES. JESUS CLEARLY LAYS OUT THE EXPECTATIONS. JESUS SAID THAT IF THEY REALLY WANTED TO FOLLOW HIM AND BE HIS DISCIPLE THEY MUST HATE THEIR FAMILY AND HATE THEIR OWN LIFE, AT THE SAME TIME, CARRYING THEIR CROSS.

FIRST, YOU MUST HATE YOUR OWN FAMILY AND EVEN YOUR OWN LIFE IN ORDER TO BE ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES. SECONDLY, YOU MUST CARRY YOUR OWN CROSS WHILE FOLLOWING AFTER JESUS. THE DEMANDS THAT JESUS MAKES UPON THOSE WHO WOULD FOLLOW HIM ARE EXTREME AND EXPENSIVE. WE SHOULD HUNGER AND THIRST AFTER GOD. IT IS A RELATIONSHIP BUILT ON SACRIFICE, OBEDIENCE, REPENTANCE, COMMITMENT, AND SERVICE.

YES! IT WILL SHAKE OUR FOUNDATIONS, TOPPLE OUR PRIORITIES, PIT US AGAINST FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND MARK US AS ENEMIES TO THIS WORLD. BUT, YOU WILL SOON FIND IT’S WORTH IT!

HOWEVER, TO SOME, IT ISN’T. THIS IS WHY SO MANY ARE CHRISTIANS IN “NAME ONLY” OR WHY THEY BAIL OUT OF THE FAITH ALTOGETHER. THIS IS MOST OF THE REASON WHY MANY WILL NEVER BECOME A PART OF CHRISTIANITY. JESUS SAID “FOLLOWING HIM” REQUIRES MUCH AND COSTS JUST AS MUCH BECAUSE OF THE COMMITMENT IT TAKES TO ENSURE THAT NOTHING WILL EVER GET IN THE WAY OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

YOU CAN LIVE IN THIS WORLD, BUT YOU CANNOT BE OF THIS WORLD. ROMANS 12:1 IS PRETTY CLEAR “BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD…!” YOU MUST HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT INCLUDING YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY. NOW, WE KNOW THIS IS “HYPERBOLE WHICH IS AN EXAGGERATION AND NOT TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY. JESUS DIDN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULD HATE WITH A LITERAL HATE. THE WORD JESUS USES FOR "HATE" ACTUALLY MEANS "TO LOVE LESS THAN."

JESUS WAS SAYING THAT OUR LOVE FOR HIM SHOULD BE SO STRONG, COMPLETE AND WHOLEHEARTED THAT, ALL OTHER LOVE, IS LIKE HATRED IN COMPARISON. OUR DEVOTION TO CHRIST CANNOT BE LESS THAN WHOLE-HEARTED. I LIKE WHAT LEON MORRIS SAID IN HIS COMMENTARY STUDY OF VERSE 26: “DEVOTION TO CHRIST CANNOT BE LESS THAN WHOLE-HEARTED. DISCIPLESHIP IS NOT PERIODIC VOLUNTEER WORK ON ONE’S OWN TERMS AND AT ONE’S OWN CONVENIENCE.”

NOTHING CAN COME IN BETWEEN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. NO OTHER LOVE, NO OTHER OBLIGATION, NO OTHER ACTIVITY CAN BE ALLOWED TO STAND IN BETWEEN THE SAVIOR AND HIS DISCIPLES. STRONGLY PUT: CHRIST WILL HAVE FIRST PLACE OR NO PLACE IN OUR HEARTS AND LIVES!

SOME WISH WE COULD TONE THIS DOWN A BIT. SOME WOULD EVEN HOPE THAT IT WAS JUST HYPERBOLE. THAT IS, EXAGGERATED STATEMENTS OR CLAIMS NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY. JESUS WASN'T KIDDING WHEN HE SAID THERE WOULD BE DEMANDS THAT WOULDN'T BE EASY TO FOLLOW, HE MEANT IT. THIS IS WHY JESUS CONTINUED ON BY MAKING A SECOND DEMAND, WHICH IS FOR US TO PICK UP AND CARRY OUR CROSSES.