THE WAY OF THE STUDENT (LUKE 14:25-33)
Upon entering a little country store, a stranger noticed a sign reading, “Danger! Beware of Dog?posted on the glass door. Inside, he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor besides the cash register.
The stranger asked the store manager (sarcastically), “Is that the dog folks are supposed to beware of??“Yep, that’s him,?he replied (oblivious to the stranger’s tone). The stranger couldn’t help but be amused. “That certainly doesn’t look like a dangerous dog to me. Why in the world would you post that sign??“Because,?the owner replied, “before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him.?
Have you ever felt like the poor household dog? Old, sleepy, and traumatized by outsiders, footsteps, and boots?
Jesus had called us to be His disciples, to make a difference in the world, to be salt and light in society, and to snatch lost people from the jaws of spiritual death, but, sadly, we resemble more like sleeping dogs lying there than shepherd dogs at work. Today’s Christians have lost their bite, legs, and stomach for discipleship.
A disciple is a student of the Master who represents Him with distinction, dedication, and delight. The Master has challenged his students to forego the comfort of the family, a sheltered life, and all the possessions of the world to join Him in the school of discipleship. Jesus used the word “disciples?three times in this passage to challenge all His followers to join Him without regretting the journey or the loss.
CONSIDER YOUR PRIORITY
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26”If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-yes, even his own life-he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:26 is very controversial for the conceived reason that it is anti-family. It pits children against parents, splits brothers and sisters apart, and divides husbands and wives. The surest way for people to leave the church is for the pastor to expound passages like these. We have enough issues to divide the family today ?money, politics, and lack of time - and we certainly don’t need religion to drive the family further apart.
However, to understand this passage, we have to first understand what Jesus had to say about the duty of children. Twice, Jesus asserted that honoring parents is a command of God: to the rich young ruler (Lk 18:18-20, Mt 19:19), and to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (Matt 15:1-4, Mark 7:5-10).
The presence of the teachers of the law was crucial, because the teachers of the law were at the courtyard of the high priest (Mt 26:57, Mk 14:53), and the three accusations brought against Jesus there were that he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days (Mt 26:61, Mk 14:58); he was the Christ, the Son of God (Mt 26:63, Mk 14:61, Lk 22:67), and the king of the Jews (Mt 27:11, Mk 15:2, Jn 18:33).
Note that the teachers of the law did not accuse Jesus?of transgressing against parents, a task they would be most willing to say if they had evidence or charge against him, especially since they had no problem parsing or misinterpreting the words Jesus had said to large crowds.
Also, the word “hate?has to be examined in the light of the Old and New Testament teachings. In Leviticus 19:17, the Old Testament teaches us not to hate our brother in our heart, and in Ephesians 5:28-29, Paul clarifies that, in a strict sense, no one ever hates his own body.
However, Jesus did use the word “miseo,?the same linguistic word for “misogynist?or “women-hater.?So what does the word “hate?means in the Aramaic sense, the language Jesus spoke?
It is certainly not used in the emotional, relational, or literal sense of the word today. In the Semitic sense, according to I. Howard Marshal, one of the foremost scholars on the book of Luke, it means “to love less.?He said, “The thought is, therefore, not of psychological hate, but of renunciation.?
A passage correlating to Luke 14:25-33 is Matthew 10:34-39, where it says clearly:
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “`a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law- a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.? “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me (Matt 10:34-38).
The problem for the average Christian today is not the argument in with, breakup of or withdrawal from the family over religion, but the absence of opposition, discussion, or impact in the family. Christians who are not kept on their toes through moderate persecution now and then often have developed brittle legs, weak knees, and flabby muscles due to indifference.
Large crowds had followed Jesus to see what miracle He would do next, how He would restore Israel, and when He would bring in His kingdom. But Jesus warned the fair-weathered crowd that there will come a time when they had to choose between family and Him.
While we do not see a reason or a teaching to disobey or disown our parents, debate or defy them, dishonor or dismay them from this passage, a disciple, nevertheless, is one who depends on God first and foremost, without pity or pause.
Though in many parts of the world today, following Jesus is no longer controversial, divisive, or perilous, in Jesus?time, it meant death. The religious climate would not allow one to remain silent, neutral, or unscathed.
Disagreement in the family is a historical, present and eschatological reality. Jesus said: “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.?(Luke 12:50-53)
Even in the last days, Jesus warned that “you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people (Matt 24:9-11).
COUNT THE COST
27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28”Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.?31”Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
There was a farmer who had three sons: Jim, John, and Sam. No one in the family ever
attended church or had time for God. The pastor and the others in the church tried for
years to interest the family in the things of God to no avail. Then one day Sam was bitten by a rattlesnake. The doctor was called and he did all he could to help Sam, but the outlook for Sam’s recovery was very dim indeed. So the pastor was called and appraised of the situation. The pastor arrived, and began to pray as follows:
? wise and righteous Father, we thank Thee that in Thine wisdom thou didst send this
rattlesnake to bite Sam. He has never been inside the church and it is doubtful that he
has, in all his time, ever prayed or even acknowledged Thine existence. Now we trust
this experience will be a valuable lesson to him and will lead to his genuine repentance.
“And now, 0 Father, wilt thou send another rattlesnake to bite Jim, and another to bite
John, and another really big one to bite the old man. For years we have done everything we know to get them to turn to Thee, but all in vain. It seems, therefore, that what our combined efforts could not do, this rattlesnake has done. We thus conclude that the only thing that will do this family any real good is rattlesnakes; so, Lord, send us bigger and better rattlesnakes. Amen.?
Many Christians appear active, but they are not going nowhere or making ground in their commitment. The church often has to stand in as their motivator, baby-sitter, and psychologist, trying to cajole them, stir them and entertain them to serve, and at times, get into their schedule, inside their head, and in between their petty quarrels.
While eternal life is free, testimonials, ribbons and decorations are not. Crowns come to those who bear crosses, medals to those who sustain scars, and corsages to those who command respect.
The early church disciples were crucified at the cross, left rotted in jail, tore apart by lions, and killed by the sword. Still now many die from beatings, bullets, bombs, beheadings, and bats from violent attacks. As the saying goes: The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. According to Oswald Chambers, “There are some things only learned in a fiery furnace.?
Jesus said that those who have not count the cost of following Him are opening the door to unfinished projects, future abandonment, and long delays. Why start something when you cannot finish it? Why bear and wear Christ half-heartedly? Why choose to remain badly informed? Ignorant and indifferent Christians eventually waste their time and money and effort, and muddle the name of the Master, the church, and Christianity.
So wear the cross of Jesus Christ and follow Him proudly and positively, not passively, or pessimistically. Run with perseverance for the prize (1 Cor 9:24, Heb 12:1), finish the race, and keep the faith (2 Tim 4:7).
CHOOSE TO SACRIFICE
33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple
A one dollar bill met a twenty dollar bill and said, “Hey, where’ve you been? I haven’t seen you around here much.?The twenty answered (as the dollar bill listened enviously), “I’ve been hanging out at the casinos, went out on a cruise and did the rounds of the ship, back to the United States for a while, went to a couple of baseball games, to the mall, that kind of stuff. How about you??The one dollar bill said, “You know, same old stuff, church, church, church.?
The British preacher Philip Hacking spoke of a time when, as a seminary student, he was challenged by a young communist, who left him grappling for an answer. The young man, who had left school at fourteen, had no higher education, but dutifully gave a quarter of his income to the cause of communism. He only slept four hours a night, occupying his time studying Marxism, and sleeping on the bare boards so that sleeping does not become a habit, luxury, or temptation. But what he said was more shocking:
“Look, you guys believe in God. You say Jesus is the Son of God. I don’t believe a word of it; you believe in the resurrection and heaven ?if I believe what you say you believe I would do a lot more. But I guess you don’t really believe it because Christians don’t sacrifice as much as we do, do they??(Keswick, 1983)
Every year we give our federal tax, state tax, property tax, sales tax, gas tax money to the government, but what have we given ourselves to God who gave Himself completely to us? Do you give only what you do not want? Do you give only when there is church deficit? Or do you give if the pastor, leadership and people are nice, if you are asked properly, and if there is leftover? A man observed wryly: “If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Giving up everything means sacrificing your time, talents, and treasures. I asked a pastor friend what giving up everything means, and he said, “All the self’s: self-ambition, self-centeredness, and self-sufficiency. The verb “give up?implies “letting go?or “loosening the grip?to latch onto nothing except for Christ. Often the ones who are rich towards God are not necessarily the wealthy, but the average and poor of the earth.
The truth is that God speaks with an ultimatum but He really carries a small stick. From experience, we know that God may have asked for all, but He has not taken our all. God is like the parent who deposits what His obedient children has given Him into a bank account under the child’s name for the child’s future use. And if the child gives the parent, for safekeeping purposes, the monetary gifts he receives from relatives, the parent would not only deposit the money in the child’s account but would match the fund and pay the extra out of his own pocket. On top of that, unknown to the child, the parent would return a gift to the relatives. God is like the parent who would return double to you what you give Him, the type who would buy you a house for every car you give, and the friend who would return you a penny for every considerate thought.
However, God is not writing us a blank check. He wants His children to count their blessings, offer their best and follow Him gladly.
Conclusion: Martin Luther said, “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.?A disciple is a servant of Jesus Christ who is on a mission, not an outing. He is not a tourist, but a pilgrim. He bears the cross daily, not rarely. While separation from family and friends is rarely fact, it is not fiction either. Finally, be strong in the Lord. Do not be a flabby, flaky, and foggy Christian; a cream puff, old “you-tiao?(a piece of fried flour) or a mile wide and an inch deep convert.
Victor Yap
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