[RECAP] Jesus calls us to FOLLOW HIM. What is the cost of following Jesus? [Read Luke 9:57-62]
• Jesus was travelling on the road when the talk of FOLLOWING ME arises again.
Three men here were considering about following Jesus.
• Two of them declared that they wanted to, and one was called by Jesus.
• But what shocked us here is the way Jesus responded to them. They showed interest, but Jesus seemed hesitant.
For someone who is eager to recruit, this is odd. People with a noble cause will get as many followers as possible. The more the merrier.
• But Jesus took a different approach. On the surface, it looks like He was trying to DISSUADE men from following Him.
• But on a deeper level, you can say that Jesus was being very honest and truthful.
• He did not want them to be ignorant of what they were getting themselves into.
Do we know what we are signing up for when we say we want to FOLLOW JESUS?
So Jesus laid out the cards so that they could see them and be prepared for it.
• It’s like running a race. Many burst off the starting line with enthusiasm and great energy, only to realise later on that they could not finish it.
• They were unaware of its distance, the obstacles, the difficult terrain, the endurance required, and the training they need to put in before the race.
Last week I just saw an interesting link on FB sent by Caleb – a professor spoke at TED Talks (where experts talk about their fields of expertise). Professor Angela Duckworth (in Psychology) found out in her studies that success does not come to those with high IQs but those with grit. Grit – determination, fighting spirit. She says GRIT is a better indicator and predictor of success.
Jesus wasn’t discouraging them; He was preparing them for success.
• We need to be prepared – spiritually, mentally, and psychologically – for what we are signing up for when we say we are going to FOLLOW CHRIST AND SERVE HIM.
• If we are prepared, we will not give up. If we are prepared, we will make sure we will run this race well and finish it, by the grace of God!
So what are the preparations we need?
• If we heed Jesus’ warnings, we will be better prepared to follow Him with grit.
Luke 9:57-58 “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
1. COUNT THE COST … the issue is COMMITMENT
In every endeavour, we count the cost. It is crucial for success, whether in setting up a business, making a deal, getting married, investing in a house…
• We do our calculation and count the cost. Accountants call it budgeting. It does not guarantee success, but without it, you are unlikely to succeed.
• Counting the count is an issue of COMMITMENT. Are you prepared to pay a price? Are you ready for sacrifices? How much are you willing to give up?
This man said, “I will follow you WHEREVER you go.” He was presumptuous.
• Can you say that without any idea of where Jesus may be headed? Or what may be involved in the journey?
• Jesus replied that to go wherever He is going will not be an easy road. He is not one of those high-flyers travelling from town to town on chariots (personal jets today), staying in 5-stars hotels, and collecting offerings from the crowds that come to hear them.
In fact, Jesus collected no offering in His 3-year of ministry. It’s a ministry that gives, and gives, and gives.
• “Are you prepared for that?” That was Jesus’ unspoken question.
• Is this too much to ask? No, if you consider what the Lord has given up for us, and understand what we are investing in.
Jesus counted the cost when He stepped into this world. It was a price worth paying.
• He did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped but emptied himself (Phil 2:7 NAS), to give us everything we have today.
• He was born in a borrowed manger, lived in borrowed accommodation during his ministry, ride on a borrowed donkey, and was buried in a borrowed tomb.
• Jesus gave Himself, to give us our salvation, the forgiveness of our sin and a reconciled relationship with God!
What about us? Have we counted the cost? Are we willing to pay a price to serve Him?
• It would not be too much to ask if we understand what Jesus has given up for us.
2. CONSIDER THE PRIORITY … the issue is VALUE
Luke 9:59-60 Jesus said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
Jesus’ reply was quite shocking. It sounded like this man wanted to bury his father. Isn’t this a reasonable request?
The difficulty in understanding this line is in the CONTEXT.
• Firstly, it is unlikely that this man’s father has died because that will mean he is in mourning and will not be here with Jesus. Secondly, it would not be in sync with other teachings of the Bible – honour our father and mother, or providing for his family (1 Tim 5:8). God does not contradict Himself.
• This man was responding to Jesus’ call, not that he offered to follow Jesus. He was likely giving an excuse: “I have a family to take care of and I cannot follow you now. Wait until my father has died, then I may consider.”
Jesus’ reply was: “Let the dead bury their own dead…”
• He is obviously not talking about the physically dead, but the spiritually dead. Let others (the unbelievers) take care of these things. “You have more important things to do in the Kingdom of God!”
The key word is in verse 59 – the man said, “LORD, FIRST let me go…”
• He said, LORD, and then FIRST, let me go and do my own things… He wants to follow Jesus on his own terms.
• The answer Jesus gave is: “Don’t delay. You have the chance now. Don’t spend the precious years of your life doing things that worldly people can do just as well. Give your life to God. Make your life count for the Kingdom of God!”
It is a question of PRIORITY. The issue is one of VALUE. What is important?
We have our excuses. I first felt led to consider serving God full-time after my first year in Ngee Ann Poly. But I came up with some excuses.
One is this - being the eldest in the family and my parents paid my education to the Polytechnic, I felt I need to take care of my parents in the future and so going full-time and serving in a church is a NO-NO. I may not even earn enough for myself.
The Lord spoke to me through a passage – Luke 14:25-27 “25Large crowds were travelling 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. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
I think by now you should understand that this passage is not a call for us to love our parents less, or honour them less, or shirk our responsibility to the family. It is a question of WHO must comes first, when you have to make a choice between two good. Anything, or anyone, that comes between you and God will become your idol.
I understood what the Lord said. And He assured me with another verse – Matt 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
• He said, “I will take care of your parents and your family. I will take care of you!”
So the Lord is helping this man see what is most worthwhile for him. He is guiding him to consider the PRIORITY and make the BEST choice.
God’s calling is unique and different for each one of us, but you need to COUNT THE COST and CONSIDER THE PRIORITY where you are.
3. CLEAR THE DISTRACTIONS … the issue is FOCUS
Luke 9:61-62 “Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." 62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God."
Again, on the surface, this looks like a reasonable request. Jesus did not deny him.
• He probably saw his divided heart and took the opportunity to state another principle that disciples are to take note of.
Don’t be half-hearted. If you are, you will likely fail.
• Jesus described it as a man who “puts his hand to the plough” – he has already put his hand to the plough, he has already gone to the field…
• And yet he was looking back. He kept looking back while holding on to the plough. How could he do his work properly? How could he get the line straight?
The issue is one of FOCUS. If you have 5 things to do at one time, it is unlikely that you will do any one of them exceptionally well.
Remind me of a trip I’ve taken while I was young, with a group of friends but one girl was missing her boyfriend back home. She was talking about him and kept talking about not being with him, so far away from him….
We were taking in the sights and she would interrupt with words about him. When we were enjoying the food, she would say how much she missed him. At night when we were planning where to go the next day, she would be calling him.
Not long, we got frustrated and angry. “You might as well have stayed at home and not come!” She was half-hearted on this trip. She was completely “absent”. She treated us like we were transparent. We were trying to enjoy the sights and she was mourning his absence.
I think you should be able to identify with this. Someone with you, on the same journey or doing the same project, but half-hearted.
The Lord cannot do with half-hearted disciples in the Kingdom of God.
• We should understand why. His work deserves our best. He deserves our best.
• Let’s stay true to His call. Count the cost. Consider the priority. Clear the distractions.
Don’t miss out on the greatest opportunity God has given us, to be a serious disciple of Christ, and make a difference with our lives!
