It was forty days after the resurrection of the Messiah Jesus. His disciples had been marveling at all that had happened. His death turned their world upside down. With the earthquake that coincided with his passing and the temple’s veil having been torn, there were reports throughout Jerusalem of dead people walking along the city streets. Then Peter confirmed the report of Mary Magdalene: Christ had risen. Now, they were seeing Him everywhere. For forty days. Then came Christ’s final lesson.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)
There was a new assignment. Go and make disciples. Baptize them. Teach them. And He also gave them a new mission field. The world was placed before them, not only the lost sheep of Israel. In short, the work had begun.
But what about the sheep? Was discipleship that easy, a simple process of acceptance, baptism, and learning? And then to go out and do the same with others in need of salvation? Heavens, no! Let's look at today's scripture.
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:25-33)
It wasn’t easy to follow Christ then, and it isn’t easy to follow Him now. I tend to think of discipleship as a math problem. On one side of the ledger are the costs. What will it take for me to truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ? On the other side of the ledger are the benefits. What gains should I expect as a Christian? Today we will focus on the cost side of the ledger.
1. The situation
Before we consider the factors involved in the cost, we have to examine the unique situation in which Christ teaches this lesson. No sermon happens in a vacuum. Jesus was teaching people, not writing a book, so each lesson takes place in a certain situation.
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, (25)
It made sense to follow Jesus in the early days of His ministry. He was teaching in the city streets, and He would heal the sick and injured without cost. He seemed to be a wise rabbi, so much so that the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes weren’t able to trick Him. But Jesus knew that those days wouldn’t last, and that hard times were coming for His disciples.
2. The specifics
Now we begin with the specific factors involved in the cost of discipleship:
A) The cost of love
Naturally, it begins with love. When ranking the Commandments, loving God and loving others was Christ’s top two, respectively. Here, Christ expounds on the importance of loving God.
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Jesus isn’t implying that we shouldn’t love our parents. That would violate one of the Commandments. Instead, He reminds us that cannot love anything more than God. In our journey of discipleship, we should ask ourselves, “Who or what is keeping me from developing my relationship with God?”
B) The cost of strength
Anything that keeps us from growing closer to God is a distraction. But removing those distractions can be taxing on us. If an activity keeps you from attending church, there may be a social or emotional cost to missing that activity. And that brings added stress and strain into our lives. In those times, it’s important to remember that discipleship brings burdens.
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
As we calculate the cost of following Jesus, we should consider the question: What difficulties will I be facing as I remove these distractions from my life?
C) The cost of attention
Success in anything requires planning. As we replace the unhealthy habits in our lives with spiritually uplifting habits, we have to make plans regarding the time and energy we spend. This is especially true when we have responsibilities outside of discipleship. Jesus illustrated the need for planning in verses 28-30:
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
Like the master builder in the parable, we should ask, “What do I need to plan in order to grow in my relationship with God?”
D) The cost of effort
Planning won’t amount to much if we fail to act. Christ highlights the need for action in the completion of our plans. Notice how He notes that not all plans are destined for success.
Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
Like a king on the battlefield, we face our greatest spiritual opponent: ourselves. How can we accomplish our plans with the highest possibility of success?
3. The severity
We close with the last verse in today’s scripture.
So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
If you have ever wondered what it takes to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, He just gave you the answer: everything. The pursuit of righteousness and holiness requires a lifetime of due diligence. In the final question for our consideration, we must ask, “Will I give my everything to the one who gives me everything?”
