In Luke 14, Jesus spoke of the commitment of being His disciple. Using illustrations such as one counting the cost before building a tower (verses 28-30), Jesus pointed out the need to “count the cost” of following Him (verses 26-27,33).
In a society where the extent of being a Christian is seen as “going to church” once or twice a week (and nothing more), now is a crucial time to consider what Jesus taught is the cost, or commitment, of being His disciple.
In Luke 14:26, Jesus said, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”
Jesus’ point in this verse is not to encourage hatred, but to teach that we must not allow anyone to come between us and pleasing God (cf. Matt. 10:37).
Being an obedient Christian often involves going against what someone we are close to desires of us. It may involve angering a parent, child, sibling, or close friend. Jesus does not want us to seek conflict for the sake of conflict (Rom. 12:18), but He desires us to follow Him, regardless of what conflicts may result (cf. Matt. 10:34-37). Facing rejection is an unfortunate but real part of following Christ’s footsteps (cf. 2 Tim. 4:16).
Jesus went on to say in Luke 14:33, “whoseover he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
Jesus’ point here is not that we must make ourselves miserable while on earth, but that we must not allow anything to come between us and pleasing God.
Developing the mindset Jesus is calling for requires us to see Christianity the way it is described in the New Testament.
Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” This speaks of a lifestyle of commitment to God.
When Paul was in prison and uncertain about his future, he said “For to me live is Christ, but to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).
Notice the phrase “for me to live is Christ.” Christ was not just a part of Paul’s life. He was the center of it.
Because of Paul’s dedication to the Lord, he was willing to make drastic changes. Imagine how uncomfortable it would have been for him to turn from zealously opposing Christ to zealously working for Christ. Making uncomfortable changes is part of the commitment of following Christ.
Much of what makes changing for Christ difficult is the reaction we receive from others. Friends who we once joined with in sinful activitives may think we are strange, and even speak badly of us (1 Pet. 4:4). We must accept this to follow Christ.
Those who follow Christ often face persecution. In fact, Paul told Timothy “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). The persecutions he faced included being stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19).
In our time and place, persecution may be mental. We might be treated harshly even if we are not physically harmed for our stand for truth (cf. Matt 5:44). We might be taken advantage of or hurt financially for doing what is right (cf. Rev. 13:17).
The point of all of this is that following Christ is not just about sacrificing a fishing trip on Sunday morning to assemble with saints. This could be included, but it only “scratches the surface” of the commitment of following Christ.
We must develop the character of Christ (2 Pet. 1:5-8). We must follow God’s pattern as spouses, parents, children, employees, and neighbors (Eph. 5:21-6:9). We must study diligently (Acts 17:11), and pray without ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17), among other things.
If anyone or anything stands in the way of any part of God’s will for our lives, we must separate ourselves from it. This is the message of Luke 14:26-33.
May we all surrender totally to God’s will for our lives. May we not allow anything to come between us and submission to His will.
– Michael Hickox