Costly

Luke 14:25-33

The words of Jesus in Luke 14:25-33 are some of the heaviest words I have read in The Bible. The words Jesus said in these verses carry a lot of weight. The words are hard to read, and you may find yourself confused with some of the things Jesus said especially in verse 26.

Did Jesus really say to hate your father, mother, wife, children, brothers sisters, and yourself? He certainly did say that. If this is your first time reading these verses, you may have some feelings about them. You may be confused, angry, upset, sad, and/or disgusted. Feel all of that, but do not get so frustrated that you do not seek to understand and turn away. There is a message in the text. Before moving forward, pray, and then let me explain.

The meaning behind verse 26 is that you should be so devoted to God that it looks like you hate the ones closest to you. You will not actually hate them, for you are called to love. However, it will look like you are not spending as much time with or doing as much for them. You will be so committed to God that you will prioritize your obligation to Him over your obligation to anyone else. Others will take a back seat. They will not come before God.

This type of commitment looks like spending time with God before you do with your spouse, family, or friends. It looks like saying no to your spouse, family, or friends to do something for God. It looks like moving away from family, because The Lord told you to move for His sake. For some, it looks like ending relationships because the relationships are holding them back from following Jesus. Examples are ungodly friendships, family, or a boyfriend or girlfriend that lead you away from The Lord. Do not get it twisted, I am not saying everyone needs to cut off everyone and be in isolation, or everyone needs to neglect those around them. Some need to cut off relationships. Others should still have the relationships, but do not let them interfere with devotion to God. Still, take care of your loved ones, but do not let them consume your life to the point God is second. The Lord must be The Lord in your life, and He must have the throne in your life.

Verse 27 tells us that whoever does not bear their cross cannot be The Lord’s disciple. What does this mean? First, I want to say that I am reminded of this verse from a few chapters before, 'And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Daily, you must nail to the cross anything that you would give your all to, your being to, your worship to, or your life to. In other words, you must surrender idols. And then daily you must carry the burden of being a Christ follower. Yes, Jesus’s burden is light in that He does not impose rules that are hard to follow like the Pharisees did (See Matthew 11:30). Rather, the burden is heavy, because following Jesus is costly. You will have to surrender things daily; meaning, you will have to not let them have first place in your life or altogether give them up through letting go of your emotional hold to them and/or decrease or eliminate your devotion to them for His sake and carry that burden daily. The persecution and the hardships that come from being a Christ follower are costs that will be daily burdens too.

In verses 28-32, Jesus says a builder will consider the cost of building a building, and a king will consider the cost of a war before deciding to proceed. So, you too should count up the costs of being a disciple of Christ and consider if it’s worth it.

Verse 33 ends with whoever does not denounce all they have cannot be Jesus’s disciple. There is not one thing or person in your life that you can hold on to. If you are not willing to surrender everyone and everything you cannot be a disciple of Christ. If you are unwilling to surrender everyone and everything to Christ then you are holding on to people and those things in an attempt to not lose your life. You are afraid that surrendering will mean you will lose your life as you know it. I only know this from personal experience, and I want to remind you of this verse: 'For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it ' (Luke 9:24).

You must surrender all. To surrender all means to let go. You believe nothing and no one is yours to hold on to and you give all to God. You surrender to decide for Christ to be first and to be your master.

So the question you need to ask yourself is what is it going to cost you to follow Jesus? Then consider whether it is worth the cost. This week, examine yourself pray, and ask God what you need to surrender. I cannot answer the first question for you, but I will say that I think following Jesus is worth the cost. If you continue to follow Jesus in your life, you will see and be like Paul and consider all as loss for knowing Christ (See Philippians 3:8). The suffering you have or will experience from the cost will not compare to the joy that is coming (see Romas 8:18).