Luke : Day 28

Read Luke 14

Jesus certainly wasn’t much of a salesman! I wonder if any of his twelve apostles thought, “Why is He making it sound so difficult to follow Him? How does He expect to attract more people to His cause?”

But Jesus wasn’t trying to make discipleship sound attractive, comfortable or easy. He wanted to give his listeners a clear, honest picture up front. He is not a salesman at all – He is a Saviour.

To be a Christian – one of Christ’s people – is an incredible thing. Christians have God as their Father, peace because they know they are forgiven and ready to meet God, the Holy Spirit to guide them through life and the certainty of an indescribable future.

But there is also a cost. As Jesus said, no-one starts to construct a building without calculating the cost first (verse 28). In the same way, a person should be clear that following Jesus will involve sacrifice.

Jesus used extreme language when He talked about hating family members (verses 26-27). He was not teaching literal hatred or even dislike – any more than He was teaching us to hate ourselves! The Bible makes it clear that we are to love our family members. Jesus was saying that nothing should come between us and following Him – not even family. In fact, our own dreams and preferences, even our belongings, must all be surrendered to Him (verse 33). Being a disciple of Jesus will shape every part of our lives, every moment of every day.

Is it worth it? Jesus’ description of the kingdom of God as a banquet help us to answer that question. It’s a picture of peace, joy, fulfilment and belonging. But only those who respond to the invitation and come to Jesus will experience it.

“Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 14:27