Discipleship

“Anyone who does not carry his own cross . . cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:27 NIV

“There is free grace for the penitent, but no free passes for a disciple!”

My thoughts and comments today are about “discipleship.”

In everyday life, it seems there are always some who get a break not available to others – sometimes for good reasons, sometimes not. It often depends on who you know, not what you do or who you are. It seems there are privileges and upgrades if you know the right people. It always amazes me that often the people who have the most and need the least receive more and pay less than the folk who most need assistance. The surrounding world may be like that, but life in the Kingdom of God is not.

Everyone has available the same grace and mercy; everyone is responsible for sacrifice and service. The entry fee to the Kingdom is the same for all, paid in full for each of us by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross; the cost of following Jesus as His disciple is individual. Jesus’ words to Peter when he questioned the discipleship requirements for John are enlightening on this matter, “What is that to you? You follow Me!” Read John 21:18-22 NLT. In the Kingdom of God, the requirement for each disciple will be fair and equitable, though not always at first appearing equal in its price. Jesus said, “Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:27 NIV. There is free grace for the penitent, but no free passes for the disciple!

Then Jesus told two stories about the wisdom of “counting the cost” before engaging in a costly project or conflict. Read Luke 14:28-32 NKJV. He concludes His stories with this crystal clear statement, “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.” Vs 33. Some have more; some have little; all must give their all for His sake and service.

The Gospel narratives tell various stories of disciples who started out to follow Jesus, but found the journey more costly than they anticipated. Among the sadder reports is this: “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Jesus no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’” John 6:66-67 NKJV. Can you hear the disappointment and loneliness in Jesus’ voice? Did not His humanity feel the awful pain of people’s desertion?

In Jesus’ time, a cross was an unmistakable indication that a man was being taken to die; there was no confusion, no uncertainty as to his fate. “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow Me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for Me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?” Luke 9:23-25 NLT. What cross marks your discipleship journey? What cost are you are asked to give to follow Jesus? Whatever your sacrifice, it pales in comparison with the cost of your salvation.

Tom Landry, revered former coach of the Dallas Cowboys said, “The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don’t want to do, in order to achieve what they’ve always wanted to be.” I think that’s a correct description of discipleship. Jesus asks you to sacrifice what you are to be what you can become – to surrender what encumbers to obtain what releases – to release what is temporary and you cannot keep to gain what is eternal and can never be taken from you.  Nothing you have, nothing you do will be as important.

My prayer for you today is that you count the cost but make the sacrifice without regret.