Thursday, April 11

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2013

Joshua 3:1–4:24

Luke 14:7–35

Psalm 80:1–19

Proverbs 12:27,28

 

 

Luke 14:25–35 pointedly addresses the cost of discipleship:

 

“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:  ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters -- yes, even their own life -- such a person cannot be my disciple.  And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

 

“‘Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.  Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?  For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, “This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.”

 

“‘Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king.  Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?  If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.  In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

 

“‘Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

 

“‘Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.’”

 

 

Jesus demands His followers’ whole lives.  Paul describes that we were set free from sin so that we might become slaves to righteousness.  From this parable, it appears that following Christ should not come as a result of an emotional whim.  Rather, those who earnestly seek after Christ have rationally counted the cost and found Him completely worthy.  As we surrender more of our life to Christ, we experience more of His presence and grow more eager to love Him and surrender our lives to Him:  a beautiful cycle of trust, experience, and love.

 

Intriguingly, we find Jesus speaking these words to “large crowds.”  These words fly in the face of popular motivation tactics for larger groups, which call for providing easy paths and quick rewards.  Instead, this path of self-abnegation that Jesus announces would involve daily sacrifice and less-than-tangible earthly rewards.  Instead, true Christ-followers yearn to “store up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy.” (Matthew 6:19–21)

 

In a similar moment of calling his listeners to true discipleship, Jesus challenged the disciples’ resolve to remain committed.  In response, Peter displays great faith:  “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.’” (John 6:68,69)

 

Paul describes the training aspect of godliness in athletic terms, pointing to the vigor that precedes victory:

1.       1 Corinthians 9:24–27:  “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

 

2.       1 Timothy 4:7,8:  “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.  For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

 

 

In his classic The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer explains:  “Only a man thus totally committed in discipleship can experience the meaning of the cross.  The cross is there, right from the beginning, he has only got to pick it up there is no need for him to go out and look for a cross for himself…  Every Christian has his own cross waiting for him, a cross destined and appointed by God.  Each must endure his allotted share of suffering and rejection.”

 

Below, please find a series of questions for deeper reflection on the cost of discipleship and its practical implications:

 

1.       What has walking with the Lord cost you?  What keeps you going in spite of this cost?

2.       In what particular ways are you finding it a challenge to carry your cross daily?

3.       What do your allocations of time, money, and talent say about your current commitments?

4.       What commitments have you made that draw you away from following God fully?  How can you surrender more fully to God’s call?

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