Today’s Reading: Luke 14:25-35
Optional readings: Luke Ch 15:1-17:10, John Ch 11
Cost of Discipleship, Teachings, Raising of Lazarus
I can’t count the number of people I have heard say some variation of the following: “Oh yeah, I’m a Christian. I mean, I believe and stuff, but I’m not one of those radical Christians, you know? I don’t go overboard with it.”
As Jesus followers, we have to view these statements in two ways:
With love for the person saying it, who probably sincerely sees nothing wrong with that view; and
With knowledge of the deception that it is.
We are saved by grace alone, and Paul tells us in Romans 10:9 that “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” So it really is simple…
Simple, but not necessarily easy.
What did Paul tell us to confess? That Jesus is Lord. He uses the Greek word κύριος, “kurios,” which means “master” or “owner” because it’s taken from “kuros” which means “supremacy” or “authority.” A very close variant is “kyrios,” meaning “absolute ownership rights.”
So we aren’t just declaring, “Jesus saved me from sin and hell.”
We are declaring, “I give absolute ownership rights to myself and my life over to my master, Jesus. He owns me now.”
Jesus cautions His followers in this passage to really consider what they would be signing up for if they decide to follow Him. Count the cost now so you can finish well.
“In the same way, those of you who do not
give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” vs. 33
Everything?! Like…what’s He mean by that? It must be hyperbole or metaphorical or something…
I don’t think so. Repeatedly, we see Jesus respond to would-be followers with pretty much, “If you don’t see the priority and understand what a huge deal this is right now, don’t come” (e.g. Luke 9:23, 9:60, 9:62, Matt 7:21, 10:37, John 6:65-66).
Perhaps this is why Jesus said,
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
That sounds kind of extreme, kind of…radical.
And notice that there is no third option! There isn’t an in-between road that’s a little bit of both.
It’s narrow or wide, life or destruction. Those are the choices.
Sidebar: That does not excuse us from being gracious with each other, knowing that we are all at different places along the path of learning, understanding, and applying the gospel.
Now I’ve talked in other places about being willing to give up anything Christ asks of us. So I won’t revisit that again, but I want to bring up one particular sacrifice I didn’t mention before: our favorite sin.
Most of us can bring to mind that particular vice that we just never can quite give up. Maybe no one else even knows about it. There is usually something that we grip tightly and can’t seem to surrender.
Maybe it’s a sneaky sin that’s already been mentioned, like pride.
Maybe it’s an idol that we prioritize over Jesus, like our spouse or our wealth.
Or perhaps it’s something carnal that hasn’t been mentioned yet, like porn or drugs.
Is there something that is keeping you from being fully surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus? Something that you keep in that back closet of your heart under lock and key?
Let Jesus help you. He doesn’t ask you to give up something that has a hold on you without also empowering you to do so. In your own strength, maybe you can’t give it up. But in His strength, you can.
Lord, I want to give you absolute ownership rights to my life. You know where I struggle. I need Your help. I’m taking a shaky step of faith and asking You to help me get rid of this vice for good. Take it, Lord. Amen.