Discipleship Costs

Family & possessions - counting the costs

Blessed Third Sunday of Easter to you. I pray you can find yourself physically present with some corner of Christ’s Church today.

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These are tough notes on discipleship.

Just how many possessions did Jesus 1st century listeners have? I’m not sure I’ve thought about this much. How could they possibly compare with today?

While these are an invitation to follow him, Jesus is also laying down an imperative.

Isn’t it interesting that when so many Christian traditions seek to introduce Jesus and his message to people today, the invitation is usually about what Jesus can do for them: salvation, healing, etc. This isn’t wrong, necessarily. But in consideration of this passage, it sure seems incomplete.

Jesus is saying to measure out what it actually is to follow him.

Luke 14:25-35

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. Turning to them, he said, “Whoever comes to me and doesn’t hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even one’s own life—cannot be my disciple. Whoever doesn’t carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

“If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it? Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn’t finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you. They will say, ‘Here’s the person who began construction and couldn’t complete it!’ Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the twenty thousand coming against him? And if he didn’t think he could win, he would send a representative to discuss terms of peace while his enemy was still a long way off. In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple.

“Salt is good. But if salt loses its flavor, how will it become salty again? It has no value, neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. People throw it away. Whoever has ears to hear should pay attention.”

Prayer (from the Book of Common Prayer)

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.