Making A Commitment To Jesus

Luke 14:25-33

Counting the cost and commitment.  Both are important qualities to have.  How many people start a project, whether something small like a sewing project, or something larger like a home remodeling, but find out they do not have what it takes to finish it, whether money or commitment?  In our Scripture passage from the Gospel of Luke, we read how important commitment to the Lord Jesus is.

As our passage opens Jesus was leaving one location to journey on to teach in another, some of the group followed Him.  Jesus then turns to these people and gives some very hard lessons. Jesus’ aim was not to gather great, cheering crowds, but make true disciples.  He did not adapt His message to please people, but plainly declared the high cost of discipleship. Many preachers today tailor their messages to please their congregation, giving sermons that make people feel good about themselves, and what they want to hear.  Jesus was certainly not like that.

Jesus then says something that must have been rather shocking to these people, something that is still shocking to us today, if we misunderstand what He means (vs. 26).  Jesus says here that if we do not hate our father, mother, spouse, and family, we cannot be His disciple. What did He mean? Do we really have to hate members of our family, those we really love, if we want to follow Him?   Didn’t God tell us to honor our parents, and to love everyone, especially our family? Jesus was calling His disciples to cultivate such a devotion to Him that their attachment to everything and everyone else would seem like hatred by comparison.  Jesus is saying that we cannot become His disciples unless we place Him as our top priority, which could cause unbelieving parents or other relatives to reject us. Some people have put off a total commitment to the Lord Jesus in order to please their family.  Jesus doesn’t want people to give Him only half-hearted loyalty because of family.

Jesus proceeds to tell us that we need to take up our cross and follow Him (vs. 27).  A criminal was forced to carry their cross to their execution site. This showed submission to Rome.  Jesus was telling the enthusiastic crowd to really think through their supposed desire to follow Him. Following Jesus means total submission, perhaps to the point of death.  We cannot take up our cross if our hands are full with our worldly passions, belongings, or desires.

The Savior then gives an example of someone who has a building project, and how he must have enough funds to complete it, or of a king who decides to go to war against another king, and how he should have a big enough army to do so (vs. 28-32).  Not considering the cost of building, or inaccurate estimates may leave a building left half built. Will our Christian life be left abandoned because we did not count the cost of commitment to Jesus? Some possible costs one should consider are perhaps a loss of social status or wealth, loss of a career, control of their time, hatred by others, and loss of love from their family.  The cost of discipleship is high. One must do a careful inventory before declaring their willingness to follow.

When we decide to follow Jesus, we must count the cost, give up worldly goals, and come wholeheartedly.  Only those willing to carefully assess the cost of discipleship and invest all they have in God’s kingdom are worthy to enter (vs. 33).  This is more than merely abandoning material possessions. It is an absolute, unconditional surrender. True disciples make no demands, hold on to no cherished sins, and treasure no earthly possessions.  The commitment should be without reservations.

This was a hard saying for those who heard these words from the Lord Jesus, and it is no easier for us today.  In summary of our lesson, Jesus taught that to be His disciple a person could not love anyone more than Him (vs. 26), could not love one’s life more than Him (vs. 26-27), nor be unwilling to give up all they have for Him (vs. 33).   Let us lay all on the altar for Jesus.