03-Jan-2025 – Are you a disciple of Christ?
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. -Luke 14:33
This verse starts with “likewise,” which means the previous verses set the context, and this verse concludes the matter. According to this verse, Jesus was highlighting the requirement of a disciple. Every true believer desires to be His disciple. So, to be called a disciple, we need to forsake all that we have.
What does that mean? Should I give up all of my wealth, properties, etc.? Then how do I live? To understand what Jesus meant, we need to read the previous verses.
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. -Luke 14:26
In this verse, another condition or cost of being His disciple is mentioned. Jesus gives a long list of people one must be ready to give up to follow Him: father, mother, wife, children, brethren, sisters, and even one’s own life. “All that he hath” includes these relationships. But why would Jesus want us to hate them?
Here, Jesus uses the word “hate” as a metaphor. When you hate someone, you do not allow anything related to them to distract or disturb your walk in life while pursuing your goals. In discipleship, if you do not give first priority to the teachings of the Master, you cannot truly learn. Jesus was saying that if you want to be His disciple, you must be ready to give up any priorities and sacrifice them for the greater reward of being His disciple.
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. -Luke 14:27
Who bears the cross? Whoever receives the ultimate punishment of crucifixion must bear their own cross and face death. The cross represents shame, denial, and rejection. Jesus tells us to bear the cross and follow Him. That means denying the world, being rejected by it, and following Jesus. Jesus was telling those who wanted to be His disciples to be ready to give up their lives for Him and follow Him to gain eternal life.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. -Luke 14:28-30
In these verses, Jesus explains why He set such high and challenging standards for discipleship. Discipleship is a great and honorable destination. Why?
The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. -Luke 6:40
This means a fully trained disciple becomes as skilled and knowledgeable as their Master. For example, when a student wants to become an engineer or a doctor, they first need to work hard to pass entrance examinations and then focus on the corresponding education and training. If they are distracted by family, desires, fun, or friends, they cannot complete their course and will fail.
For a believer in Jesus Christ, becoming like Christ is the ultimate goal. To achieve this, one must learn from Him sacrificially and be ready to give up everything—including their life. This means nothing in the world should distract or attract them away from Christ. Only then can they continue as a disciple and attain mastery.
In the above verses, Jesus gives an example of someone building a tower. When someone wants to build a tower, they must assess what is required, what they have, what they need to gather, and whether they can gather it all. If they fail to do so, they will not finish the task and will be mocked by others.
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? -Luke 14:31
In another example, Jesus refers to a king preparing for battle. If the king does not assess his strength against the other king, he will lose the war and his kingdom.
In the same way, Jesus wants us to understand the cost of discipleship and willingly accept it to learn from Him. This is all about mindset and attitude. If you are ready to be His disciple and lose everything, what will you gain?
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. -Matthew 19:29
Prayer
Dear loving heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and grace. Thank You for teaching me today about the cost of being Your disciple. I acknowledge that there are many entanglements in my life preventing me from following Your instructions. Help me, Lord, to prepare myself, be ready to take up my cross, and deny anything that comes in my way. I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
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