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25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “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. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “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? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 “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? 32 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. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. (Luke 14:25-33 NIV)
Happy and Wonderful Monday to you, Friend! How many ventures have you entered into without first checking all the details? Honestly, have you taken the time to read the CVS receipts, front and back? What about the mile-long details on your new smart phone, BEFORE clicking I AGREE and wink-wink the "I have read and accept.."?
Years ago, on a retreat sponsored by the Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church, called the Walk to Emmaus, they showed a film at the very beginning about the Disciples after the Last Supper and the conversation people imagine could have taken place, and in one part, one of them says, "When this is over and we return home.." and he is interrupted by another disciple who says, "Wait, you don't understand do you? We're not going home. Our lives will never be the same again!" Did Simon Peter realize that when he said yes to Jesus, his life changed for good? His life as a fisherman was over. He would soon become the Vicar of Christ, and die in the same manner as his Lord, though he would choose to die upside down for he was not worthy to die in the same way as Jesus. They may not have taken seriously what Jesus said in verse 27; "And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." Gulp. How many of us did not realize what we would be giving up when we signed up for an afterschool sports program? For six months or so, our lives belonged to our coaches.
We cannot say we were not warned, we were. I cannot say that I did not know that in giving up family and home, I would receive a hundred times more family and homes than what I left behind. There is no such thing as cheap grace; grace comes through costly discipleship. In 1937, Dietrich Bonhoffer wrote a book called The Cost of Discipleship. The book was in response to what was being preached and believed; a cheap grace meaning a grace without the cross, without discipleship, a grace without Jesus , living and incarnate in us; the true cost is to follow Jesus as a response to Him with our obedience and transformation. There are several movies on this man's life, who took his faith seriously that he believed that a man like Adolph Hitler needed to be stopped and took part in a failed assassination attempt on Hitler, and was hanged for his actions.
One of my mentors in ministry used to ask, Why do we have so many retreats and no advances or charges? He felt that retreating was to run away and we became good at that and we do not have enough, "CHARGE!" A great question to ponder and prayerfully consider. We talk so much about the cross but run with the first nail we see!
The real question Jesus is asking isn't "Can you afford to follow Me?" It's "Can you afford not to?" Yes, discipleship costs you your old way of life. But what was that life really worth? Yes, following Jesus might cost you some relationships. But what kind of relationships are they if they can't survive your commitment to Christ?
Jesus is inviting us to count a different kind of cost—the cost of not following Him. What does it cost to live for yourself instead of for Him? What does it cost to build your life on shifting sand instead of solid rock? What does it cost to invest in temporary things instead of eternal ones?
In a culture that often presents Christianity as an easy addition to an already full life, Jesus' words are jarring. He's not offering a spiritual upgrade or a religious accessory. He's offering a complete life transformation that demands everything and promises even more in return.
This passage isn't meant to discourage us—it's meant to prepare us. Jesus would rather have disciples who know what they're signing up for than converts who bail out at the first sign of difficulty. He's looking for people who will stay when the crowds leave, who will stand when others fall, who will follow when the path gets steep.
The beauty is that Jesus doesn't ask us to pay a price He hasn't already paid Himself. He gave up everything—including His life—for us. Now He's asking if we're willing to give up everything for Him.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your honesty about what it means to follow You. Help us not to be intimidated by the cost but to be motivated by the incredible worth of what You're offering in return. Give us wisdom to count the cost accurately—not just what we might lose by following You, but what we'll surely lose by not following You. Help us see that what You're asking us to give up are the very things that keep us from experiencing the abundant life You died to give us. Transform our hearts so that loving You more than anyone or anything else isn't a burden but a joy. Show us that true life is found not in clinging to our own plans but in surrendering to Yours. Give us the courage to be authentic disciples, not just casual admirers. In Your precious name, Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, honestly assess what following Jesus is currently costing you and what it might cost you in the future—relationships, ambitions, comfort, or control. Then consider what not following Him wholeheartedly has already cost you in terms of peace, purpose, and authentic life.
I love you and I thank God for you,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
