Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke and how Jesus delivered some loving truths that we may feel uncomfortable passing on.
So let’s dive in.
Luke 14:25-35
Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple. Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’ Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
My Thoughts
Who does this?! Jesus has accomplished what most ministers only dream of and yet He turns to the masses and potentially chases off most of them. I’ve had people react strongly to this saying. It’s too blunt, unloving, exclusive, and down right mean. And yet the most loving person who ever lived said it (and did it!). In fact, He would do this again and again. So what gives? How does Jesus get away with this and if we were to say or do this, we become the pariah of Christianity?
Maybe it has something to do with attitude? We aren’t as loving as Jesus. Ok, I’ll concede to that half way. But isn’t it just as unloving not to warn people of the cost of discipleship and they get a “fer piece down the road” and the bottom drops out. No, I think if we are called to be like Jesus it means doing the uncomfortable things like telling people that you can’t approach the Christian life like a hobby or a side gig. They have to be all in. These are the kind of hard things that will offend your friends and family. These kinds of sayings will not only facilitate carrying a cross, they will probably hang you on it.
The cost of discipleship (becoming like Jesus) is clearly stated by the Master; It will cost you your life. It will cost you your dearest relationships. Not that you will intentionally alienate those you love, but when it comes to loyalty and obedience, God has first place in the competition. Your family and friends may not like that.
It will cost you your personal preferences. Not that you won’t get to enjoy some things you like doing, eating, seeing, or thinking about. It’s just when they are at odds with what Jesus wants, Jesus gets the easy win. Laying down your life and carrying your cross doesn’t automatically mean drudgery and pain. It just means there is a kingdom priority over a disciple’s desires, preferences, tastes, and yes, even over our own rights.
And here’s the hardest part; as disciple-makers we are not just carrying our own cross, we are calling others to carry theirs. We are passing on the cold hard truths that Jesus told His would be disciples long ago. But what is the cost of us not doing this the way Jesus did? You don’t have to look any further than the local body of “believers.” Are most studying their Rabbi to become like Him with the fervor He deserves? Are most becoming fishers of men like the Master promised to make us? Are most living in the tensions of being sent to a world that hates us and loving them enough to tell them the truth and to repent? It is pretty obvious we are NOT teaching, modeling, and practicing the cost of discipleship enough because the American Church as a whole does not reflect what Jesus is talking about here.
What has your relationship with Jesus cost you recently?
My Story
I’ve recently been shocking my wife Deb. Just last week I challenged a guy I’m mentoring. I said, “I’m going to be frank with you. You’re wasting your time doing that.” Deb was gasping! She said, “You said that? Those exact words?” You see, after being married for 40+ years, she knows me. She knows that when I say “I hammered that guy with the truth!” She knows I’m so pastoral that she translates it to “I put a dab of truth on a Q-Tip and applied it very gently and carefully.”
But you know what? That may be a way to never offend your friends but it’s not always appropriate in every situation. Sometimes the only way to get the truth across is to present it in a way that it seems out of character, harsh, blunt, or even mean to the receiver. How do you think Peter felt when Jesus called him Satan?
And yes, I used those exact words. This doesn’t give me license to be a jerk. But I have been working on delivering the truth in a more “Jesus like” fashion because I want to be more “loving” like Him. I want to “beat around the bush” less and use less “candy on the coating” so people get a clearer “Jesus message.”
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
Do you have a tendency to be more prophetic or pastoral?
What would it take to be more balanced like Jesus?
Do a Bible study on how Jesus spoke both Grace and Truth.
Being a people pleaser by nature, I don’t like to make waves. But as disciple makers we aren’t called to make everyone like us. We are called to be like Jesus and help others do the same. And at times that means delivering some tough truths in some tough ways.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
Welcome Back! Today, I’ll be sharing some news that’s too good not to share.
So let’s dive in.
Acts 12:11-16
When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
My Thoughts and Our Story
For those who follow my ramblings, you can tell this is not my normal MO. But this news is too extraordinary to just “rinse and repeat.”
Many of you know that my wife was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer three months ago. Her lungs were filling with fluid that had to be drained weekly by thoracentesis where they use a needle to insert into the outer lung cavity and then use a catheter to drain the fluid. Sometimes it was up to a liter. Deb was losing weight fast, and would become winded walking halfway across the room. She was eventually hospitalized and had two chest tubes inserted to continually drain the fluids. Finally, after jumping through a lot of medical system hoops, a biopsy was done and it came back positive for metastatic breast cancer.
This wasn’t our first rodeo. She had been through the cancer circus, chemo, radiation, and a few surgeries, twenty-five years ago. Now cancer was back. It was so bad, we actually were “getting our affairs in order.” This was really really bad news.
So we prayed. And we got our friends and family to pray. We had neighbors praying. Even strangers would drop us a note and say they were praying. At that point, what else are you going to do? But how do you respond when the Father answers your prayers?
Last Friday Deb went in for a CT scan. Her oncologist called today (14 Oct 26) and said there is no sign of the cancer. It “appears” to be gone. We were in shock! Like Peter finally realizing he had just made a prison break compliments of an angel, and Rhoda leaving him standing at the locked gate, and then the church telling her she’s crazy, we just sat there dumb founded. Really? Did we just hear what we thought we heard from our doctor?
I’ve seen a few miraculous things in my life but this has to be the most extraordinary and by far, the most meaningful. Please join us as we celebrate our amazing God, whose mercies and lovingkindnesses are indeed new every morning. We give Him all the glory and honor.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see what Jesus said about excuses.
So let’s dive in.
Luke 14:15-24
When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests. When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’ The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ ‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”
My Thoughts
It was a very spiritual statement; “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” One you might suspect to hear around Jesus as people posture themselves as being “righteously in the know.” And yet, Jesus gives a warning to His “spiritual friend” and everyone else at the table. Not so fast. Maybe there’s something a little deeper at play here. Maybe, just maybe, those who think they will get a taste of the sumptuous dinner in heaven actually voided their invitation here on earth.
In the story Jesus states that all invitations have already been sent and now the great banquet is ready. All the guests have to do is let the servants know that they are on their way. But something strange takes place, well, maybe not so strange when one is invited to something they weren’t very interested in anyway. The excuses begin to fly. “I got some land.” “I got some cows.” “I got a wife.” All very important things and seemingly more important than this man’s big dinner.
Jesus intended the dinner guests and, oh by the way, us, to connect the dots. We see that these excuses are ordinary and common ones made every day for things we don’t want to do. We have our priorities. But we’re not talking about any old meal. We’re talking about the “feast in the kingdom of God!” Jesus is painting a picture of the stark difference between wanting to sound “spiritual” and actually “seeking the kingdom first (Matthew 6:33). In reality, those with excuses are posers. Their lifestyle doesn’t align with their platitudes. In plain words, they are hypocrites.
Now, let’s get personal. Have we ever used excuses to justify our priorities over kingdom priorities? I know I have. “I’ll read my Bible after I check my messages, people are important, you know.” “That person doesn’t look like they’d be interested in the gospel anyway.” “I’ll cut my prayers short today. God already knows what I’m gonna pray.” I’ll spare you and I any more illumination than necessary. We may not be making excuses that keep us from the celestial dinner with Jesus but aren’t these kinds of excuses robbing us of time with Him now?
My Story
“No excuse Sergeant!”
That was what we were taught to say from day one when the sergeant confronted us on one of our shortcomings. And why was this such an important lesson to teach soldiers right out of the gate. Well, new soldiers are being chastised for their errors every waking moment. And the most natural thing for a civilian wearing a uniform is to do what they have done all their lives, hide it, deny it, or blame it on someone else. And from personal and cultural experience, I know it’s not just new soldiers who are plagued with the “excuse disease.” It’s part of human DNA. We’ve been using them since the Garden of Eden. “That woman You gave me made me do it!”
But then my sergeant went one step further. After I replied with the canned response “No excuse Sergeant!” We were instructed to self evaluate and express line by line what we actually did and how we were going to correct our actions in the future (Of course this second step happens after giving him twenty push-ups).
Think about it. The Army was teaching us how to repent. Confess our wrong doings and take steps to correct them. Now you’ll probably never hear a sergeant say “You are forgiven.” But when we come clean before our heavenly Father, He will. And isn’t this a skill that desperately needs to be taught to people these days? Like my sergeants in basic training, we too as disciple makers, need to teach people the art of receiving correction, repentance, and coming up with a plan to avoid the pitfall in the future (minus the pushups).
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
When confronted with some sin or error (real or false), what is our first reaction?
The man who discipled me as a young believer gave me this advice; “Assume a rebuke from someone is at least 1% true. That will give you enough time to think about it before you put up your defenses.”
Do a Bible study with the men and women you are discipling on Receiving or Rejecting Correction.
Repentance is one of the first skills Jesus taught His disciples. To acknowledge the wrong and align future thoughts and actions with God’s design. It was crucial not only to their salvation but for maturity, healthy relationships, and even the ministry. Excuses get in the way of real life now and when we cross over to the next life.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. (Mark 15:43)
(he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; (Luke 23:51)
After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. (John 19:38)
Disciple-Maker’s Short Story
The Kingdom Pivot
The hum of the espresso machine at Third Coast Roasters was usually a comfort to Leo, a white noise that helped him focus. Today, it sounded like a countdown.
Leo sat across from Marcus, his mentor of three years. Marcus was ten years older, a seasoned architect who had navigated the cutthroat world of commercial development without losing his soul—a feat Leo was finding increasingly impossible in his own field of high-stakes tech sales.
“You got the promotion,” Marcus said, lifting his black coffee. It wasn’t a question. “Senior Account Executive. Youngest in the firm’s history.”
Leo forced a smile, tapping his finger against the ceramic rim of his mug. “Yeah. It’s official as of yesterday.”
“But?” Marcus prompted, leaning back. He knew Leo too well. He knew the difference between the exhausted satisfaction of a job well done and the nervous energy of a man looking over his shoulder.
Leo sighed, dropping his hand. “But I feel like a fraud, Marcus. The team took me out for drinks afterward. The conversation shifted to the ‘morality of the algorithm’—the new ad targeting suppression we’re rolling out. It’s… it’s predatory. Everyone knows it. But the VP, Sarah, made a joke about how ‘ethics don’t pay for Teslas.’ Everyone laughed. I laughed.”
Leo looked down at the table. “I laughed, Marcus. I didn’t just stay silent. I participated. I signaled that I was one of them, that the Kingdom of Revenue was the only thing that mattered.”
Marcus didn’t scold him. He just nodded slowly. “You’re feeling the weight of the dual citizenship.”
“I feel like a double agent who’s forgotten which side he’s on,” Leo admitted. “I tell myself, ‘I need this influence. Once I’m a VP, then I can set the culture. Then I can speak up.’ But every rung I climb, the air gets thinner, and the cost of speaking up gets higher.”
Marcus reached into his messenger bag and pulled out his worn Bible, placing it on the table but not opening it yet. “You remind me of someone. A guy who had a seat at the big table. Wealthy. Respected. Probably laughed at a few jokes he shouldn’t have to keep his seat on the Council.”
“Joseph of Arimathea,” Leo said. They had studied him before.
“Joseph,” Marcus agreed. “The ultimate strategic silent partner. Mark says he was ‘waiting for the kingdom of God.’ That’s a strange phrase for a man who seemed to be doing everything possible to succeed in the kingdom of Rome and the religious elite.”
Marcus opened the book to Mark 15. “Here’s the thing, Leo. We often think the opposite of fear is courage. So we try to ‘white-knuckle’ it. We tell ourselves, ‘Next time, I’ll be brave.’ But we fail again. Why?”
Leo shrugged. “Because we’re cowards?”
“Because courage is a byproduct, not the source,” Marcus corrected. “The text says Joseph was ‘waiting for the kingdom of God.’ That was his defining characteristic. For a long time, he thought he could wait for God’s Kingdom while comfortably inhabiting the world’s kingdom. He thought he could have both.”
Marcus leaned in, his voice dropping an octave, cutting through the coffee shop chatter. “The struggle you’re feeling isn’t just psychological, Leo. It’s not just you being ‘chicken.’ It’s a clash of kingdoms. You are trying to protect your standing in the kingdom of Tech Sales while secretly hoping for the Kingdom of God. But you can’t protect both. Eventually, one has to be sacrificed for the other.”
Leo looked out the window at the passing traffic. “So what do I do? Quit? Go work for a non-profit?”
“No,” Marcus said firmly. “Joseph didn’t leave the Council to go live in the desert. He used his position. But he had to make a pivot. He had to stop protecting his reputation and start spending it.”
Marcus tapped the open page. “It says he ‘gathered up courage’ and went to Pilate. That phrase—’gathered up courage’—implies he didn’t have it beforehand. He had to scrape it together. Why? Because the Kingdom he was waiting for suddenly became more real to him than the Council he sat on. He saw the King dead on a cross, and realized, ‘My silence didn’t save Him. My silence just made me safe.'”
Leo felt a sting behind his eyes. “My silence makes me safe,” he whispered. “That’s it. That’s the idol.”
“The question,” Marcus said, closing his Bible, “is not ‘Will I be brave?’ The question is, ‘Which Kingdom is real to me right now?’ If the approval of your VP is the most real thing in your universe, you will always laugh at her jokes. You can’t help it. We always worship the most powerful thing in the room. You have to decide if Jesus is more powerful than Sarah.”
Three days later, the opportunity for the pivot arrived. It wasn’t dramatic. There was no ominous music. It was just a Tuesday lunch meeting in a glass-walled conference room.
The team was discussing the rollout of the new “Apex” targeting system. The client, a massive online gambling platform, was pushing for a feature that would specifically re-target users who had self-identified as “recovering” or had searched for addiction help, framing it as a “relapse prevention” tool that was actually designed to trigger engagement.
It was subtle, dark, and incredibly profitable.
“It’s technically compliant,” the Project Lead, Dave, said, flashing a slide full of legal jargon. “The algorithm just looks for ‘high-intent’ keywords. If they’re looking for help, they’re looking for a solution. We’re just offering them… entertainment.”
A few chuckles around the room. Leo felt that familiar tightening in his chest. The “Secret Agent” instinct kicked in. Stay quiet, it whispered. You’re the new Senior Exec. Don’t rock the boat on your first week. Wait until you have more capital. Just look at your phone.
Leo looked at his phone. He saw a text from Marcus: Waiting for the Kingdom?
Leo looked up. He looked at Dave, a good guy with a mortgage who had convinced himself this was just data. He looked at Sarah, the VP, checking her watch.
He realized, suddenly, that he wasn’t afraid of them. They were just people. They were citizens of a kingdom that was passing away—a kingdom built on quarterly returns and fragile egos.
Leo cleared his throat. “I can’t sign off on this,” he said.
The room went quiet. The air conditioning hummed.
Sarah looked up from her watch, eyebrows raised. “Excuse me, Leo?”
“The ‘Recovering’ tag,” Leo said, his voice shaking slightly before steadying. “We’re framing it as compliance, but we’re building a trap for addicts. It’s predatory. I know we have revenue targets, and I’m all in on hitting them, but I can’t put my name on a tool that exploits vulnerable people to do it.”
Dave laughed nervously. “Leo, come on. It’s just an algorithm. It’s not personal.”
“It is personal,” Leo said. He didn’t quote a Bible verse. He didn’t stand on the table and preach. He just spoke from the reality of the Kingdom he belonged to—a Kingdom that values the broken over the profit margin. “My faith requires me to treat people with dignity, not just as data points. If we build this, we’re hurting people. I can’t be a part of that.”
The silence that followed was heavy. It lasted five seconds, then ten. Leo felt the heat rising in his neck. He imagined his promotion dissolving. He imagined the “social exile”—the missed lunch invites, the awkward pauses when he entered the room.
Then, Sarah sighed. She took off her glasses.
“I actually agree with Leo,” she said, sounding tired.
Heads turned.
“My brother has been in and out of rehab for ten years,” Sarah said, her voice devoid of its usual corporate sheen. “If I found out a company was targeting him like this, I’d burn them to the ground. I didn’t look closely enough at the specs.” She looked at Leo. “Thanks for catching it.”
The meeting shifted instantly. The “Apex” feature was scrapped. The team moved on to the next item.
It wasn’t a movie ending. Nobody applauded. After the meeting, Dave made a passive-aggressive comment about Leo being a “boy scout.” At the happy hour that Friday, Leo wasn’t invited. He sat in his cubicle and heard them laughing down the hall.
He had lost standing in the kingdom of the office. He was now “the religious guy” or “the moral compass” that killed the vibe.
But as he packed his bag, he felt a strange sensation. It wasn’t regret. It was lightness.
“So, you got un-invited to the cool kids’ table,” Marcus said the next week. They were walking through a park in the city center, the autumn leaves crunching under their boots.
“Yeah,” Leo said. “It’s weird. I’m definitely on the outside now. Dave barely makes eye contact. But… I don’t care. I thought I would be devastated, but I just feel…”
“Free?” Marcus suggested.
“Yeah. Free. Like I don’t have to remember which mask to wear anymore.”
“That’s the liberation of the Kingdom,” Marcus said. “When you stop hiding, you stop needing to manage your image. You burned the bridge back to the ‘Secret Agent’ life. Now you just have to be Leo, the follower of Jesus.”
“It did something else, too,” Leo added. “Yesterday, a junior dev, Emily, came by my desk. She closed the door. She asked me, ‘Did you really say that in the meeting about the addiction targeting?’ I told her yes. She started crying. She said she’s been a Christian for five years but has been terrified to let anyone know because she thought she’d get fired. She said she felt like Elijah—like she was the only one.”
Marcus smiled, a wide, genuine grin. “And you showed her she wasn’t alone.”
“I invited her to my small group,” Leo said. “She’s coming tonight.”
Marcus stopped walking and turned to face him. “That is spiritual authority, Leo. You traded social capital for spiritual authority. You lost a little bit of ‘cool’ with Dave, but you gained the ability to lead Emily. That’s the trade Joseph of Arimathea made. He lost his safety with the Council, but he gained the body of Jesus. He got to hold the King.”
Leo nodded, thinking about the trade. “It’s worth it,” he said.
“It is,” Marcus agreed. “But keep your head on a swivel. The test will come again. It always does. You’re not a secret anymore, which means you’re a target. But you’re also a lighthouse. And lighthouses get hit by waves, but they also show people where the rocks are.”
Leo took a deep breath of the crisp air. He felt grounded. The anxiety that had plagued him for months—the low-level hum of fraudulence—was gone. He was no longer waiting for the Kingdom in secret; he was living in it, right there in the middle of the tech district.
“I’m ready,” Leo said. And for the first time in a long time, he meant it.
Introduction
The defining characteristic of Joseph of Arimathea wasn’t his wealth or his seat on the Council, but that he was “waiting for the kingdom of God” (Mark 15:43). This Kingdom expectation is the pivot point of his story and ours. The struggle between secrecy and boldness is not merely a psychological battle between fear and courage; it is a clash of kingdoms. The central question for every disciple is this: Will we protect our standing in the kingdom of this world, or will we risk it all for the Kingdom that is coming? This Kernel explores how a robust vision of the Kingdom of God acts as the primary motivation for breaking silence, transforming secret admirers into public ambassadors.
Key Words and Phrases
Who was waiting for the kingdom of God – Uses the Greek word προσδέχομαι – prosdechomai – (Strong’s G4327), meaning to receive to one’s self, to admit, to give access to one’s self, receive one into intercourse and companionship, to accept (not to reject) a thing offered, or to actively expect the fulfillment of promises. The customer checked their tracking information, eagerly expecting to receive the package by the end of the day.
Being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one – “Secret” uses the Greek word κρύπτω – kryptō – (Strong’s G2928), meaning to hide, conceal, to be hid, or to escape notice. Joseph kept his faith hidden out of a paralyzing fear of the religious elite. The man hid the key under the mat so the visitors could secretly let themselves in.
Messianic Model – Focus on Jesus’ Example
Eagerly Awaited the Kingdom Although Jesus is the King and initiated the kingdom’s beginning, like Joseph, He also eagerly awaited its fulfillment. He spoke of it as being “at hand,” right at the door (Mark 1:15). He instructed His disciples to pray in such a way as to actively expect God’s Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10). During the Last Supper, He expressed His profound desire to drink the cup again in the Kingdom of His Father (Matthew 26:26-29).
The Strategic Secrecy of Jesus At first glance, it seems contradictory. Jesus is the “Light of the World,” yet the Gospels are filled with Him telling people to stay quiet, slipping away from crowds, and hiding in obscure towns. However, the Scriptures make it clear that this wasn’t cowardice; it was calculation. Jesus employed secrecy as a tool to control the timeline of His death, clarify the nature of His kingdom, and filter the casual crowd from committed followers.
1. Controlling the Timeline Jesus was on a divine schedule. He knew He was going to die, but it had to happen at the Passover to fulfill prophecy. After raising Lazarus, the Sanhedrin finalized their decision to kill Him (John 11:48). Knowing this, Jesus “no longer continued to walk publicly” but went to the wilderness city of Ephraim (John 11:54). He went underground not to escape the cross, but to ensure He arrived at it at the appointed hour.
2. Defining the Mission If Jesus had allowed unchecked hype around His miracles, the crowds would have hijacked His mission to turn the Suffering Servant into a political general. After feeding the 5,000, they intended to “take Him by force to make Him king,” but Jesus immediately withdrew to the mountain alone (John 6:15). Likewise, He frequently commanded demons to be silent (Mark 1:24-25; Mark 3:11-12; Luke 4:41) because He did not want the “Father of Lies” managing His public relations.
3. The Filter Secrecy acted as a sieve. Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds but explained everything in private to those He was discipling (Mark 4:34). This ensured that those willing to ask and follow received the deep mysteries of the Kingdom (Mark 7:17; Mark 9:30-31). He frequently hid to invest in the few, yet He always made time for those whose genuine faith pressed through the secrecy, like the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24; Matthew 15:21-28).
4. The “Messianic Secret” Jesus imposed strict silence orders on the healed (Mark 1:43-44; Mark 7:36) and even His inner circle after Peter’s confession (Mark 8:29-30; Matthew 16:20) and the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:9). This “secret” was temporary—a dam holding back revelation until the Cross and Resurrection broke it open.
In contrast to Jesus’ calculated use of secrecy for the mission, Joseph’s early motivation was explicitly recorded as fear, lacking a noble cause.
Key Theological Implications
Jesus draws a direct line between our willingness to identify with Him now and His willingness to identify with us in eternity.
The Reciprocal Nature of Confession: Jesus sets up a reciprocal relationship: “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him” (Matthew 10:32-33).
Being Ashamed: Jesus speaks specifically to the fear of social ostracization. “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him” (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26). Notice He includes being ashamed of “My words”—distancing ourselves from His specific, unpopular teachings to save face.
The Audience of Heaven: Fear of man drives denial, so Jesus reminds us of the greater audience: “everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8-9).
Grace and Restoration: It is vital to distinguish between apostasy and a moment of fear. Peter denied Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75), yet he wept, repented, and was publicly restored by Jesus (Mark 16:7; John 21:15-17). Joseph of Arimathea lived in hiding (John 19:38), but eventually “gathered up courage” to act boldly (Mark 15:43). The path to restoration is open through repentance; the warning is against a permanent lifestyle of shame and denial.
Contemporary Spiritual Significance
The tension between “Strategic Secrecy” and “Fearful Hiding” is a massive challenge today. We must discern the difference between wisdom and cowardice.
The “Secret Agent” Fallacy: Many believers think staying “undercover” gains them influence. However, prolonged secrecy usually leads to spiritual atrophy. Identifying yourself with Jesus early sets a boundary that protects you from compromising your conscience later.
Fear vs. Strategy: We often label our fear of being canceled or mocked as “wisdom.” Jesus’ secrecy advanced the mission; our secrecy often just protects our comfort. Ask those you are discipling: “Are you silent because the Spirit is checking you, or because your flesh is trembling?”
The “Pilate Moment”: Every secret disciple eventually faces a moment where their allegiance must go public. Joseph missed the opportunity during the trial, but he gathered his courage for the burial. God can use even a late bloom of courage to do a mighty work. Furthermore, secrecy breeds isolation. Your boldness can be the exact catalyst that encourages other “secret disciples” to step into the light.
The Transformative Power of Identifying with Jesus
Boldness is not just a duty; it is a gateway to spiritual vitality.
When you openly identify as a follower of Jesus, you are liberated from the exhaustion of image management. As Paul declared, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16).
There is also a direct link between boldness and the fullness of the Spirit. When the early believers prayed for boldness, they “were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Finally, in a generation starved for authenticity, your willingness to be identified with Jesus—even when it costs you—makes your witness incredibly credible and magnetic (Acts 4:13).
Conclusion
Joseph of Arimathea’s journey from the shadows to Pilate’s hall teaches us that the only cure for the fear of man is a greater fear of God—and a greater love for His Kingdom. We do not shed our secrecy simply by trying to be braver; we shed it by realizing that the Kingdom of God is the only reality that will last.
When we identify with Jesus, we are not just admitting a religious preference; we are pledging allegiance to the coming King. In the end, there is no such thing as a “secret” citizen of the Kingdom. We speak up not because we are heroes, but because we have seen the King, and He is worth the loss of this world’s applause.
Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see what Jesus taught about honor and humility.
So let’s dive in.
Luke 14:7-11
When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable: “When you are invited to a wedding banquet, do not sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited. Then the host who invited both of you will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ And in humiliation, you will have to take the last place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
My Thoughts
Jesus warns people about the folly of pride and arrogance several times throughout the Gospels. In fact, when you survey the entire Bible, you see God elevating the humble and tearing down the proud all the time. It is a consistent scenario from cover to cover.
So, why do the Scriptures pay so much attention to this theme?
Here’s my guess; I’ve heard it said that pride is the root of all sin and if left unchecked, it elevates oneself above people and more dangerously, above God. It is the beginning of rebellion against Him. It says; “I know better. I will choose what I like despite the Creator’s demands. I will be the captain of my own life.”
Pride is like cancer and the Holy Spirit is committed to removing it from our lives. You see the Great Surgeon using His skillful skalpel in men like Moses, David, Joseph, Peter, and Paul. They all had to go into the OR as they went from hero to zero and back to hero again. Other characters, despite the Surgeon’s efforts, never make it out alive.
But it would be a mistake to misunderstand Jesus. He is not against greatness or honor. In fact he explicitly instructs people on how to achieve both. “If you want to be great, serve. If you want to be honored, take the low place. It’s up to others and ultimately the Lord, to elevate us to places of honor and prominence.
Grabbing it for ourselves is a sure fire way to find the bottom.
My Story
I was having a discussion with my mentor. It was something we had been doing for more than twenty years. But this time it was different. I disagreed with him at some point in our dialogue and made sure he knew it. As I got up to get more coffee, I thought to myself, “That was a good comeback. Now the student is teaching the teacher.” Just then I stepped on a wet spot and slammed my knee straight into the floor of the restaurant. It shattered in three pieces and I was on my way to surgery and six months of recovery. Coincidence? Maybe. Was I being arrogant, prideful, and haughty? Without a doubt. Just saying…
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
Do a Bible study on pride and humility. Here’s some verses to begin with; (Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 29:23, Isaiah 2:11, James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:5, Proverbs 18:12, Psalm 10:4, Proverbs 21:4, Jeremiah 9:23, 1 Corinthians 10:12, Galatians 6:3, Philippians 2:3, Proverbs 26:12, Isaiah 13:11, Romans 12:16, 1 John 2:16, Proverbs 15:25, 2 Chronicles 26:16, Proverbs 27:2)
Do a Bible character study and observe how God develops their humility.
Have a discussion with someone you are mentoring about pride. (Be careful not to step on any wet spots)
It is quite clear that God hates pride and is committed to rooting it out of us. As disciple makers we are stewards not only of outward actions but also the heart. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to carve out this dangerous disease and help others do the same.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
