| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | On the Road Podcast | Website |
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
| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | On the Road Podcast | Website |
