What Jesus requires us to give up to follow him is infinitely small in comparison to what he gives us. Namely, we are given a new identity: restored children of God. We are given a new destination: heaven—eternal life in God’s forever kingdom. We are given a new destiny: ambassadors for Christ in this life and co-regents in his ever-expanding, life-teaming universes in the age to come. And we are given every spiritual blessing in his Father’s treasury: joy, satisfaction, healing, divine authority, power over the forces of darkness, forgiveness of sin, peace with God, the indwelling Holy Spirit, restoration of the pre-fall Adamic potential—God powers of rulership and creativity, and on and on the list of blessings goes. For sure, we get the better end of the stick in this deal—by far!
The Journey: Luke 14:25-27
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “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. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Unfortunately, in modern American Christianity, we often start with the negative rather than focusing on the positive. We do this especially as it relates to faith: we begin with what we have to give up to follow Jesus rather than what we gain. If we were in sales (which, in a very real sense, as evangelical believers, we are “selling” Jesus to unbelievers, we would probably not make very many sales. And that may explain why church growth by conversion is quite stale in our culture.
Now to be sure, in Luke 9:23, Jesus did talk about discipleship in terms of self-denial (let him deny himself), daily cross bearing (take up his cross) and unreserved followership (follow me). In truth, we have to untether from the shore of our fallen nature and our corrupt culture in order to set sail on the oceans of faith.
And Jesus was always very clear about that because, as we see in Luke 9, and here in Luke 14, and again in any place and time where people are attracted to him, he will make clear in no uncertain terms that he doesn’t just want adoring crowds, he wants committed discipleships. In fact, Jesus said something that to our modern ears is quite stunning, and not in a good way, in Luke 14:25. He boldly stated that one has to hate his mother and father in order to truly follow him.
Now what in the world did he mean by that. Well, Jesus was using an appropriate form of speech called hyperbole—exaggeration to make a critical point. Of course, he doesn’t want us to actually hate our parents, or anyone for that matter. We are called in the Great Commandment to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves, and only by this can we really claim that we love our God with all of our heart, mind and strength. (Luke 10:25-28)
So the point Jesus is making in such a dramatic way is that our passionate commitment for him must be so strong and unquestionable that our affection for our families (or whatever we hold most dear) would pale by comparison—that when put side-by-side, it would be considered hatred. In other words, the clear priority of our lives must be unqualified loyalty, unconditional love and unreserved followership as Christ followers.
Still, what Jesus requires us to give up is infinitely small in comparison to what he gives us. Namely, we are given a new identity: restored children of God. We are given a new destination: heaven—eternal life in the forever kingdom of God. We are given a new destiny: ambassadors for Christ in this life and co-regents in his ever-expanding, life-teaming universes in the age to come. And we are given every spiritual blessing in his Father’s treasury: joy, satisfaction, healing, divine authority, power over the forces of darkness, forgiveness of sin, peace with God, the indwelling Holy Spirit, restoration of the pre-fall Adamic potential—God powers of rulership and creativity (see Genesis 21:28, “You shall be fruitful and increase…you have subdue and rule.”) and on and on the list of blessings goes.
Now who wouldn’t be willing to give their right arm to have all that? Actually, who wouldn’t be willing to die to their sinful self in order to come alive to all that Jesus gives when we unreservedly surrender to him? No one in their right mind would reject that!
Yes, we get the far better end of the stick in this transaction—by far. Perhaps we ought to start with that when we talk to those who don’t know Jesus yet.
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