Using 21st century accounting, Jesus is the picture of success in the 14th chapter of Luke: large following, huge church building, bulging parking lot, THE messiah. But he was a 1st century rabbi and it was time to thin the herd. He wasn’t the messiah that they were looking for. And following Jesus was, is and will always be a life-style not a hobby. You have to “all in” to be a disciple of Christ but don’t try it on your own.
To be sure, Jesus is not into the church growth movement, not into the trendy praise music much less a glitzy building. Jesus expects the same from these new arrivals on the journey as he does from his first 12 called disciples. Jesus called, they dropped nets, or coins or whatever they were doing and they followed.
These crowds have joined the “Jesus train” because of the blessings and healings and everything else that comes with kingdom living. But wait, there’s more…much more! Hate your family; bear your cross; do the math and give it all up! That’s what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
What Jesus was trying to get them to understand that following him was not going to be easy, there was a cross involved, a crown of thorns and a whole lot of other stuff before they got to the glory and eternal life part. So he helps them out by doing a cost-analysis Jesus-style.
Listening to 1st century scripture with 21st century ears requires discernment and a bit of explanation, not to soften the call to discipleship but to understand it in its original context and how we can relate to it at this time and in this place.
Requirement number one seems simple enough…and dramatic! Hate your mother, father, brother, sister wife, children, even your own life. The 1st century ear would have heard the word “hate” as literally detaching oneself from or turning away from someone or something. This was drastic when you consider that in the 1st century without a family you were nothing.
There was no such thing as “I” and blood ties were important. No family equaled no social existence. That is what made being a widow or orphan so bad. There was no one on whom that they could rely. That’s really radical and counter-cultural stuff when Jesus says they should detach themselves from their families.
Requirement number two: carry the cross. What does the cross mean to you? There is no “correct” answer to this one because it can mean so many different things: see the one that world overlooks, loving the marginalized even if the world will punish you for that action. Yes, the cross is salvation for sure but this story is situated BEFORE Jesus gets to Jerusalem and Golgotha. To carry the cross can mean that we will carry the results of our choices, burdens and realities of kingdom living and living the gospel out loud.
Requirement number three is “do the math.” In using the two analogies of the builder and king considering a battle, I believe that Jesus was addressing the character of our Christian lives. It is a way of living, a way of being, that we are called to be and do certain things as disciples of Christ.
We already have grace and forgiveness through the love of God in Christ. The reality is that the Christian life is expensive – we are called to expend time, talents and treasures for the good of the kingdom of God.
Do a cost analysis. Who doesn’t do a such an analysis in the 21st century? Before we signed our youngest up for baseball or scouts or rowing, we always calculated the cost: missed family outings, investment in equipment, time and money spent shuttling to and from events every Saturday. And we decided that it was worth it, especially given the enjoyment, exercise and relationship and team building opportunities that each provided. Even if that meant sometimes missing church and Sunday activities. As a parent, I get it. I really get it. It’s hard.
As a parent of now young adults, I hope and pray, that in the long run that they have a life marked by relationship with God in Christ and that they know that they are beloved children of God and that they will always consider the cost when making important decisions. That they will imagine that church is just as important as a sport or career that might take them away on Sunday mornings.
Requirement number four: Give it up! Be all in! Does being a disciple the number one priority in your life? This requirement is so radical because Jesus is asking the question of us, “who and whose are you?” There is a baptism tie in here: when we are baptized our last name is not used. Why? So that it is clear that, even though we are not renouncing our familial ties, they are no longer the most important. Being called “child of God” is now the most important. Our relationship with God is priority and all else is secondary. We dead in sin and risen in Christ.
Yes, Jesus expects us to be “all in” as a disciple. An interesting aspect gets lost in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. We read “not able to be my disciple” when it could be read as something that we really, really want to do but are not able to do.
Does that mean that we will never be able to be disciples no matter how hard we try and no matter how deep our desire to be one? Yes, however there never was, never is and never will be a requirement for us to do it alone.
Consider the words of the angel Gabriel in the first chapter of Luke when he was breaking the good news to Mary that she was pregnant with Jesus, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” The same holds true with our ability to be disciples. For nothing is impossible with God. We can’t be disciples on our own or in a vacuum. It can be done in relationship with God.
A colleague shared that when he heard this as a child he was very confused – he wanted to be a good follower of Christ and love God but not hate his family. This passage scares people. It’s important to remember that before Jesus was telling us to count the cost, to discern what it means to say “I love Jesus” and live like it, we heard Jesus say in Luke 12 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
In our baptism, we have the promise of God that he will always have our back. We can be “all in” and we don’t have to worry about doing it on our own!