16 June 2018 — Ser un discipulo
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The gospel calls sinners to self-denial, challenging them to take up their cross daily and follow unreservedly the Lord Jesus Christ (). It is God-centered, not man-centered, calls for self-abasement, not self-love, self-sacrifice, not self-fulfillment, and is spiritually focused, not psychologically motivated. Those who respond to it willingly submit everything to the Lord Jesus Christ.
But as I noted in my book Hard to Believe, the true gospel has increasingly been replaced by a consumer-friendly counterfeit:
The first role of successful merchandising is to give consumers what they want. If they want bigger burgers, make their burgers bigger. Designer bottled water in six fruit flavors? Done. Minivans with ten cup holders? Give them twenty. You’ve got to keep the customer satisfied. You’ve got to modify your product and your message to meet their needs if you want to build a market and get ahead of the competition.
Today this same consumer mind-set has invaded Christianity. The church service is too long, you say? We’ll shorten it (one pastor guarantees his sermons will never last more than seven minutes!). Too formal? Wear your sweatsuit. Too boring? Wait’ll you hear our band!
And if the message is too confrontational, or too judgmental, or too exclusive, scary, unbelievable, hard to understand, or too much anything else for your taste, churches everywhere are eager to adjust that message to make you more comfortable. This new version of Christianity makes you a partner on the team, a design consultant on church life, and does away with old-fashioned authority, guilt trips, accountability, and moral absolutes.
One suburban church sent out a mailer recently, promising an “informal, relaxed, casual atmosphere,” “great music from our band,” and that those who come will, “believe it or not, even have fun.” That’s all great if you’re a coffee house. But anyone who claims to be calling people to the gospel of Jesus with those as his priorities is calling them to a lie.
It’s Christianity for consumers: Christianity Lite, the redirection, watering down, and misinterpretation of the biblical gospel in an attempt to make it more palatable and popular. It tastes great going down and settles light. It seems to salve your feelings and scratch your itch; it’s custom-tailored to your preferences. But that lightness will never fill you up with the true, saving gospel of Jesus Christ, because it is designed by man and not God, and it is hollow and worthless. In fact, it’s worse than worthless, because people who hear the message of Christianity Lite think they’re hearing the gospel—think they’re being rescued from eternal judgment—when, in fact, they’re being tragically misled.
The true gospel is a call to self-denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment. And that puts it in opposition to the contemporary evangelical gospel, where ministers view Jesus as a utilitarian genie. You rub the lamp, and He jumps out and says you have whatever you want; you give Him your list and He delivers. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003, 1–2)
In contrast to “Christianity Lite,” the true Christian gospel does not offer heaven on earth, but heaven in heaven. It produces genuine disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not superficial hangers on. This section, as the threefold repetition of the term “disciple” (vv. 26, 27, 33) indicates, is about what it means to be a genuine follower of Christ. It is an evangelistic call by Jesus to come to Him (v. 26), which is to come after Him (v. 27); to be a real disciple, not a would-be, potential, or peripheral one.
The Greek word translated “disciple” (mathētēs) is a broad term that identifies a learner or a student. In ancient Jewish culture, rabbis were itinerant, traveling about accompanied by their disciples. Though He was never recognized as one by the religious establishment, Jesus was often called a rabbi (e.g., ; ; ; , ; ; ; ; ; ), in part because like the rabbis, He was a traveling teacher who had disciples. Those early disciples were at varying levels of commitment, ranging from the fully committed, to the nominally committed, to the uncommitted curiosity seekers. Over the course of His ministry, Jesus made the requirements for being a genuine disciple clearer and expressed them in more absolute terms. As a result, the superficial disciples began to abandon Him (, ; cf. ), especially as Israel’s attitude toward Him hardened into unbelief and rejection. By the time His ministry drew to a close, Jesus had become even more definitive about discipleship. The term “disciple” underwent a metamorphosis, and took on a purer, more restricted meaning, so that by the book of Acts it became a synonym for “Christian” (11:26; cf. 26:28) and described those who were true redeemed believers in Jesus Christ (6:1–7; 9:1, 10, 19; 9:26, 36, 38; 11:29; 13:52; 14:20–22, 28; 15:10; 16:1; 18:23, 27; 19:9, 30; 20:1, 30; 21:4, 16).
The previous chapter of Luke’s gospel closed with the Lord’s pronouncement of judgment on the nation of Israel and its leaders for rejecting Him (see the exposition of 13:34–35 in chapter 20 of this volume). But Jesus still invited individuals to become His disciples, as He did in this passage (cf. 12:8; 18:18–24). This section comes at a strategic point in Luke’s gospel. It is obvious from the preceding passages that the Jewish religious leaders, confident in their law-keeping, traditions, and rituals, did not know how to be saved, and therefore could not lead the people to salvation (cf. 6:39; ). They trusted in their religious ceremonies and moral achievements, refusing to humble themselves, which resulted in their being shut out of the kingdom (14:24) along with all who followed them. They could lead no one to salvation. They only produced “sons of hell” hijo del infierno ().
hijo del infierno ().
In contrast to the religious leaders’ damning ignorance, Luke records Jesus’ authoritative teaching on the true way of salvation. The Lord used several metaphors to describe salvation, such as entering God’s kingdom (18:24), having eternal life (18:18), and being confessed by Him before God and the holy angels (12:8–9). Here He equated salvation with becoming His disciple.
Some, however, in serious error, misconstrue the Lord’s teaching here and deny that it is an invitation to salvation. They suggest that Jesus is addressing here those who were already saved but not disciples following Him; those who had acknowledged Him as Savior, but not as Lord. Jesus was, they maintain, calling such people to move up from salvation to a higher level of commitment and become disciples; confusing Paul’s terminology, we could say that He was urging them to stop being carnal Christians and become spiritual Christians ( KJV). But that turns our Lord from an evangelist into a deeper or higher life teacher—even though He explicitly said that He came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (), and that He did “not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (). As noted above, in the book of Acts “disciple” is used synonymously with “Christian.” Therefore to become a disciple of Christ is not to move to a higher plane in the Christian life, it is to be saved; to pass from death to life (); from darkness to light (); from Satan’s kingdom to Christ’s ().
What Jesus asked for in this passage is amazingly extreme. He did not call for a makeover, but demanded a takeover. He challenged sinners to acknowledge Him as sovereign Lord, divine dictator, ruler, controller, king, and master. Jesus never called for anyone to pray a short, easy prayer to receive eternal life. Nor did He manipulate anyone to make an emotional decision, or give a false assurance of salvation to shallow interest. He never taught that the way to heaven is broad and easy, but warned that
porque estrecha es la puerta, y angosto el camino que lleva a la vida, y pocos son los que la hallan.
and said that people would have to force their way into it ().
No todo el que me dice: Señor, Señor, entrará en el reino de los cielos, sino el que hace la voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos.
Mateo
Only those who continue in His word () and whose lives manifest the fruit of salvation (; cf. ) are truly His disciples, and only disciples are saved from hell’s judgment.
“the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (), and said that people would have to force their way into it (). “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,” He cautioned, “but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (). Only those who continue in His word () and whose lives manifest the fruit of salvation (; cf. ) are truly His disciples, and only disciples are saved from hell’s judgment.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,” He cautioned, “but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (). Only those who continue in His word () and whose lives manifest the fruit of salvation (; cf. ) are truly His disciples, and only disciples are saved from hell’s judgment.
The Lord’s evangelistic methodology is in striking contrast to that of today’s pop church approach. Pastors and evangelists, pursuing mass responses, seek to eliminate barriers and make it as easy as possible for people to respond to the message. Jesus, however, did the opposite. He made extreme, exclusive, and absolute statements to discourage superficial responders.
No penséis que he venido para traer paz a la tierra; no he venido para traer paz, sino espada.
In two brief parables, Jesus likened salvation in God’s kingdom to a hidden treasure and a valuable pearl, which people sold all that they possessed to obtain (). It may be necessary to give up families and possessions for His sake and the gospel’s (), and face the world’s hatred (; ). The Lord solemnly warned would-be followers,
Y decía a todos: Si alguno quiere venir en pos de mí, niéguese a sí mismo, tome su cruz cada día, y sígame.
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth” He declared, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (). In two brief parables, Jesus likened salvation in God’s kingdom to a hidden treasure and a valuable pearl, which people sold all that they possessed to obtain (). It may be necessary to give up families and possessions for His sake and the gospel’s (), and face the world’s hatred (; ). The Lord solemnly warned would-be followers, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (; cf. ; ), because “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal” ().
because
El que ama su vida, la perderá; y el que aborrece su vida en este mundo, para vida eterna la guardará.
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (; cf. ; ), because “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal” ().
This passage does not reveal every aspect of salvation truth. It does not mention God’s holiness, human sin, divine judgment, Christ’s saving work on the cross, or salvation by grace through faith. Its focus is not on the objective facts of the gospel, but rather the subjective attitude of the radical, extreme faith commitment that must exist in the hearts of those who trust Christ savingly. Those who fall short of such commitment to Him will perish eternally (; ; ). Heaven awaits those who give up everything; who repent, raise the empty hands of faith, and confess Jesus as Lord and themselves as His slaves as they receive the free gift of salvation.
“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal” ().
This passage does not reveal every aspect of salvation truth. It does not mention God’s holiness, human sin, divine judgment, Christ’s saving work on the cross, or salvation by grace through faith. Its focus is not on the objective facts of the gospel, but rather the subjective attitude of the radical, extreme faith commitment that must exist in the hearts of those who trust Christ savingly. Those who fall short of such commitment to Him will perish eternally (; ; ). Heaven awaits those who give up everything; who repent, raise the empty hands of faith, and confess Jesus as Lord and themselves as His slaves as they receive the free gift of salvation.
This text reveals three things that mark true disciples of Jesus Christ: abandonment of past priorities, appraisal of present powers, and allegiance to future privileges.
MacArthur, J. (2013). (pp. 278–282). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.
Body
Annie Dillard, in her essay An Expedition to the Pole, describes the ill-fated Franklin expedition Expedición de Franklin that perished because its preparations were adapted to the posh conditions of the Royal Navy officers’ clubs in England rather than to the harsh realities of the Arctic. perecieron porque sus preparativos se adaptaron a las condiciones elegantes de los clubes de oficiales de la Royal Navy (Marina Real) en Inglaterra en lugar de a las duras realidades del Ártico.
In 1845, el capitán Sir John Franklin and 138 officers and men embarked from England to find the northwest passage across the high Canadian Arctic to the Pacific Ocean. para encontrar el paso del noroeste a través del alto Ártico canadiense hasta el Océano Pacífico. They sailed in two three-masted barques. Navegaron en dos barcas de tres mástiles. Each sailing vessel carried an auxiliary steam engine and a twelve-day supply of coal for the entire projected two or three years’ voyage. Cada velero llevaba una máquina de vapor auxiliar y un suministro de carbón para doce días durante todo el viaje proyectado de dos o tres años. Instead of additional coal carbón, according to L.P. Kirwan, each ship made room for a 1,200-volume library, “a hand-organ, playing fifty tunes,” china place settings for officers and men, cut-glass wine goblets, and sterling silver flatware. platos de porcelana para oficiales y hombres, copas de vino de cristal tallado y cubiertos de plata. The officers’ sterling silver knives, forks and spoons were particularly interesting. The silver was of ornate Victorian design, very heavy at the handles and richly patterned. Engraved on the handles were the individual officers’ initials and family crests. Los cuchillos, tenedores y cucharas de plata esterlina de los oficiales fueron particularmente interesantes. La plata era de diseño victoriano adornado, muy pesada en las manijas y ricamente estampada. Grabado en las manijas eran las iniciales de los oficiales individuales y las crestas de la familia. The expedition carried no special clothing for the Arctic, only the uniforms of Her Majesty’s Navy.
The ships set out in high dudgeon, amid enormous glory and fanfare Las naves se pusieron en marcha, en medio de una enorme gloria y fanfarria..…Two months later a British whaling captain met the two barques in Lancaster Sound Estrecho de Lancaster; he reported back to England on the high spirits of officers and men. He was the last European to see any of them alive.
Years later, civilization learned that many groups of Inuit—Eskimos Esquimales—had hazarded across tableaux involving various still-living or dead members of the Franklin expedition. Some had glimpsed, for instance, men pushing and pulling a wooden boat across the ice. Some had found, at a place called Starvation Cove, en la península de Adelaida this boat, or a similar one, and the remains of the thirty-five men who had been dragging it. At Terror Bay the Inuit found a tent on the ice, and in it, thirty bodies. At Simpson Strait some Inuit had seen a very odd sight: The pack ice pierced by the three protruding wooden masts of a barque. El hielo perforado por los tres mástiles de madera que sobresalen de una barca.
For twenty years, search parties recovered skeletons from all over the frozen sea.… Accompanying one clump of frozen bodies … were place settings of sterling silver flatware engraved with officers’ initials and family crests. Acompañando a un grupo de cuerpos congelados ... se allaron cubiertos de plata esterlina cubiertos con iniciales de oficiales y crestas familiares.
Another search party found two skeletons in a boat on a sledge trineo. They had hauled the boat sixty-five miles. With the two skeletons were some chocolate, some guns, some tea, and a great deal of table silver. Many miles south of these two was another skeleton, alone. This was a frozen officer.… The skeleton was in uniform: trousers and jacket “of fine blue cloth … edged with silk braid, with sleeves slashed and bearing five covered buttons each. Over this uniform the dead man had worn a blue greatcoat, with a black silk neckerchief.” That was the Franklin expedition.
Sir John Franklin and 138 men perished because they underestimated the requirements of Arctic exploration subestimaron los requisitos de la exploración del Ártico. They ignorantly imagined a pleasure cruise amidst the comforts of their English officers’ clubs un crucero de placer en medio de las comodidades de sus clubes de oficiales ingleses. They exchanged necessities for luxuries, and their ignorance led to their death. Intercambiaron necesidades por lujos, y su ignorancia los llevó a la muerte.
In Jesus’ life was set on going to Jerusalem, where he had determined to die. As he had explicitly said,
Y puso las manos sobre ella; y ella se enderezó luego, y glorificaba a Dios.
Sin embargo, es necesario que hoy y mañana y pasado mañana siga mi camino; porque no es posible que un profeta muera fuera de Jerusalén.
Y puso las manos sobre ella; y ella se enderezó luego, y glorificaba a Dios.Pero el principal de la sinagoga, enojado de que Jesús hubiese sanado en el día de reposo, dijo a la gente: Seis días hay en que se debe trabajar; en éstos, pues, venid y sed sanados, y no en día de reposo.
A rough voyage lay ahead for Jesus and his followers.
“In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” (13:33). A rough voyage lay ahead for Jesus and his followers.
But presently great multitudes were constantly around Jesus because of his kingdom preaching and power. In today’s terms there were throngs of “gapers,” hangers-on with no commitment. And they conducted themselves as if they were on the way to a holiday feast. So Jesus gave them a reality check as he laid out in unforgettable terms the cost of being a disciple. The whole passage is a grand unity consisting of a brief introduction (v. 25), two parallel sayings on discipleship (vv. 26, 27), two parabolic sayings (vv. 28–33), and a memorable conclusion (vv. 34, 35). Jesus did for his followers what Sir John Franklin failed to do for his. Any would-be disciple who listened would understand that discipleship would cost him dearly, though the benefit of following Christ would make it all worthwhile.
THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP (VV. 26, 27)
The Relational Cost
Grandes multitudes iban con él; y volviéndose, les dijo:
Jesus’ opening declaration was a shocker:
Si alguno viene a mí, y no aborrece a su padre, y madre, y mujer, e hijos, y hermanos, y hermanas, y aun también su propia vida, no puede ser mi discípulo.
Jesus’ opening declaration was a shocker: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple” (v. 26). Joseph Ernest Renan, the nineteenth-century author of the blasphemous The Life of Jesus, seized this text to declare that Jesus was “trampling under foot everything that is human—blood and love and country … despising the healthy limits of man’s nature … abolishing all natural ties.” In an effort to make Jesus appear monstrous, Renan ignored Jesus’ regular use of startling, penetrating paradox to make his point. As the esteemed New Testament scholar Alfred Plummer pointed out, “Jesus, as often, states a principle in a startling way, and leaves his hearers to find out the qualifications” (cf. 6:29, 30; ). Jesus wanted his listeners to think.
Joseph Ernest Renan, the nineteenth-century author of the blasphemous The Life of Jesus, seized this text to declare that Jesus was “trampling under foot everything that is human—blood and love and country … despising the healthy limits of man’s nature … abolishing all natural ties.” In an effort to make Jesus appear monstrous, Renan ignored Jesus’ regular use of startling, penetrating paradox to make his point. As the esteemed New Testament scholar Alfred Plummer pointed out, “Jesus, as often, states a principle in a startling way, and leaves his hearers to find out the qualifications” (cf. 6:29, 30; ). Jesus wanted his listeners to think.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple” (v. 26). Joseph Ernest Renan, the nineteenth-century author of the blasphemous The Life of Jesus, seized this text to declare that Jesus was “trampling under foot everything that is human—blood and love and country … despising the healthy limits of man’s nature … abolishing all natural ties.” In an effort to make Jesus appear monstrous, Renan ignored Jesus’ regular use of startling, penetrating paradox to make his point. As the esteemed New Testament scholar Alfred Plummer pointed out, “Jesus, as often, states a principle in a startling way, and leaves his hearers to find out the qualifications” (cf. 6:29, 30; ). Jesus wanted his listeners to think.
Certainly, in the full light of the New Testament, Jesus was not demanding an unqualified hatred aborrece. He could not command, “Honor your father and mother” Honra a tu padre y a tu madre and demand that we also hate them. He could not command,
Maridos, amad a vuestras mujeres, así como Cristo amó a la iglesia, y se entregó a sí mismo por ella,
Honra a tu padre y a tu madre
and then advise them to hate their spouses. Jesus, who so loved little children that
Y tomándolos en los brazos, poniendo las manos sobre ellos, los bendecía.
Reina Valera Revisada (1960). (1998). (). Miami: Sociedades Bı́blicas Unidas. (), and demand that we also hate them. He could not command, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (), and then advise them to hate their spouses. Jesus, who so loved little children that “he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them” (), could not advise their parents to hate them. Neither could he advise his followers to “be reconciled to your brother” (), and then encourage brotherly hatred. How could he command, “Love your enemies” (), and then call us to hate our friends? The truth is, in the Biblically recommended sense that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (cf. ) and to love one another as Christ has loved us (cf. , ), we cannot love others too much! We can focus on our family too much, we can dote on our loved ones too much, but we cannot love them too much. Further, in the final clause Jesus recommended that each of his followers must hate “even his own life.” Jesus could not be recommending a psychologically destructive loathing of existence. What Jesus was saying paradoxically was that our love for him must be so great and so pervasive that our natural love of self and family pales in comparison. We are to subordinate everything, even our own being, to our love and commitment to Christ. He is to be our first loyalty. All other relationships must take second place.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (), and then advise them to hate their spouses. Jesus, who so loved little children that “he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them” (), could not advise their parents to hate them. Neither could he advise his followers to “be reconciled to your brother” (), and then encourage brotherly hatred. How could he command, “Love your enemies” (), and then call us to hate our friends? The truth is, in the Biblically recommended sense that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (cf. ) and to love one another as Christ has loved us (cf. , ), we cannot love others too much! We can focus on our family too much, we can dote on our loved ones too much, but we cannot love them too much. Further, in the final clause Jesus recommended that each of his followers must hate “even his own life.” Jesus could not be recommending a psychologically destructive loathing of existence. What Jesus was saying paradoxically was that our love for him must be so great and so pervasive that our natural love of self and family pales in comparison. We are to subordinate everything, even our own being, to our love and commitment to Christ. He is to be our first loyalty. All other relationships must take second place.
could not advise their parents to hate them. Neither could he advise his followers to
deja allí tu ofrenda delante del altar, y anda, reconcíliate primero con tu hermano, y entonces ven y presenta tu ofrenda.
and then encourage brotherly hatred. How could he command, “Love your enemies” Amad a vuestros enemigos, and then call us to hate our friends? The truth is, in the Biblically recommended sense that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (cf. ) and to love one another as Christ has loved us (cf. , ), we cannot love others too much! We can focus on our family too much, we can dote on our loved ones too much, but we cannot love them too much. Further, in the final clause Jesus recommended that each of his followers must hate “even his own life.” Jesus could not be recommending a psychologically destructive loathing of existence. What Jesus was saying paradoxically was that our love for him must be so great and so pervasive that our natural love of self and family pales in comparison. We are to subordinate everything, even our own being, to our love and commitment to Christ. He is to be our first loyalty. All other relationships must take second place.
“he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them” (), could not advise their parents to hate them. Neither could he advise his followers to “be reconciled to your brother” (), and then encourage brotherly hatred. How could he command, “Love your enemies” (), and then call us to hate our friends? The truth is, in the Biblically recommended sense that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (cf. ) and to love one another as Christ has loved us (cf. , ), we cannot love others too much! We can focus on our family too much, we can dote on our loved ones too much, but we cannot love them too much. Further, in the final clause Jesus recommended that each of his followers must hate “even his own life.” Jesus could not be recommending a psychologically destructive loathing of existence. What Jesus was saying paradoxically was that our love for him must be so great and so pervasive that our natural love of self and family pales in comparison. We are to subordinate everything, even our own being, to our love and commitment to Christ. He is to be our first loyalty. All other relationships must take second place.
“be reconciled to your brother” (), and then encourage brotherly hatred. How could he command, “Love your enemies” (), and then call us to hate our friends? The truth is, in the Biblically recommended sense that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (cf. ) and to love one another as Christ has loved us (cf. , ), we cannot love others too much! We can focus on our family too much, we can dote on our loved ones too much, but we cannot love them too much. Further, in the final clause Jesus recommended that each of his followers must hate “even his own life.” Jesus could not be recommending a psychologically destructive loathing of existence. What Jesus was saying paradoxically was that our love for him must be so great and so pervasive that our natural love of self and family pales in comparison. We are to subordinate everything, even our own being, to our love and commitment to Christ. He is to be our first loyalty. All other relationships must take second place.
Amad a vuestros enemigos (), and then call us to hate our friends? The truth is, in the Biblically recommended sense that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves (cf. ) and to love one another as Christ has loved us (cf. , ), we cannot love others too much! We can focus on our family too much, we can dote on our loved ones too much, but we cannot love them too much. Further, in the final clause Jesus recommended that each of his followers must hate “even his own life.” Jesus could not be recommending a psychologically destructive loathing of existence. What Jesus was saying paradoxically was that our love for him must be so great and so pervasive that our natural love of self and family pales in comparison. We are to subordinate everything, even our own being, to our love and commitment to Christ. He is to be our first loyalty. All other relationships must take second place.
So with a harsh, enigmatic epigram, Con una pequeña frase dura y difícil de entender Jesus yanks us from our dreamworld. “Do you fancy yourself a disciple? Do you think you are going to follow me? Well then you must love me so much that your love for your family seems like hatred in comparison! Hate your own life. Otherwise, don’t pretend to be following me!” Jesus’ words astonish us.
This is where so many of us fall short. In the secularized, anti-family culture of today, our family is at the center of our Christian ethic. And that is proper. But some of us love our wives, husbands, and children more than we love God. We miss the mark when we put their development athletically, intellectually, culturally, artistically, socially before their spiritual well-being. We fall short when we spend more time in the car in one day shuttling them to games and lessons than we do in a month in prayer for their souls. By comparison, our lives reveal that we hate God and love our children disproportionately—and that we are not Jesus’ disciples.
The paradox is that the proper way to love our children is to “hate” them because our greater love for God will enable us to love them with a greater love! Disciples are the best lovers of God and of family and friends. Disciples must always be ready to “hate”—to give second place to everything and everyone else. The relational cost of discipleship may seem harsh at first. But in right perspective and priority this focuses our lives and makes them richer and fuller. Accepting discipleship’s costliness produces a sweet saltiness, as we will see.
The Sacrificial Cost
Jesus then cited the vast relational Calvary cost of discipleship:
Y el que no lleva su cruz y viene en pos de mí, no puede ser mi discípulo.
The cross is an instrument of execution. He is saying in effect, “He who does not hoist up his gallows or his electric chair and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Discipleship is a series of deaths—perpetual dying. Disciples follow Christ on a path of self-denial. Disciples embrace suffering as a part of life. As Paul prayed,
a fin de conocerle, y el poder de su resurrección, y la participación de sus padecimientos, llegando a ser semejante a él en su muerte, si en alguna manera llegase a la resurrección de entre los muertos.
The disciple’s life is not easy. C. S Lewis had it right:
“And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (v. 27). The cross is an instrument of execution. He is saying in effect, “He who does not hoist up his gallows or his electric chair and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Discipleship is a series of deaths—perpetual dying. Disciples follow Christ on a path of self-denial. Disciples embrace suffering as a part of life. As Paul prayed, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (, ).
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (, ).
The disciple’s life is not easy. C. S Lewis had it right:
The Christian way is different.… Christ says, “Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit.” La manera cristiana es diferente ... Cristo dice: "Dame todo". No quiero tanto de su tiempo, gran parte de su dinero y gran parte de su trabajo: te quiero, a ti. No he venido para atormentar a tu ser natural, sino para matarlo. No hay obra a medias que sea buena. No quiero cortar una rama aquí y una rama allí, quiero tener todo el árbol . No quiero perforar el diente, ni coronarlo, ni detenerlo, sino sacarlo. Entregue todo el ser natural, todos los deseos que piense inocentes y los que crea perversos: todo el conjunto ".
Discipleship requires everything. There are no exceptions. No one has ever become a disciple of Christ and lived a life of ease! You can search the writings of the apostolic church and you will find no exception. You can check every writing and personal vignette during the first 400 years of the church and you will find no disciple lounging on a bed of constant comfort. The same is true of the Dark Ages and the Renaissance and the Reformation and the 500 years of intervening history. Discipleship calls for sacrifice.
Application
But in all this discomfort something beautiful emerges. The tandem challenges to pay the relational cost (to hate one’s closest relationships and even one’s own life in comparison with one’s love for Christ) and to pay the sacrificial cost (to shoulder death and follow Jesus) begins to create a new disciple—a man or woman who is sharp and pungent—a salty Christian who brings tang and flavor to life. Everyone benefits, not the least of which is his “hated” family.
THE CALCULATION OF THE COST (VV. 28–33)
Having challenged his hearers about the cost of discipleship with two parallel sayings, Jesus now used twin parables of a tower and a war to encourage his followers to count the cost:
Porque ¿quién de vosotros, queriendo edificar una torre, no se sienta primero y calcula los gastos, a ver si tiene lo que necesita para acabarla?No sea que después que haya puesto el cimiento, y no pueda acabarla, todos los que lo vean comiencen a hacer burla de él,diciendo: Este hombre comenzó a edificar, y no pudo acabar.¿O qué rey, al marchar a la guerra contra otro rey, no se sienta primero y considera si puede hacer frente con diez mil al que viene contra él con veinte mil?Y si no puede, cuando el otro está todavía lejos, le envía una embajada y le pide condiciones de paz.
Porque ¿quién de vosotros, queriendo edificar una torre, no se sienta primero y calcula los gastos, a ver si tiene lo que necesita para acabarla?No sea que después que haya puesto el cimiento, y no pueda acabarla, todos los que lo vean comiencen a hacer burla de él,diciendo: Este hombre comenzó a edificar, y no pudo acabar.¿O qué rey, al marchar a la guerra contra otro rey, no se sienta primero y considera si puede hacer frente con diez mil al que viene contra él con veinte mil?Y si no puede, cuando el otro está todavía lejos, le envía una embajada y le pide condiciones de paz.Así, pues, cualquiera de vosotros que no renuncia a todo lo que posee, no puede ser mi discípulo.
Lucas 14:28–
These little parables make essentially the same point but with slightly different emphases. The builder of the tower was free to build or not as he chose. The king was being invaded and had to make a quick choice.
Lucas 14:
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 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.” (vv. 28–32)
These little parables make essentially the same point but with slightly different emphases. The builder of the tower was free to build or not as he chose. The king was being invaded and had to make a quick choice.
But both parables emphasize the necessity of careful calculation—to “sit down,” take some time, and compute it all out. This was where the Franklin expedition went awry. The upside was that their failure to calculate the cost paved the way for the success of future expeditions. In the following decade no less than thirty ships set out looking for traces of the Franklin expedition, all with increasingly careful calculations of what it would take to succeed. Ultimately they mapped the Arctic, found the Northwest Passage, and developed a technology that conquered the Arctic.
Virtually every accomplishment in life requires counting the cost. Do you want to be a great violinist? Jascha Jeifitz at age seventy-five had logged some 102,000 hours of practice! If you want to be an artist, remember that da Vinci’s anatomically perfect sketches came only after incredible effort—on one occasion he drew a thousand hands! Do you want to be an Olympic champion lifter and set a world record? Your training lifts added together just might equal the weight of the Sears Tower!
Jesus says every would-be disciple must count the cost before he enters discipleship. And what is the cost? Every possession he has and everything he is—every corner of his life!
Así, pues, cualquiera de vosotros que no renuncia a todo lo que posee, no puede ser mi discípulo.
Joseph Fitzmyer’s translation makes this so clear: “Similarly, then, every one of you who does not say goodbye to all he has cannot be a disciple of mine.”
“In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple” (v. 33). Joseph Fitzmyer’s translation makes this so clear: “Similarly, then, every one of you who does not say goodbye to all he has cannot be a disciple of mine.”
When money or the things it can buy makes us hesitant about doing what we feel the Lord is calling us to do, we are the disciples of things, not of Christ. Would-be disciples need to think about it, then say, “Lord, all I have is yours.”
One test of discipleship is what we are doing with our money. Regardless of our income, if we are not giving regularly and generously, we are not living as Christ’s disciples. We cannot follow the Lord if he does not have our hearts, and as Jesus said,
Porque donde esté vuestro tesoro, allí estará también vuestro corazón.
Does he have your treasure? Then he has your heart. Does such a life of sacrifice sound monochromic and bland? Far from it! Such a life brims with gusto and zest.
your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (). Does he have your treasure? Then he has your heart. Does such a life of sacrifice sound monochromic and bland? Far from it! Such a life brims with gusto and zest.
CLOSING REFLECTIONS
Jesus concluded with the epigram,
Buena es la sal; mas si la sal se hiciere insípida, ¿con qué se sazonará? Ni para la tierra ni para el muladar es útil; la arrojan fuera. El que tiene oídos para oír, oiga.
Salt, sodium chloride, is a stable compound. Technically it cannot lose its saltiness. But it can be diluted when mixed with impurities, thus losing its saltiness.
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (vv. 34, 35). Salt, sodium chloride, is a stable compound. Technically it cannot lose its saltiness. But it can be diluted when mixed with impurities, thus losing its saltiness.
The image of salt, coming here on the heels of the three conditions of discipleship (“hating” one’s life and family, taking up the cross, and giving everything), expresses the willingness of the disciple to give his life totally to Jesus Christ. Even as salt can lose its saltiness, so commitment to Christ can deteriorate. If the saltiness is lost, the disciple is useless and fit for nothing but to be tossed out. He does not lose his salvation, but he bears no fruit for the Savior.
But the disciple who is dynamically committed to Jesus in respect to family, the cross, and money is a powerful agent of the kingdom! His life is delivered from insipid blandness. His presence is always felt. He seasons the life of family, friends, church, and society. His life brims with vitality. “Saline saints bring zest and gusto to life. Like salt, they bring out the best of the flavor of living.”
The cost of discipleship produces saltiness. Are we willing to pay the price?
Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke: that you may know the truth (pp. 122–129). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.