He Cannot Be My Disciple - Aug. 7th, 2022

Formal Elements / Descriptive Data

Text: a complete thought-unit of Scripture providing the sermon’s basis

Luke 14:25–35 KJV 1900

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Central Idea of the Text (CIT): details of text summarized in a complete, past tense sentence

Luke recounted how Jesus clarified the one who cannot be His disciple:

if he refused to love Him above all others

if he refused to bear the cross

if he refused to renounce everything he possessed

. . . as illustrated in His parable of the Wise Builder and Wise King

Proposition: major idea of sermon summarized in a complete sentence using present, active, future indicative or imperative mood; in direct relationship to the CIT

You cannot rightly “go after” Jesus until you are fully prepared to “go through” Him alone.

Statement of Purpose:

(1) Major Objective (MO) – only ONE of six possible (doctrinal, devotional ethical, evangelistic, consecrative, or supportive)

MO - Consecrative

(2) Specific Objective (SO) – focuses on only one; calls for specific action (“I want my hearer to . . . “)

SO - I want my hearer to realize that what he begins in following Christ can only be finished by following Him “All the Way.”

Title (Topic/Name): 2 to 4 words with a key or arrow word usually common to all major ideas; innovative, interesting, contemporary; indicative of general sermon content; not sensational or cute

“He Cannot Be My Disciple”

Informal Elements / Rhetorical Data

Introduction:

Get Attention/Raise Need/Orient Theme/State Purpose

- strong, attractive, and interesting opening sentence

Though some may call it a myth, it serves well to illustrate and guide our thoughts:

[A researcher] was sorting through some old papers and came upon an article that was typed up by a friend of [his]. [He did] not know where [his friend] got it from. [He included it] because of the author's link to the Shackleton family.

The article said: In late 1913, some years before I was around, a member of my family put an advertisement in the Times which went like this:

"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success."

The advertiser was my uncle, Ernest Shackleton, the Antarctic explorer, seeking to recruit men for his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

She goes on to say—surprise, surprise no fewer than 5000 people replied.

She signed the article

Mrs. Patricia Ducé

"Comment"

Channel 4

January 25th 1988

(21 November 2011)

- personal and social material; personal bridge; social bridge

- textual material (CIT); textual bridge

- focus the sermon’s intent (Proposition)

- relational and transitional material; structural bridge

Body – Development – Outline:

I. State major idea drawn directly from the text, in a brief, complete sentence using present active, future indicative or imperative mood, strong verbs (avoid “to be” and its forms); (vs ?)

I. Jesus’ Explanation of the Requirements for Discipleship (Lk. 14:25-27)

Explanation (EXP): from only the selected text; 3rd person pronouns; past tense; express the “then-ness” aspect of the text itself in its historical context

A. The Backdrop (Lk. 14:25)

Luke 14:25 KJV 1900

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

Now great multitudes followed the Lord Jesus. Most leaders would be elated by such widespread interest. But the Lord was not looking for people who would follow Him out of curiosity, with no real heart interest. He was looking for those who were willing to live devotedly and passionately for Him, and even die for Him if necessary. And so He now began to sift the crowd by presenting to them the stringent terms of discipleship. At times the Lord Jesus wooed men to Himself, but after they began to follow Him, He winnowed them. That is what is taking place here.

[William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1426.]

B. First Condition - Family Decisions (Lk. 14:26)

Luke 14:26 KJV 1900

26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

C. Second Condition - Bear the Cross (Lk. 14:27)

Luke 14:27 KJV 1900

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Illustration (ILL): fresh, interesting, believable, clearly shed light on this specific portion of the text and on this particular idea being developed; use different sources (use only 1 personal and 1 biblical ill. per sermon)

1 lest the cross … should be made of none effect. 1 Co 1:17

2 the cross is to them that perish foolishness; 1 Co 1:18

2 then is the offence of the cross ceased. Gal 5:11

3 should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. Gal 6:12

3 glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, Gal 6:14

2 reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, Eph 2:16

2 obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Phil 2:8

2 that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Phil 3:18

2 having made peace through the blood of his cross, Col 1:20

3 and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Col 2:14

4 endured the cross, despising the shame, Heb 12:2

Word Studies:

In secular Greek stauros denotes a “pole,” or a “pile,” such as is used in foundations. The term is also used of a “fence, stake,” or a “tent peg”; however, it also refers to a “cross” upon which criminals were executed (cf. Liddell-Scott). This is its use in the New Testament. The noun does not occur in the Septuagint, although the verb, stauroō (4568), does occur in Esther (7:9) where it means to hang on a pole.

Execution by means of crucifixion was employed in Greece, but the practice did not originate there. In all likelihood the Persians invented this means of torture and execution. Later, Alexander the Great, the Phoenicians, and the Carthaginians used this method of punishment. The Romans adopted it from the Carthaginians; however, except in rare cases they seldom executed Roman citizens by crucifixion. Usually only slaves and the most serious criminals, e.g., traitors, perjurers, etc. were crucified.

Felix the governor (see Acts 23 and 24) ordered many insurrectionists crucified during his administration. During the destruction of Jerusalem more than 500 Jews were crucified each day during one particular period. At one point the Romans lacked the wood necessary to crucify all those they had sentenced to die.

Although Jews did not commonly employ crucifixion, they nonetheless hung up the corpses of those stoned for idolatry or blasphemy. These were thus branded as cursed by God in accordance with Deuteronomy 21:23: “Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse” (NIV; cf. Galatians 3:13).

Crucifixion was regarded as the most humiliating and ignominious punishment of all. Josephus termed it “the most wretched of deaths” (Wars of the Jews 7.6.4); Tacitus the historian described it as “the most pitiful of all means of death” (cf. Brandenburger, “Cross,” Colin Brown, 1:392). The one to be crucified experienced the ridicule and mockery of his executioners; onlookers participated in this too, as did the judges (Matthew 27:27–31, 39–44; Mark 15:16–20, 29–32; Luke 23:35–39). The site of execution, outside the town gate, was itself a place of disgrace (Hebrews 13:12, 13). Because of this understanding, a crucified Messiah caused many Jews to disbelieve (1 Corinthians 1:23).

After sentencing, the criminal was scourged, itself a punishment so painful and horribly debilitating that some died from it. This took place either immediately after the sentence was pronounced or en route to the execution site. In Jesus’ case the scourging probably took place before He was sentenced, perhaps in the hope that the crowds might have compassion on the exhausted, bleeding Man from Galilee and ask Pilate to release Him (Luke 23:16; John 19:1f.). That His punishment was so severe may explain why Jesus did not have to bear the cross the last steps to Golgotha (Matthew 27:32).

Ordinarily the criminal was forced to carry the crossbeam all the way to the execution site; the upright beam was usually left in place at the crucifixion site. Once there, the criminal was stripped (Matthew 27:35; John 19:23f.), and his shoulders and outstretched arms were extended above the crosspiece as he lay on his back. After the criminal was tied or nailed—Jesus was nailed—to the crosspiece (John 20:25), the body was lifted up and the beam set on the already erected pole. The feet were then bound or nailed to the pole (cf. the prophecy of Psalm 22:16).

The charge was displayed above the criminal on a board in black or red letters. On the way from the trial to the site of execution the criminal either wore the board with the charge around his neck or someone else carried it in front of him. At the execution site it was fastened to the top of the stake so its inscription might be clearly read at a distance (cf. Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19). In Jesus’ case the charge was written in three languages: the language of Palestine, Hebrew; the language of the occupying forces from Rome, Latin; and the common language of the day, Greek.

To die upon a cross meant excruciating pain. The searing wounds, the agonizing thirst and hunger, the hemorrhaging of the blood vessels in the head and heart, the scorching heat of the sun by day or the cold of the nights gradually robbed the victim of all strength. He became insane from the pain. Death came slowly. Medical studies show that death itself was caused by asphyxiation. Jewish women often offered the doomed man a narcotic-like concoction of wine and myrrh in accordance with the directive of Proverbs 31:6: “Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish.” Jesus did not accept this drink, choosing instead to suffer all the pain of death (Mark 15:23).

The condition of the criminal’s body played an important role in the effects of crucifixion. Ordinarily the crucified person lived for some time, frequently lasting more than 24 hours and sometimes as long as 48 hours. Some records exist of crucifixions lasting from 3 to 6 days. At times the legs of the victim were broken to put an end to the suffering of the victim (John 19:32). Thus Pilate was surprised when he was told that Jesus died within 6 hours (Mark 15:44f.).

The words of the Apostles’ Creed, “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried,” emphasize the historicity of the event. The gospel is more than a timeless philosophy. Rather, the gospel is grounded in an historically verifiable setting. The same holds true for Christ’s death. It should not be interpreted “spiritually” or “figuratively.” It was the “body of his flesh” that died (Colossians 1:22); He was “put to death in the flesh” (1 Peter 3:18). “For this thing was not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26); instead, it was publicly witnessed on Calvary’s hill. Christ’s death on the cross was well known by His first-century contemporaries. Jewish rabbis, many of whom bitterly opposed Christianity, mocked Christ as “the hanged one,” a reference to His death on the cross. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote: “Christ, from whom the Christians have taken their name, was executed during the reign of Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilate” (Annals 15.44).

Jesus forewarned His disciples that His impending mode of death in Jerusalem would not be stoning by the Jews but by the Roman death penalty of crucifixion (Matthew 20:19). Under Roman occupation the Jews did not have the authority to carry out capital punishment except for certain cases of sacrilege. Jesus also knew that the Jewish leaders would sentence their Messiah to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles to be crucified (Matthew 20:18f.).

The crowds demanded His crucifixion from Pilate as they cried, “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:22). Jesus himself declared that the one who delivered Him to the Roman governor (Pilate), Caiphas, had “greater sin” than Pilate (John 19:11). And in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter stressed how grievous to God was the Jewish manipulation of the Roman government to destroy Jesus. He said, “Ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” Jesus (Acts 2:23). Such action was treason against God (Acts 3:13f.).

Nevertheless, while this magnifies the guilt of the Jewish leaders for Jesus’ death, it also leads to the fact that the Gentiles must assume their share of the responsibility. Everyone conspired against the “holy child Jesus.” Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the nation of Israel, were guilty of the ultimate act of sin and cruelty: the crucifixion of the beloved and only Son of God (Acts 4:27).

In the New Testament the term stauros is employed generally in three ways: literally, symbolically or figuratively, and theologically. The literal use of the term may be found throughout the New Testament. At Matthew 27:32 Simon of Cyrene is described as being conscripted to bear the cross for Jesus: “Him they compelled to bear his cross” (cf. the parallels at Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26). The chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Christ while He was on the cross: “If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:42; cf. verse 40; Mark 15:30, 32). At John 19:17 Christ’s journey to Golgotha is described: “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull.” Pilate is described as putting an inscription on the cross: “And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross” (John 19:19). Jesus’ mother is said to have stood by the cross: “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother” (John 19:25). At John 19:31 the victims are said to be on the cross: “The bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day.” Paul referred to Christ’s death on the cross: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). Paul spoke of reconciliation made because of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross: “… and, having made peace through the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20). The writer of Hebrews spoke of Christ’s enduring the cross: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2).

Although the above passages refer to the cross in literal terms, the word itself may also be used in a symbolic way. The cross symbolizes the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 shows this clearly: Christ “endured the cross,” which speaks of every aspect surrounding that event. The cross was the climax of Christ’s suffering, and it symbolizes the penalty for sin.

The Gospels are the account of His suffering with detailed introductory remarks. But the recollection of His suffering is in no way elaborated upon or embellished. There is no attempt to evoke sympathy or pity. The entire portrait focuses upon the silent dignity of that Just One before the unjust judges (Matthew 26:62f.; 27:14; Luke 23:9). He does not ask for sympathy; He even discourages the tears of the “daughters of Jerusalem” (Luke 23:28).

The cross stands as a symbol of the humiliation and disgrace that Christ willingly endured. The New Testament highlights this aspect of the cross more than the physical suffering it caused. Permeating the passion narrative are accounts of the scorn and mockery by the onlookers and the humiliation Jesus endured. The cross symbolizes the suffering, disgrace, and humiliation experienced by Jesus; nevertheless, this “tree of shame and curse,” through the death of Jesus Christ, became the sign of victory to all who believe in Him.

In Matthew 10:38 the writer used the term stauros figuratively of Jesus when He said to His disciples, “He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (cf. parallels at Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). The suffering and humiliation endured by Christ serve as an example to every believer today: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (stauros)” (Philippians 2:5–8).

As a theological term the cross summarizes the gospel, the message of salvation, in the New Testament. The cross assumes a central role in the drama of salvation; consequently, the preaching of the apostles also focused upon the cross. Paul described the gospel as “the preaching of the cross” (1 Corinthians 1:18). This is the only true gospel, thus Paul declared: “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The preaching of the cross is the power of God unto salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18; cf. Romans 1:16).

The saving effect of the cross is concealed in the mystery that the death of Christ has atoning power. He offered himself as our perfect substitute, the sacrifice for our sins. He thus experienced the judgment of God, the penalty of sin (death), on our behalf. Jesus endured the hardship of the cross and placed himself under the curse of the law; because He experienced God’s wrath, we can escape it.

Jesus understood that His punishment would come from God himself. Quoting the words of the prophet Zechariah He said, “I (God) will smite the shepherd” (Matthew 26:31; cf. Zechariah 13:7). In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus implied that it was God who would give Him the “cup of suffering.” This recalls the words of Isaiah 53:10: “It pleased the Lord to bruise him.” He came “under the curse” of the law; He was “made a curse for us” (Galatians 3:10, 13).

At the cross mankind is reconciled with God (Ephesians 2:16). Through Christ’s blood on the cross God made peace with us (Colossians 1:20). At the point of the supreme act of human cruelty and rebellion God demonstrated His love for us and His unsurpassed grace, for “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NIV). Furthermore, we are told “who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). Through the cross everyone who believes receives the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14).

The cross also signifies the believer’s union with Christ in His death. This is depicted in two slightly different ways. First, the cross is an example to all believers. Whoever wants to follow Christ must take up his or her own cross (Matthew 16:24). Everyone in Jesus’ day knew that the one sentenced to be crucified had to carry his cross. Moreover, they knew that from the moment the crossbeam was placed upon the shoulders, death was inescapable. Thus when Jesus utilized this imagery He intended for His listeners to realize that to become His disciple meant to give up everything, even one’s own life (Matthew 10:37–39; Luke 14:26, 27). Here Jesus is the ultimate example of the true disciple (1 Peter 2:21–24; cf. Philippians 2:5–8).

In addition to the concept that the disciple must imitate Christ in taking up the cross, note also that the believer’s sinful nature has been crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6, 10, 11; Galatians 5:24; 1 Peter 2:24; cf. Romans 7:4; Galatians 2:19, 20; 6:14). The issue here is not some psychological manipulation by Christ’s example; rather, the shift takes place because of the fellowship shared with the Risen One. Consequently, every aspect of life—ethical, social, economic—comes under the rule of God. The believer not only imitates Christ, he has been “united with Him in the likeness of His death” (Romans 6:5, NASB); he is “dead with Christ” (6:8); he has been “buried with him by baptism into death” (6:4). Moreover, he or she has “risen with Christ” (Colossians 3:1). Thus “cross” carries significant Christological and soteriological implications.

Finally, the cross has universal and cosmic implications. Through the power of the cross the “middle wall of partition,” the enmity between Jews and Gentiles, is broken down because the Old Testament covenant is abolished (Ephesians 2:14–16). God also intends that His divided creation is to be reunited in Christ (Ephesians 1:10). “… And through him (Christ) to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:20, NIV). Through Christ’s work on the cross the evil spirits were conquered: “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15; cf. John 12:31, 32).

[Thoralf Gilbrant, “Σταυρός,” The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, The Complete Biblical Library (WORDsearch, 1991).]

Application (APP): specific; carry out the stated purpose expressed in the major and specific objectives; 1st and 2nd person pronouns; action-centered; relevant; express the “now-ness” aspect

The Total Demand of Discipleship

Many who come to Christ have no idea in advance what this decision will eventually cost them. The church makes the problem of those falling by the wayside worse when things get tough (see the interpretation of the parable of the sower, 8:13–14) by soft-selling the requirements of discipleship. Church leaders can become too interested in keeping up attendance and keeping down conflict and, as a result, dilute Jesus’ radical demands. Some may be anxious about turning off people. This unit makes clear that discipleship is costly. If it is to be compared to a king preparing to go to war, disciples must be prepared to throw everything into a life-and-death battle. It will not be a gentle stroll through a rose garden.

In other words, discipleship is only “for those who have considered the worth of the enterprise with Jesus and are prepared to pay the price for sharing it.”15 Jesus does not hide his extreme requirements in the fine print but proclaims them boldly in headlines. The object is not to scare potential disciples away, which it may well do, but to enlist those who are ready to stake all with fervor on a decision that they have first considered in cold blood. Faithful discipleship that will stick it out to the end does not rest on a momentary burst of feeling. Enthusiasm may wane as quickly as it blazes up.

Jesus makes a total demand that would crush the autonomous spirit of those who want to do their own thing or who are in it for what they can get out of it. He does not want disciples who simply want to go along for the ride, soaking up his teaching while leaving fundamental values, loyalties, and manner of life unchanged. For Jesus, discipleship is an either/or proposition and is to be entered into with fear and trembling because it requires transformation.

[15 Manson, The Sayings of Jesus, 281.] [David E. Garland, Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 605.]

Transitional Sentence (TS): sentence indicates change and progression to next major idea; use the unifying word

Having provided two explanations of His requirements for any one who would desire to be His disciple, see next:

II. Jesus’ Illustrations of the Difficulties & Challenges Facing Any Who Would Follow Him (Lk. 14:28-32)

EXP:

A. The Parable of the Tower Builder (Lk. 14:28-30)

1. Dreams & Designs - Counting the Cost of the Dream (Lk. 14:28)

Luke 14:28 KJV 1900

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

2. Facing the Reality of Inevitable Failure & Ridicule (Lk. 14:29-30)

Luke 14:29–30 KJV 1900

29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

B. The Parable of the King Contemplating Battle (Lk. 14:31-32)

1. A Kingly Ambition (Lk. 14:31)

Luke 14:31 KJV 1900

31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

2. The King’s Embassage - The Reality of Unconditional Surrender (Lk. 14:32)

Luke 14:32 KJV 1900

32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

APP:

Counting the Cost of Not Following Christ

The emphasis in the two parables of the tower builder and the king going to war is on counting the cost. Becoming a disciple of Jesus is a serious matter, as costly as building a tower, as dangerous as going to war when you are outnumbered by two to one. But discipleship is not a matter of prudent risk management. From a worldly point of view, becoming a disciple is clearly imprudent since the enemy’s power seems so overwhelming. But one should also count the cost of not following Jesus.

What the text does not spell out is that one will lose everything anyway whatever one’s choice. Knowles points out, “The only question is whether one will lose all as a follower of Jesus and for the sake of God’s reign, or as one who refuses to follow and obey. Which, in other words, is the more promising course of action?”20 Counting the cost and concluding that the risk is too great and not worth the effort is not a viable option. Unconditional surrender to an invading king, if it is Satan, for example, will lead to ultimate ruin.21 One therefore should count the cost of not following Jesus. If the option is unconditional surrender to Jesus or to Satan, the former is the only one that will prove to be the wise choice.

If the characters of the tower builder and the king in the two parables are assumed to possess the resources to carry out the contemplated tasks before them, the connection to the potential disciple breaks down. The New Testament makes clear that those who depend on their own meager resources and feeble powers are doomed to fail. The fight will be lost and the enterprise abandoned. Disciples can only depend on the power and resources of God that make them sufficient despite their weakness (2 Cor 3:4; 4:7–12; 12:9–10).

Josephus has King Agrippa speak against the war with Rome by bidding the rebels to compare their lack of resources with Rome’s might, and the speech can provide a new perspective on this parable:

What are the troops, what is the armor, on which you rely? Where is your fleet to sweep the Roman seas? Where is your treasury to meet the cost of your campaigns? Do you really suppose that you are going to war with Egyptians and Arabs? Will you shut your eyes to the might of the Roman empire and refuse to take the measure of your weakness? (J.W. 2.16.4 §§361–62)

Jesus’ parable suggests that even when one counts the costs and thinks one’s resources are adequate to face the enemy, they are not. Disciples can only put their confidence in God. Conversely, when one counts the costs and thinks one’s resources are inadequate to face the enemy, they are adequate because one can only rely on God.

[20 Knowles, “ ‘Everyone Who Hears These Words of Mine,’ ” 294.] [21 P. G. Jarvis (“Expounding the Parables V: The Tower-Builder and the King Going to War [Luke 14:25–33],” ExpTim 77 [1966]: 196–98) identifies the opposing king as Satan.] [J.W. Jewish War (Josephus)] [David E. Garland, Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 606–607.]

TS:

The requirements explained, the challenges illustrated, now consider

III. Jesus’ Emphasis on the Personal Sacrifice Necessary for a Disciple to Follow Him Wholeheartedly (Lk. 14:33-35)

EXP:

A. The Sacrifice of the Disciple (Lk. 14:33)

Luke 14:33 KJV 1900

33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

B. The Disciple Must Be Worth His Salt (Lk. 14:34-35a)

Luke 14:34–35 (KJV 1900)

34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out.

C. The Spiritual Discernment of the Disciple (Lk. 14:35b)

Luke 14:35 (KJV 1900)

35 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

ILL:

Annie Dillard, in her essay An Expedition to the Pole, describes the ill-fated Franklin expedition 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.

In 1845, 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. They sailed in two three-masted barques. Each sailing vessel carried an auxiliary steam engine and a twelve-day supply of coal for the entire projected two or three years’ voyage. Instead of additional coal, 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. 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. 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..…Two months later a British whaling captain met the two barques in Lancaster Sound; 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—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, 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.

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.

Another search party found two skeletons in a boat on a sledge. 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. They ignorantly imagined a pleasure cruise amidst the comforts of their English officers’ clubs. They exchanged necessities for luxuries, and their ignorance led to their death.

In Luke 14:24–35 Jesus’ life was set on going to Jerusalem, where he had determined to die. As he had explicitly said, “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 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.

[R. Kent Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), 122–124, 128.]

APP:

The Renunciation of All Things for Christ

To follow Jesus requires being able to renounce all material goods and possessions. It entails giving up the quest for earthly security that material wealth promises. It is the trap that Judas fell into when he betrayed his Lord for money (22:3–5). It requires the abandonment of all projects, plans, and personal goals that one cooks up in the course of one’s life, usually for the purpose of redounding to one’s personal honor. Schweizer makes the challenging observation that “there is no such thing as a totally middle-class discipleship.”16

The tendency in an affluent culture is to dilute Jesus’ radical demands. To follow Jesus is not a “low-risk” or “low-cost” venture, however, as his personal example makes clear.17 Disciples cannot play it safe. To become a disciple of Jesus is to embark on a stony path leading to an uncertain future in this life and the possibility that a cross will stand at the end of the road (9:62; 14:27). It requires being able to give up the intrinsic love for one’s own life. Peter, who will follow Jesus from afar after his arrest and will deny him under gentle pressure (22:54–62), shows how hard it is to bear the cross with him all the way to the end.

To follow Jesus means to loosen sacred family ties (8:19–21; 11:27–28; 9:59–60; 14:26; 18:28–30). Disciples must be willing to sacrifice what they love most in the world—to give up something that goes against the promptings of human nature—the love of wife, child, and family. This word cannot be easily softened, perhaps only ignored. What it means is that discipleship to Christ must take precedence over all other relationships in life and the securities they offer. It requires redefining those relationships with some measure of detachment.

The demands to forsake family and material security are introduced in 9:57–62 when Jesus responds to three potential followers. In 12:49–53, he emphasizes the divisiveness of his message, explaining that even families will be divided and relatives will oppose disciples. In 18:18–30, Jesus addresses “a certain ruler” who becomes sad at Jesus’ demand that he sell everything he owns. These incidents reveal that the choice is not between Jesus and the devil. It is far more subtle. It is between Jesus and our strongest allegiances: Jesus and family, Jesus and business, or Jesus and profit. These stipulations become a stumbling block that God uses to reveal our heart’s desire, which may be unknown even to us. They become a means of revelation that will either draw us closer to God or alienate us further.

This call for self-denial may seem extreme and unreasonable, but “the point of discipleship is to be like one’s master.”18 This is what Jesus did. Subordinating security, home, and family to Christian commitment does not mean that one discards these things entirely. Renouncing them is not for the sake of renunciation, but for the purpose of service. Bernadicou comments, “True love and concern for family, friends, and one’s own self (see 14:26, 27, 33) depend upon a genuine discernment of values in the Christ.” He continues, “One renounces selfish concern out of trust in God’s love which must inevitably express itself in love for one’s fellowman.”19

[16 Schweizer, Luke, 242.] [17 Knowles, “ ‘Everyone Who Hears These Words of Mine,’ ” 295.] [18 Paul J. Bernadicou, “The Spirituality of Luke’s Travel Narrative,” Review for Religious 36 (1977): 458.] [19 Ibid.] [David E. Garland, Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 605–606.]

Conclusion:

- forceful, attractive, interesting

- motivational in reporting God’s action (good news)

- possible recapitulation of major ideas or proposition

- in harmony with stated purpose in MO, SO, and all APP

- encourage the hearer in his/her response

You cannot “go after” Jesus, as His disciple. Stop for a moment and think about it. Just ask Peter & John, and Paul. You are no more ready for this anymore than Jesus reminded Peter that he was not able to go where He was going, “now,” but he could “afterward.”

Yet Peter, in his heart knew, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.”

Mac Lynch said it well in our Choir song today:

“Whatever the loss; whatever the cost, Lord, to self, make me willing to die.”

You cannot “go after” Christ, you do not have what it takes to finish. You cannot follow Him, the enemy is too great, defeat looms. No, you cannot “go after” Christ, until you are willing to “go through” Him.

Philippians 4:13 KJV 1900

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.