By David ReayMonday 26 Sep 2022LifeWords DevotionalsDevotionsReading Time: 2 minutes
One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple. “Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’ (MESSAGE)
Whenever we say “yes” to something or someone, chances are it involves saying “no” to something or someone. To agree to lend someone money means we don’t have use of that money. To agree to do a certain task in the church means we won’t be able to do other tasks. We simply can’t do everything or please everyone.
Similar with following Jesus. If we say “yes” to him, we inevitably say “no” to other things. And these might in themselves be good things. In this passage, Jesus is telling us that being his disciple means giving him ultimate allegiance. The dearest things we can think of, family members, even take second place. And this doesn’t mean we neglect them or despise them. It just means our attitudes to them come under the overall direction and rule of Jesus.
Jesus urges us to be thoughtful about following him given his radical demands. A burst of enthusiasm is not enough. We need to be willing to let go of things and people that we value if they hinder us in going Jesus’ way. He wants us to be disciples rather than mere dabblers.
Blessings,
David