On Line Bible Study - For the Week March 7-13, 2011

Lesson 483

Luke 14: ²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “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. ²⁷ And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² 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. ³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

³⁴ “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? ³⁵ It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

I remember the chant at high school sporting events: "We're Number One!" It was a statement of pride, accomplishment, and in its own innocent way, arrogance. Sinatra sang it - "I want to wake up in that city that doesn't sleep, and find I'm king of the hill, top of the heap ..."

In Luke's gospel, you might recall the section just previous to this has Jesus telling stories about a great banquet, who is invited, and who chooses to come. The text we consider today is related. The general sense of it is this: Unless Jesus is 'Number One' in our life, we won't have the discipline to stay long at the table with him. And if we don't remain with him, our life will lose its savor, its potency, its purpose.

Darrell Bock puts it in plain English: Discipleship is not to be considered casually. When the gospel was written a Jewish person who chose to follow Jesus very likely had to "leave" their family - they were disowned.

Our situation is different, and perhaps not quite as immediately dramatic. But as I live with the gospel I often find myself in an 'Either / Or' position. It is a bit unnerving. I have a sense of "What Jesus Would Do". And I have direct experience with what's actually happening. Then I wrestle with myself - how do I know that I have the right 'take' on what Jesus would do? But then, the gospel is so clear, and so plain! But how will this affect my life, and the life of the people I love? So goes the interior dialogue.

Now I am in the game, adding up the "pros" and the "cons" of it all, trying for the life of me to make a decision based on objective criteria.

The push back on this has to do with the idea that Jesus doesn't offer a clear picture of what "discipleship" actually looks like, other than this idea that it won't work if it is not our top priority - and then there is that haunting, unsettling reference to "carrying our cross".

Hmmm.... what is this going to cost?

Jesus is not looking for "almost a Christian". As John Wesley noted in one of his more famous sermons, we are called to be "altogether Christian". (You can read that sermon by clicking here.) Count the cost. But then, also count the cost of being anything other than a disciple of Jesus.