 |
| Men's Morning Bible Study |
After the Bible study, I finished my final message out of Luke 14:25-35 to be given at the All4Christ conference. In this passage, Jesus provides three conditions for becoming a disciple. First, following Jesus demands absolute loyalty to him (vss 25-26). In comparison to one's loyalty to him, they must hate their close family members and even themselves. Of course, he is not calling us to hate anyone. He calls us to love our enemies (Luke 6:27). However, our loyalty to him must far surpass our love or loyalty to others, even those closest to us. Second, following Jesus demands an absolute commitment to him (vs 27). Here we have two actions. One, we must take up our cross. This implies that following Jesus is a journey, it takes place throughout our life. It also implies self-denial. We don't get to choose our path, it is chosen for us and we submit to it. Two, we must come after him. This implies that we must move toward Christ. We should always be growing in our Christlikeness. The third condition of following Jesus requires counting the cost (vss 28-33). Here Jesus provides two illustrations. One is about a person that sets out to build a tower. In doing so, he should sit down and count the cost. This means he should consider the matter carefully and determine the affordability. The second illustration is about the king with a numerically inferior army going to war. He too should sit down and contemplate if he can tactically win. If he determines victory is not possible, he should go out and entreat the superior king for peace. Both of these illustrations provide a different view of the cost of discipleship. The first illustration asks "can you afford to follow Jesus?" while the second illustration asks "can you afford not to follow Jesus?" In the end, Jesus provides reasons for these conditions: A disciple must clearly reflect the teachings of the master (vss 34-35). Here Jesus uses the analogy of salt to make his point. If salt cannot fulfill its function which is to flavor food, then it is worthless. In the same way, if a disciple cannot fulfill their function, they are worthless. If salt cannot fulfill its function men throw it away. In the same way, our lives, when tainted by our incompatible choices of lifestyle, desires, and motivations, is not seen as useful to others and discarded.
