High Cost, Higher Reward: Luke 14:25-35

One thing Jesus seemed to push back against in His ministry was the popularity trap. This trap is a trap for our egos and it happens when we know there are others following us. The bigger the group of followers results in the bigger the trap.

Jesus didn’t mind people following Him; He had even invited a dozen people specifically to follow. However, the size of the crowd following Jesus was also a sign of the sincerity of the following. Whenever the crowds seemed to get too big for Jesus, He would challenge them in some way that would subtly disperse those present.

As I say this, I wonder if this was because He didn’t want to attract too much Roman attention because it would affect His mission to those in Judea.

The parable-illustration in the passage we are looking at focuses in on one of these challenges Jesus uses to disperse the crowds. While it might seem like a strong statement for Jesus to make, the message Jesus shares is a challenge for everyone who calls themselves a follower of Jesus.

Our passage is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 14, and we will be reading from the New International Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 25, Luke tells us that:

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.”

In this passage and illustration, Jesus clearly lays out the cost of being a disciple. From how Luke introduces us to Jesus’ words, and from what Jesus challenges those present with, it would appear that many in the crowd were following Jesus because they simply wanted to be near the popular person. These people likely enjoyed seeing miracles and hearing Jesus successfully win challenges that the religious leaders tried to discredit Him with. In the crowd’s eyes, Jesus was a celebrity and everything He did was God inspired entertainment.

But this is a problem. Jesus did not come to entertain us. Jesus came to give His life for us to redeem us from sin. There is a huge difference!

When deciding whether we should follow God or not, Jesus challenges us to count the cost. The cost of following Jesus is stated in verses 26 and 27: “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. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

The cost of following Jesus is everything. This includes every “thing” we own, every relationship we have, every breath we take, and every challenge and trial that comes our way. If we are not 100% committed to Jesus, then we cannot be His disciple according to this passage.

Does this passage really teach us to hate our own family after we decide to follow Jesus?

This is what this passage appears to say on the surface. The challenge with the surface level understanding of this statement is that many of those we are challenged to hate are people God specifically brought into our lives. God brought us into the lives of our parents and our siblings, He directed the circumstances towards our finding a spouse, and He brought children into our lives. Everyone who is in our lives is in our lives because of God in some way, shape, or form.

Instead, I believe it is more correct to believe Jesus challenges us to count the true cost of being one of His followers. If we are to truly follow Jesus, we must put Jesus ahead of any and every other person in our lives. This means that if our decision to follow Jesus is met with disappointment from our parents, hostility from our spouse, and/or resentment from our children, then we should hold fast to our decision because the life Jesus has called us to is greater than we could imagine. If those in our lives don’t understand this, then they are breaking their relationship with us.

We are called to count the cost and if we determine the cost is worth it, we should choose Jesus over anyone and everyone else in our lives. This seems like a steep cost. What is the benefit that would ever outweigh this in our lives?

When we choose to follow Jesus, He offers us a new family, a family with God as our Father. Jesus offers us a place at God’s table in a new heaven and a new earth that doesn’t include pain, death, or sin. Jesus offers us a second chance at life when our first lives here in this earth have been messed up by sin.

Jesus does challenge us to give up some seemingly important things in our lives, but the rewards He offers to us extend into eternity.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, be sure to intentionally seek God first in your life. If you have not made the decision to follow Jesus, or if you believe the cost is too high, I invite you to take your worries, your fears, and your concerns to God in prayer and ask Him to help you understand both the risk and the rewards of choosing Jesus. Choosing Jesus doesn’t mean we will have an easy life in a sinful world, but it does mean we will be prepared for a perfect life in a sinless world when Jesus returns!

Also, as I always challenge you to do, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to purposefully grow your relationship with God. Through prayer and studying the Bible, we can open our hearts to Jesus and we can let Him into our lives. As I regularly remind and challenge you to do, don’t let me or anyone else get between you and your relationship with God. While I can give you great things to think about, I want more than anything else that you take what I share with you and discover it for yourself through prayer and Bible study. God wants a relationship with you personally and directly, and I’m more than willing to help if you need help!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!