The Cost of Discipleship

What was happening at the time the Gospel of Luke was written? The persecution of Christians had already begun, and Christians were being arrested, tortured and put to death. Luke was a second-generation Christian disciple, and he knew very well that being a disciple of Christ was not a casual commitment.

In Luke 14, Jesus lays down the cost of discipleship in 3 statements:

1. If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)
2. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27)
3. Every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33)

2 points of discussion in Luke 14:25-33:

1. How are we to understand the word “hate” in Luke 14:26? Consider how the word “hate” is used in the following bible verses:
   1. “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” (Proverbs 13:24) In this context, the father who does not discipline his son “hates” his son, because although he might give his son many nice things, he does not give the one thing that is good for his son – discipline.
   2. Joab said to David: “Because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you; for today I perceive that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. (2Samuel 19:6-7) In this context, David “hated” his commanders and servants because even though they obeyed him and did everything he told them to do, David’s love for his son Absalom far surpassed his concern for his commanders and servants. As a footnote, Absalom rebelled against his own father and wanted to kill him.
   3. “Jacob went into Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.” (Genesis 29:30-31) In this context, Jacob “hated” Leah because he loved Rachel much more than Leah.

In each of these examples, it becomes clear that the word “hate” does not necessarily mean what we think it means – “an intense dislike” of someone. The parallel verse in Matthew is: “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37) This verse from Matthew explains that the word “hate” in Luke 14:26 means to “love someone else more.”

2. The significance of the two parables with discipleship:
   1. Parable of the Tower Builder (Luke 14:28-30)

This is a good metaphor for Christian discipleship. Anyone who wishes to follow Christ should know that there is a price to pay. Right at the start, Jesus warns us that the cost of discipleship will be high. It is only as we walk in our journey of faith can we discover the cost. Careful planning involves making a commitment to follow Christ. In that way, it would be easier for us to accept the fact that the sacrifices we make are an essential part of being a disciple of Christ.

1. 2. Parable of the Kings at War (Luke 14:31-32)

This parable introduces the metaphor that being a disciple of Christ is like going into battle. What does the other king with the superior force represent? It cannot represent Satan because in no way will Christ counsel us to make peace with Satan. The king advancing with twenty thousand troops represent the forces against which a disciple of Christ must do battle with; i.e., it represents the many, many instances in life in which one is faced with sin and temptation. For everywhere we turn, there are temptations to sin. When a disciple sees that he does not have the proper resources to overcome sin and temptation, he will send out a delegation asking for peace terms. St. Cyprian (200-258 AD) interprets the peace delegation as prayers asking God for grace. St. Peter Chrysologus (406-450 AD) interprets the peace delegation as repentance, and he admonishes us to repent before it is too late!

Consider also what Jesus said to His would-be followers with regards to discipleship:

1. Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head (Luke 9:58)
2. Let the dead bury their dead. (Luke 9:60)
3. No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62)

We have been talking about the cost of discipleship, but what does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?

1. To be a disciple of Christ means to believe in Christ. A disciple believes that Jesus is who He says He is – the Son of God. A disciple of Christ is also someone who believes that what Jesus taught is true. Discipleship begins with faith. How can one become a disciple of someone who he doesn’t believe in?
2. To be a disciple of Christ means to do as Christ taught us. Not only does a disciple believe, he also lives a kind of life that Jesus taught us to live. Jesus taught us a lot of things, but the most important thing we must do are His two greatest commandments: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)
3. To be a disciple of Christ means to bear witness to Christ. In the simplest way, this means to tell the Good News to others. What is the Good News? The early Christians called it the kerygma – the proclamation of the Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ. At the center of the Gospel message is that Jesus came to save us. John 3:16-17 sums it up: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”