CONDITIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP
LUKE 14:25-35
Jesus invited sinners to come to Him, but Jesus turned away would-be disciples of Him (Lk. 14:25). Like Gideon’s army, Jesus thinned the crowds that wanted to follow Him. Jesus turned around and clarified the conditions of discipleship (Lk. 9:55; Jn. 2:24-25).
Stagg
wrote, “Jesus wanted followers, but not on just any basis.”
Crowds cheered then crucified the Savior (Mk. 15:15).
A man approached D. L. Moody and said, “I am one of your converts.” Sadly, Moody replied, “But you are not one of the Lord’s.”
Robert E. Coleman wrote, “It soon became apparent that being a disciple of Christ involved far more than a joyful acceptance of the Messianic promise: it meant the surrender of one’s whole life to the Master in absolute submission to His sovereignty.”
“When Jesus started talking about the true spiritual quality of the Kingdom and the sacrifice necessary in achieving it (Jn. 6:25-59), many of His disciples ‘went back, and walked no more with Him’ (Jn. 6:66).”
“The surprising thing is
that Jesus did not go running after them to try to get them to stay on His
membership roll.”
Jesus had compassion on the multitudes (Mt. 9:36) but called only a small band of disciples as His method (Mk. 3:14).
E.
M. Bounds said, “The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for
better men.”
What conditions did Jesus demand for discipleship?
I. If anyone will deny his rights (14:26)
Mt. 10:37-38 [ESV]. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Mk. 8:35. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
Lk. 9:23. And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Lk. 9:61-62 [ESV]. Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home."
62. Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
Jn. 12:25. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
The call of the cross might lead a disciple away from the comfortable surroundings of a loving family.
Robertson
said, ““It is the language of exaggerated contrast, it is true, but it must not
be watered down till the point is gone. “
The disciple who takes up the cross leaves all other loves behind. Jesus is the most precious person to a disciple.
II. If anyone will carry his cross (14:27)
Miles
J. Stanford noted, “The atonement of the cross and the fellowship of the cross
must be equally preached as the condition of true discipleship.”
Lk. 23:26 [ESV]. And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
Jn. 19:17 [ESV]. and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.
Dr.
William D. Edwards explained, “It was customary for the condemned man to carry
his own cross from the flogging post to the site of crucifixion outside the city
walls. He was usually naked, unless this was prohibited by local customs. Since
the weight of the entire cross was probably well over 300 lb (136 kg), only the
crossbar was carried. The patibulum, weighing 75 to 125 lb (34 to 57 kg), was
placed across the nape of the victim’s neck and balanced along both shoulders.
Usually, the outstretched arms then were tied to the crossbar.”
A.
B. Bruce wrote, “In this great law of discipleship the cross signifies not
merely the external penalty of death, but all troubles that come on those who
earnestly endeavor to live as Jesus lived in this world, and in consequence of
that endeavor.”
“The plain meaning of these
words is, that there is no following Jesus on any other terms. . . .”
Dietrich
Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
Those who heard Jesus say
“carry the cross” knew what it meant (Mk.
10:21). Leon Morris wrote, “They had actually seen men take up
their cross. And when a man from their village took up a cross and went off down
the track with a little knot of Roman soldiers, they knew he was on a one-way
journey. He would not be back. So they knew that Jesus was saying more than ‘My
followers must endure patiently the ordinary hardships of daily life.’ He was
calling for a total abandonment of selfishness.”
Samuel Rutherford said, “Christ has no velvet crosses.”
Spurgeon said, “There are no crown-wearers in heaven who were not cross- bearers here below.”
Leon
Morris said, “Those who have been saved by the cross of Christ find that they
have a cross of their own.”
Thomas Shepherd wrote, “Must Jesus bear the cross alone, and all the world go free? No, there’s a cross for ev’ry one, and there’s a cross for me.”
Charles W. Everest wrote, “Take up your cross and follow Christ; think not till death to lay it down. For only those who bear the cross may hope to wear the glorious crown.”
David
Smith wrote, “There are two claimants to the throne in every man’s heart–Self
and Jesus; and, if the man would be a disciple, he must yield the throne to
Jesus; and he must say No to Self’s blandishments, must take up the cross and
lay it on Self’s back and send Self away to death.”
III. If anyone will count the cost (14:28-32)
Salvation is a free (Is. 55:1), but discipleship is costly.
2 Sam. 24:24 [GNB]. But the king answered, "No, I will pay you for it. I will not offer to the LORD my God sacrifices that have cost me nothing." And he bought the threshing place and the oxen for fifty pieces of silver.
Prov. 20:25 [NLT]. It is dangerous to make a rash promise to God before counting the cost.
Mt. 13:46 [HCSB]. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it.
A. Unfinished building
1 Cor. 3:13-15 [ESV]. each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
14. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
15. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
The
unfinished building is an immature disciple (1
Cor. 2:6; τελειος– Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:28;
Heb. 5:14; Jas. 1:4). Robertson and Plummer noted that Pythagoras divided
his pupils between the τελειος (1 Cor.
2:6) and the νηπιος (1 Cor.
3:1).
B. Unfought battle
A soldier in Christ’s army ought to be ready to fight the good fight of faith (Eph. 6:13).
2 Tim. 2:3 [GNB]. Take your part in suffering, as a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus.
IV. If anyone will forsake his possessions (14:33)
Disciples cannot claim ownership of any possession as their own. Nothing can be held dear by a disciple except obedience to Christ (Lk. 9:61).
Early disciples said goodbye to earthly possessions.
Mk. 10:21. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
Heb. 10:34 [GNB]. You shared the sufferings of prisoners, and when all your belongings were seized, you endured your loss gladly, because you knew that you still possessed something much better, which would last forever.
V. If anyone will bear much fruit (14:34-35)
The power of discipleship lies in the life of Christ within.
Mt. 5:13 [GNB]. You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it.
Jn. 15:8 [ESV]. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
The life of Christ the Vine flows to the branches (disciples) for the purpose of bearing fruit (no fruit, fruit, more fruit, much fruit). Fruitfulness marks the life of discipleship (Jn. 8:31, 13:35, 15:8).
Phil. 1:11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
The Father will gather the withered branches (Mt. 13:6, 21:19) of the self-life and burn them in the pile of unrewarded works at the judgment seat of Christ (Mt. 3:10-12, 5:13, 7:19).
Jn. 15:6 [WNT]. If any one does not continue in me, he is like the unfruitful branch which is at once thrown away and then withers up. Such branches they gather up and throw into the fire and they are burned.
Heb. 6:8 [GNB]. But if it grows thorns and weeds, it is worth nothing; it is in danger of being cursed by God and will be destroyed by fire.