More on the Cost of Discipleship

Meditations in the Season of Epiphany

 February 25, 2022

More on the Cost of Discipleship

But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Luke 6:62

Read: Luke 9:46-62

Immediately after Jesus heals the boy, Jesus told his disciples about the reception awaiting him in Jerusalem. The disciples didn’t understand. They knew they didn’t understand but were afraid to reveal their ignorance by asking Jesus questions. Instead of asking Jesus questions, the disciples argued among themselves about who was the greatest, the wisest, and the best disciple. The disciples saw another person doing the work of the Kingdom but wanted to shut him down because he wasn’t in their group. A village did not welcome Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem, so the disciples wanted to call fire from heaven to burn them up.

All the above occurred in just twelve verses, 44-56. These episodes reveal more of the brokenness of humanity as we saw yesterday. Remember the rebuke Jesus gave his disciples in verse 41? The irony of their arguing about who was the greatest in the Kingdom is so rich!

Many people try to diminish the importance of the closing verses in chapter nine by asserting such devotion only applies to the elite, people like John Wesley, Mother Teresa, or Billy Graham. Does God really expect us to place our devotion to Jesus above spouse, children, job, and country? Within the Christian practice of discipleship, this question is one of the most controversial. But Jesus is quite clear. His charge to those who would enter the Kingdom of God is to deny ourselves, to take up our cross and follow him.

In the light of the failures of Jesus’ disciples, it is tempting to lower the bar of expectations for our life as his disciples. After all, if the twelve disciples didn’t get it, if the twelve disciples behaved badly, why should I expect my life to be any different?

My Takeaway: Because Jesus does.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.