As we look around at various things in our lives, we can easily be reminded of the old saying, “Nothing in this life is free.” We look around and begin to realize that just about everything has a cost. With inflation at times, we see those costs go up more than we would like.
Many have talked about the gracious gift of salvation the Lord offers to all who come to Him by faith as being free, but I’m not sure that is entirely true. While we can never do enough or earn that gift, the gift of salvation cost Jesus greatly — He left heaven to come and dwell among us; He was mocked and ridiculed by many while on earth; He paid for our forgiveness not with money but with His own life.
Some have also said that following Jesus doesn’t cost anything. While it is true that there are no monetary fees to becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, there are still some costs. Some would say that we shouldn’t say things like that because it would cause some to not want to follow Jesus. My thoughts on this topic are: Why don’t we just see what Jesus Himself had to say about it?
In Luke 14, Jesus explains plainly that in order to be a follower of His, there are four significant costs that need to be considered. Let’s look at those at this time.
The Cost of Priority
25 Now great crowds were traveling with him. So he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:25–26 CSB
Luke records that “great crowds” were following Jesus as He would go from place to place. These were people who had seen Jesus do miracles or heard Him teach the truths of God’s Word. They were interested in what was going on, but not all of them were true followers at this time. There is a difference between being “in the crowd” and being part of what is going on.
Jesus takes this moment to explain the difference between a fan and a follower. A fan is one who will hop on the bandwagon and enjoy the ride while things are good. A true follower is one who receives what is being shared and allows it to direct them. Jack Nicholson could be called a follower of the Los Angeles Lakers. He has had court-side season tickets to all their home games since 1970.
Jesus didn’t mind the crowds of people containing those who were at different commitment levels, but He knew that if they did not fully receive and follow Him, they would miss out on what He wanted to give them.
Jesus shares with the crowd the cost of priority with His words in verse 26. This statement has caused some to get a little squeamish because it just doesn’t quite sound right. Are we really supposed to “hate” someone? This is an example of how we may come across something in the Bible that seems to contradict itself. If we look at the whole teaching of the Bible, we realize that those who are followers of Jesus are not called to hate in the sense that many of us think about hate.
The term Jesus uses here is a term of comparison. It is metaphorical in nature and relates to our priorities. Jesus is not saying that we should hate our families or even ourselves; He is saying that when a person compares our love for Jesus to anything else, it would seem like hatred.
Jesus says that in order to be a follower of His, a person must make Him their first priority. Jesus is not one to be put on the shelf of our hearts alongside others. He will not share His throne with anyone or anything. When we do give Jesus first place over everything and everyone else in our lives, we come to find out that He enables us to love them as we could not without Him having priority in our lives.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Matthew 6:33 CSB
As we look at our lives, would others realize that we love Jesus above everything else?
The Cost of Suffering
27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:27 CSB
While the cross is a cherished symbol today by many, it was anything but cherished during the time Jesus spoke these words. Remember, when Jesus said this, He had not yet gone to the cross. Still, the people who heard Jesus say this knew exactly what He meant. The cross was used as an extremely brutal form of execution. The Romans would use crucifixion like billboards are used today. They would execute criminals against the Roman Empire along roads to show all travelers that you don’t mess with Rome.
When Jesus said that anyone who wanted to be His follower would have to “bear his own cross,” it was a sobering statement. To bear one’s cross would be burdensome and disgraceful at times. You would not be getting popularity points by bearing a cross. At times, it would be extremely painful. It would drain your strength from you.
Alongside that, it would be shameful. Many times, the Romans would make those sentenced to crucifixion carry their cross through town to the place where they would be executed. We see Jesus going through this in John 19.
Not every follower of Jesus will have to carry a literal cross, but there will be some type of cross they will have to carry. It will not be easy. It will be painful at times. It will cause others to look at you with disgust at times because they don’t understand.
Jesus didn’t want anyone to be taken by surprise here. He wanted them to know about this cost.
The Cost of Consideration
28 “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 “Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
Luke 14:28–32 CSB
Jesus uses two examples to share this cost of consideration. First, He shares about a person building a tower but not taking the time to make sure they had what was needed to finish it. A tower was a tool of defense. It would be built high up along a border to see trouble coming and act. Towers are good things, but a tower that is half-built is no good to anyone.
The second example Jesus shares is about a king going to war making sure the troops he has is sufficient. Think about what would happen if you showed up in battle only to be outnumbered 3-to-1. The morale of your troops would plummet. You would probably end up losing many people if not your own life. All of it could be avoided if you simply took the time to consider what you were doing.
Jesus calls each person who desires to be His follower to consider the cost. He doesn’t want there to be any fine print where things are often hidden and then brought up against you later. He lays the entire deal on the table for full consideration. The Lord created each of us with a brain and desires us to use it. When people do not understand that following Jesus will not be popular at times, they tend to stray away when those times come. Jesus encourages everyone to take the time to consider what following Him really means.
The Cost of Ownership
33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:33 CSB
When Jesus says that His followers must renounce their possessions, He is not talking about giving away everything. Yes, Jesus will tell the rich young ruler that he needed to in Luke 18, but that young man’s possessions were his god that was keeping his heart from the Lord. What Jesus talks about here in Luke 14 is yielding ownership of every aspect of one’s life to Jesus. There is a recognition that everything we have comes from His hand and ultimately belongs to Him. We no longer see our possessions as “our property” to do whatever we wish. They are things and people the Lord has entrusted to us to handle as He desires. Do we hold on to these things as if we own them, or do we recognize they have been entrusted to us by the Lord?
Conclusion
For a person to follow Jesus, it is much more than saying a prayer one time. It may start with a prayer, but it also calls for us to do what Jesus said in Luke 9:23.
23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 9:23 CSB
While there is no way to earn or pay for a relationship with the Lord, there is a cost. This is no different from any other relationship in our lives. When a husband or wife commits to their spouse, the cost is forsaking all others to commit to their spouse. When parents are blessed with a child, the cost will be some free time and only looking out for your own interests.
While the cost to follow Jesus deals with priorities, suffering, consideration, and ownership, we come to realize that Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28-30 are true.
28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28–30 CSB
I would encourage you to listen to the words of Jesus today. Take time to count the cost of following Him. As you do, you will quickly realize the cost of following Jesus is minute compared to what He does for us.
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