The Cost of Following Jesus... (6)

We've been exploring Luke 9:57-62 in recent days in order to uncover the cost of following Jesus. This passage reveals to us pretty clearly, i feel, that Jesus is not the kind of person to lure you into following him with all the attractive elements of faith and discipleship, whilst at the same time playing down the life adjustments that will be required of us. He’s no liar, he’s no deceiver, he tells us how it is.

We also learn that following Jesus involves abandoning anything that presents itself as an obstacle to our discipleship. What we’ve pondered in the past few days are three examples of people who would follow Jesus if only they were allowed to set their own terms and conditions first… they say… but first let me do this… but first let me do that. There is no 'but first' when it comes to choosing one of two ways to live. Jesus shows us plainly how seriously he takes the call to follow him. When we do, it’s 24/7, it’s top priority. You either follow him or you don't.

I could adjust a few words of a quote from Spurgeon (Spurgeon, dear friend, I am sorry!) and I believe we are left with a summary of what Jesus is saying to us through this passage…

"I would recommend you either follow God up to the hilt, or else not to follow at all. Follow Jesus, or else reject him. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of discipleship and all that entails; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water is poor discipleship at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and is not good for much."

Jesus is calling every one of us today to follow him, to offer up our lives to his service, to use a favoutite axiom of a good friend of mine, "to live for Jesus by living like Jesus". We are called to count the cost of following Jesus. To consider on one hand the life that we have where we set the terms and conditions, had and to measure that up against the life we are invited to have with Jesus where he sets the terms and conditions. It needs to be said… the latter is better, and better by far.