Everything I have costs me something. House, car, clothes, family members, you name it and it costs. Last week at lunch with a friend, he commented about another friend of his who has lived with his parents into his 50’s and is only now getting married. “He is ready to retire,” my friend commented, “with no kids and no housing expenses. He invested his earnings and has quite a portfolio.” I wouldn’t trade my family or my life for any portfolio even though hundreds of thousands of dollars has been spent on rearing kids and basic living in the 30+ years since I graduated college. And I have only mentioned monetary costs but there are also costs in terms of time and emotional energy as well.
Everything has a cost…
Jesus reminds me this morning that even faith costs.
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (25-33)
Following Jesus costs. It can cost us relationships with those we love who don’t understand who Jesus is and what He asks of his followers. History abounds with relatives turning in other relatives for being Christians. Missionaries I know have converts whose families have put a price on their heads because they converted! Extreme cases for sure, nonetheless, very real.
Faith in Jesus costs…
We don’t talk about the costs of faith in the
The nudge of the Holy Spirit, as I sit with the Lord this morning, is to consider the cost of following Jesus… the monetary, time, emotional energy, etc. costs of the Christian faith…
Jesus, help me count and willingly pay the costs for following You…
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