Luke 14:25-35 Radical
Commitment to Christ WC
McCarter
Introduction
If I were to
take a survey this morning—pass a blank page to everyone here—asking you to
write down what it means to be committed to Christ, do you think that we would
have mostly the same responses written down? Would it only be the most positive
things or the most enjoyable things? Or, would you mention the whole truth such
as the suffering and hardship?
Commitment
seems to be an issue for Americans today. Whether it be at school, work, in the
home, or in the Christian life. Employees are lazy, wandering in late, taking
long lunches, and never helping to pick up slack. In the home commitment to parenting
and marriage is lacking today. In the Christian life we have equated it to
calling oneself a “Christian” and of having “eternal” life which really doesn’t
have anything to do with this life. But, we know that commitment to Christ
means much more than that.
What does it
mean to commit to Christ? That is the subject of today’s sermon.
Take a look
at the context with me. Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath who had dropsy, that
is, some kind of abnormal swelling of his body. There were lawyers and
Pharisees who kept a close eye on Him and surely were not happy about Him
“working” on the Sabbath with He performed the healing miracle. So, Jesus told
two parables about eating at the great banquet of the kingdom. Before the
people could get comfortable and excited about entering into the kingdom of
God, Jesus teaches them in verses 25-35 what the costs are of entering into
that kingdom. The way to the banquet is long, hard, and narrow.
READ Scripture- This is the Word of God
Hating Your Family (25-26)
The first
qualification of following Christ is that you must hate your own family. Now,
Jesus does not promote hate. We all know that to be true. But, what does He
mean? This has been shown to be a Hebrew idiom, that is, a figure of speech
that does not mean what it seems to mean on the surface. Take a look at Rom
9:10-13, “And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man,
even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done
any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand,
not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, ‘The older shall serve
the younger’ (Gen 25:23). As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I
have hated’ (Mal 1:2-3).” The idiom of hating someone is about preference. Just
as God preferred Jacob over Esau, we are to prefer Christ over our families and
all relationships. Just as God chose Jacob over Esau, we are to choose Christ
over all other people.
If you
cannot do this, then you cannot be Christ’s disciple.
Bearing Your Cross (27)
The second
qualification that the Lord gives to those who may be His disciples is that they
must bear their own crosses and go after Him. Now, we know that this cannot
refer to the same kind of cross that Jesus bore. He was the unique and perfect
sacrifice for the sin of the world. His sacrifice was a substitutionary
atonement in behalf of all those who will come to Him by faith. The cross that
Jesus bore was a once-for-all sacrifice. So, bearing your cross cannot be the
same thing as the cross that Jesus bore, but it must still refer to sacrifice.
It obviously refers to pain, suffering, hardship, even death, and it refers to
sacrifice. That sacrifice that Jesus’ followers must give is not the same as
His. It is not for sin. It is not for your sin or any other sin. It is not to
secure eternal life for yourself. Only Christ’s sacrifice can offer heaven and
eternal life. The cross that we must bear as Christ’s disciples is a sacrifice
for the cause of Christ. It is certainly related to hating one’s own life. You
are called to prefer and choose heaven over earth, the kingdom over the world,
Christ over just a few years in this age.
If you are
not willing to live as a “living sacrifice” for the cause of Christ, then you
cannot be His disciple. If you are not willing to lay down your life for the
cause of Christ, then you cannot be His disciple.
Internal Summary: Before you get too excited about the offer
of eternal life, the hope of heaven, and entrance into the great banquet of the
kingdom, Jesus wants you to understand the whole picture. He gives two warnings
about the commitment required for discipleship: (1) Hating your family and own
life, and (2) Bearing your cross and following after Him.
Two Parables about Commitment (28-32)
First
Parable: The Tower Builder
Anyone who
enters into a building project must first count the cost. There is probably no
greater shame for a builder than to start the project and not be able to finish
it because they have run out of funds. That kind of builder is mocked by the
world around him.
Second
Parable: The Warring King
No king, or
president for that matter, goes to war with another nation without first
considering how many troops will be needed to defeat the enemy. For example,
will it take 10,000 soldiers or 20,000? The king who does not figure these
things, and figure them well, is put to great shame and must send out a
delegation to the rival nation asking for peace. He will have to submit to the
rival.
Internal Summary: What is Jesus point with these two
parables? You better count the cost of discipleship before committing to
Christ.
Two Warnings about Commitment (33-35)
First
Warning: Willingness to Give Up Possessions
Is this
equivalent to what Jesus tells the rich young ruler, that is, you must go and
sell all your possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and then follow
Christ? I do not think that Jesus calls on all of us to do the same thing, but
the principle is the same. If you trust your possessions more than Christ, you
cannot be His disciple. You must treasure Him above all your treasures here. I
think that is why Jesus said what He did to the young ruler—He knew his heart.
That young man trusted in his possessions more than he did in God. What is it
in your life that if the Lord asked you to give it up, you would have to think
about it, and maybe would not even be willing to give it up? For the third
time, Christ has given this warning—if you cannot do __________, then you
cannot be My disciple.
Second
Warning: Uselessness of Unseasoned Salt
Jesus uses
salt on more than one occasion as an illustration of single-minded devotion (“for
example, you are the salt of the earth”) here in the context of discipleship.
As one commentators says, It “applies to the characteristics Jesus has just
enumerated: the readiness ‘to renounce kin, comfortable living, and life itself
for the sake of being Jesus’ disciple.’ A false form of discipleship may look
like salt, but the gradual process of leaching leaves only a zestless pile of
waste” (Garland).
Conclusion and Christian Application
So, Jesus
challenges those that think that they are righteous, based on their own
standards, and the multitudes to single-minded devotion, calling on all of us
to reevaluate, to count the cost. He teaches us about the total demand of
discipleship, single-minded devotion, calling on us to renounce all things in
preference for Himself. He warns us to count the cost of following Him, but I
would leave you with this: count the cost of not following Him as well. What
would you be left with? A nice house, new cars, a little bit of money in the
bank, somewhat comfortable living in this life? The treasures of this world do
not compare to the eternal rewards in the next for those who follow Christ
through suffering into glory.
A person’s
commitment to Christ is the chief priority above all else, and, at the same
time, every other commit flows from it.