The Price of Discipleship
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Matthew 16:24 NKJV
Deny oneself, and be ready to take one’s cross, that means be ready to die. Same advice is given in Mark and Luke also.
The Jewish community would not allow any one to follow another religion. The disciples left everything and followed Jesus and they all except one, were martyred.
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. If a jew had to believe in Jesus’ teachings it could bring a sword of separation in relationship.
Further He said
“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me’.
Matthew 10:34-37 NKJV
What does Paul say about this?
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
Colossians 3:18-19 NKJV
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Ephesians 5:22-25 NKJV
About the decision to follow Him, Jesus said “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?
Luke 14:28-30 NKJV
Disciples had to sacrifice a lot many things in order to follow Christ. Jesus wanted to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. But His own people did not recognise Him and He was not accepted by them.
As fulfillment of the Law He taught them to love their enemies, to show the right cheek to those who slap on the left: and to go two miles with those who want you to go one mile;, to lend money without the desire to get back, do good to all irrespective of relationship; and the list goes on and on. “.To be generous to all.
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
Luke 6:37 NIV
These were/are difficult to practice.
And to the rich man He told to sell his riches and distribute among the poor in order to invest in the Kingdom. All these teachings were for the Jews among whom He wanted to establish His Kingdom.
But the New Testament believers are citizens of heaven. We are saved by faith. We come under the grace of God. Our dispensation is that of grace, not Law. The change over is happening in the book of Acts with Paul as the chief Architect of the N T church.
“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.
Acts 13:38-39 NIV
But in Acts 15 we read :
Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Acts 15:1 NIV
A great dispute at the Jerusalem Council regarding this finally came to a consensus with a Word of Knowledge.
They wrote :
“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.”
Acts 15:28-29 NIV
The gentiles or all who believe in the redemption of God are saved by faith which sanctifies their hearts.
Peter professed:
God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith.
Acts 15:8-9
Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Acts 15:10-11 NIV
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
Galatians 4:4-6 NIV
So we are sons through adoption. A heavenly transaction took place at the Calvary, He bought us with the Price of His own life.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
John 1:12 NKJV
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Romans 8:14 NKJV
This is the great privilege we are blessed with. So lead a life that is worthy of the Father. Children take after the character and image of the father. He is Holy. He wants us to be holy.
Prayer.
Our loving Heavenly Father, thank you for giving Your Son to redeem us. Help us to lead lives worthy of the great sacrifice of Jesus, our Lord. Help us to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Thank You. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Sol. Salomi Kurian.