Luke 14:25-35

Luke 14:25-35

Hard on the heels of Jesus's parable about the invitation to the Wedding Feast, to which everyone in the right mind would want to go, Jesus set down the terms of discipleship. These terms are absolute. It is not like we're negotiating over the price of a lawn mower at a yard sale. Jesus sets these terms very much in a “take-it-or-leave-it”, end of discussion context.

Loyalty to Jesus is first and foremost. For many of us there is no conflict between our love for and loyalty to Christ and to our earthly relationships. But there is never any doubt about who is first in our lives. Martyrs are expressing the loyalty that every follower of Christ ought to have. When it comes to Christ there is no such thing as loyal to a fault.

But Jesus doesn't want His disciples to misunderstand what they can lose, yes there is loss in following Christ. Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem not to receive a crown and coronation, but a cross and a crucifixion. No doubt many in the crowds were ready to take up a revolutionary war in the hope of winning a kingdom. Jesus paints a stark picture of a procession to death, the one who is carrying a cross in such a procession is condemned to die. There's no picture here of victory or a kingdom but only of dying. If our loyalty is to a cause, a party, or even a kingdom it is misplaced. Our loyalty is to Jesus even if it means isolation, property, ruin, and torturous death. Jesus insists that we decide, before we commit, if we want these terms.

The one who is useless is bound for ruin. Many have decided to follow Jesus but ultimately end up useless for His cause and name. Salt in the ancient times was often not pure sodium chloride. It degraded into tastelessness as the sodium chloride leached out and only inert material was left behind, even while looking like the real stuff. This degraded tasteless salt was useless. So a disciple that is useless is in grave danger, even if they look real. Service does not earn us a place in the Kingdom but service shows we are part of the Kingdom. It is our goal to find where we fit into the kingdom and how we serve Christ.

“Lord, help me to be real in my absolute loyalty to Jesus. AMEN”