Jesus speaks a shocking message to a large crowd that was travelling with him. He says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” This is hardly the way to win friends and influence people. It’s a shocking message that would have left many in the crowds perplexed. Jesus explains his shocking statement by telling two parables: The Parable of Building a Tower and The Parable of a King going to war. Both parables emphasize the dangers of undertaking projects that are too costly— in terms or money or life— and the need for realistic forward planning. What is the cost? It is a willingness to have nothing else above Jesus — even father, mother, wife, and children. Jesus is not denying the importance of a close family or asking his disciples to literally hate them. He is calling his apprentices to not have divided loyalties. Jesus calls his followers to count the cost, to follow in his footsteps, and to not be distracted or have two masters. This can be difficult for us in North America because to many in the West, a Christian is just someone who mentally ascribes to the bare bones of a belief system. We have created a cultural milieu where you can be a Christian but not an apprentice of Jesus. Tragically, this has created a bifurcated church, where a large swath of people who believe in God and even regularly attend church have not re-architected their daily lives on the foundation of apprenticeship to Jesus. Jesus says that such a person cannot be his apprentice. So, what would it mean for us to consider this cost? What would it mean to surrender the entire architecture of our lives in imitation of Jesus?
Jesus speaks a shocking message to a large crowd that was travelling with him. He says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” This is hardly the way to win friends and influence people. It’s a shocking message that would have left many in the crowds perplexed. Jesus explains his shocking statement by telling two parables: The Parable of Building a Tower and The Parable of a King going to war. Both parables emphasize the dangers of undertaking projects that are too costly— in terms or money or life— and the need for realistic forward planning. What is the cost? It is a willingness to have nothing else above Jesus — even father, mother, wife, and children. Jesus is not denying the importance of a close family or asking his disciples to literally hate them. He is calling his apprentices to not have divided loyalties. Jesus calls his followers to count the cost, to follow in his footsteps, and to not be distracted or have two masters. This can be difficult for us in North America because to many in the West, a Christian is just someone who mentally ascribes to the bare bones of a belief system. We have created a cultural milieu where you can be a Christian but not an apprentice of Jesus. Tragically, this has created a bifurcated church, where a large swath of people who believe in God and even regularly attend church have not re-architected their daily lives on the foundation of apprenticeship to Jesus. Jesus says that such a person cannot be his apprentice. So, what would it mean for us to consider this cost? What would it mean to surrender the entire architecture of our lives in imitation of Jesus?