Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” – Luke 9:23
The cost of discipleship is high. Jesus revealed this when He taught on the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 13:44 states, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Like a man selling all that he has to possess a treasure hidden in the field, so too are disciples called to willingly forsake all else to follow Christ. Thus, for one to obtain the kingdom of heaven, they must first count the cost of discipleship. Though some rejoice at the opportunity to obtain such a coveted possession, many others view the cost of discipleship to be too great a sacrifice for the reward of the kingdom. Have you considered the cost of what it means to be a disciple? Each one of us must reflect on this and determine what is of the most importance. Will you cling to Christ or your possessions? Do you desire the kingdom or this world?
This is the very question that four fishermen had to ask themselves the day that Jesus called them to follow Him. Matthew 4:18-22 states, “And Jesus, walking by as the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.” Can you imagine this moment? It was just another day of work for the four fishermen until Jesus came walking by the Sea of Galilee and changed everything. He called them to follow Him and that they would not be fishermen but fishers of men. When they heard the call of discipleship, they did not hesitate. Jesus is calling you at this very moment to follow Him. Will you hesitate? It says that the fishermen immediately left their nets, their boats, and even their father to go after Christ. Are you willing to leave your nets and boats behind? This is the cost of discipleship. To be a follower of Christ, there is nothing we can withhold from our Lord.
However, discipleship does not only require the believer’s willingness to depart from their possessions or family, but it may even require them to relinquish their lives. Dietrich Bonhoeffer states, “The cross is laid on every Christian… As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus, it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” Therefore, the call of discipleship is a calling of self-denial and self-sacrifice. The cross must come before the crown. Many desire the crown but refuse to bear the cross. Disciples must be willing to embrace the cross and follow the Lord regardless of where it leads us. Church history records that many of the apostles became martyrs for the cause of the gospel. You may ask, “Why would one willingly die for the cross of Christ?” It is because they have come to recognize the hidden treasure of the kingdom. They knew that their Lord was also their Savior that bore the cross for their sins. They understood that the cost of discipleship was worth the eternal reward of the kingdom.
Though the cost of discipleship is high, it is far worth it. The kingdom of heaven is the source of eternal joy, spiritual wealth, and fulfillment. When one embraces the cross of Christ they find the crown of life.
Have you counted the cost?
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