The Cost of Discipleship
The mark of a great teacher is the demands he makes upon his followers. The Italian freedom fighter Garibaldi offered his men only hunger and death to free Italy. Winston Churchill told the British people that he had nothing to offer them but "blood, sweat, toil, and tears " in their fight against their enemies. Jesus spoke of the necessity of total commitment - even to the point of death. He conveyed this in no uncertain terms when he said to his disciples, "You must take up your cross and follow me."
Why was he so harsh? He knew what lay ahead.
Andrew died on a cross
Simon was crucified
Bartholomew was flayed alive
James(son of Alphaeus) was beaten to death
Thomas was run through with a lance
Matthias was stoned and then beheaded
Matthew was slain by the sword
Peter was crucified upside down
Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows
Philip was hanged
Only John made it through alive but he was exiled to a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.
The demands that Jesus makes upon those who would follow him are extreme. Christianity is not altogether a Sunday morning religion. It is a hungering after God to the point of death if need be. It shakes our foundations, topples our priorities, pits us against friend and family, and makes us strangers in this world. We sing, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." But we must understand that on many occasions he is not our friend but our adversary.
We learn in this text that a large crowd was traveling with Jesus. Now, in large crowds you will have many motives. Some, in that crowed, are following because they have seen Jesus feed a multitude of people and they are waiting to be fed. Some are following because they have heard of Jesus' ability to heal and they are waiting for an opportunity to approach him and be healed. Still others are following for the excitement. It is safe to say that only a few are truly committed to this itinerant preacher's teaching.
Aware of their multiplicity of motives Jesus turns to the crowd and tells them what is involved in a true commitment. At this moment the crowd learns, and we also, that to follow Jesus there are three things we must do. Tomorrow we will look at the first thing!
Questions to Ponder
Do you know what lies ahead of you?
What are your motives for following Jesus?
What do you think is involved in a true commitment to Christ?
In His Service,
Terry Phillips
