Cost vs Value

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25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “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. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. (Luke 14:25-28, 31-33)

Not everyone who followed Jesus was a disciple. Some just wanted to be healed. Some hoped he might say or do something provocative. Some were merely curious, crowd followers. Jesus wanted to ensure that all of those observers understood the commitment required to actually be a disciple - and he did not mince words. Following Jesus had to be more important than anyone or anything else, including one's self. To help his listeners understand why he was speaking in such harsh terms Jesus explained that, whenever we begin a new endeavor, we ensure that we have the resources needed to complete what we've started. Similarly, when deciding to be a disciple of Jesus, we all need to determine if we are willing to do and be what's required.

If putting Jesus first was easy, Jesus wouldn't have needed to command us to do it. Even considering putting anyone ahead of one's family would have been a tough pill to swallow in Jesus' day. But, it's no less challenging in our modern self-centered society. Living this way may seem costly - calling us spend time away from those we love or from things we want to do, to give our money to endeavors that don't seem to benefit us personally, to use our gifts and talents in ways that are not financially profitable. Yet, the value is so much greater than the cost could ever be. We receive the peace of knowing we are storing up treasure in heaven that can never be taken away. We receive joy from watching God's kingdom flourish here and now. We have the assurance that God will supply our needs according to God's riches, not our own. The cost of being a disciple of Jesus will never leave us lacking because the benefit is abundant life.

1 Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

and who meditates on his law day and night.

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

whatever they do prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!

They are like chaff

that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

(Psalm 1)