September 10
DebDay 180: Cannot Be My Disciple
The latter verses in Luke 14 are potentially some of the most disturbing words anywhere in the New Testament. Concluding each of the statements come the words, "...Cannot be my disciple."
Verse 26 talks about "hating." Jesus says, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."
This is not hate speech coming from Jesus. Especially not toward a family-honoring cultural audience. Rather, it is a statement of priorities, of degrees, of preeminence. It does not leave a lot of wiggle room. Okay, no wiggle room. Jesus is saying, either He's first, or He's not.
And if Jesus is not, then there is no Teacher-disciple relationship to be had. And it gets worse. The next verse says, "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple."
Not only is a disciple to leave other priorities behind in line, he is also to take on his Master's priorities. For His first listeners, the idea of "take up your own cross" was not pleasant. It meant carry the gruesome mode for one's execution, and follow Jesus to death. Our death. To self.
Otherwise, no discipleship. And then Jesus summarizes all this, saying, "Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." So we're asked to give up everything we are, and everything we have.
So what do we make of this?
Jesus is telling us who we otherwise are. The gospel seeds in us are well planted, but in risk of getting choked out by weeds. Weeds of distraction. Weeds of our own choosing. Theologians call these weeds our "idols."
Not unlike trying to backpack carrying 150 pounds, we too often attempt to follow Jesus, while carrying our heavy unforgiving idols on our backs.
Jesus knows this. He knows we cannot keep pace. He knows we're so easily swayed into believing our idols (our weeds) are way too important, thus demanding our attention. And devotion.
Can't speak for you, but for me the freedom from my idols, and a whole hearted devotion to Jesus is more than appealing. I would like to be free from the weight of pointless things. Free to follow after Him, without reservation or distraction.
Because I want to give Him no reason to say to me, "You cannot be my disciple."
-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau
