1/20/14

From Ben Fronczek... The Cost of Following Jesus







The Cost of Following Jesus 

(Based on a sermon by Phil Morgan)
Luke 9:57-62. 
“57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

In our reading today, Luke records for us in this passage an account of THREE (3) MEN whom Jesus met as He travelled along with His disciples. Two of these men declared that they wished to follow Jesus; to become His disciples. The other was one whom Jesus SUMMONED to follow Him.
What immediately strikes me is the way in which Jesus handles these inquirers (and I think that this is Luke’s reason for recording the details of these meetings). MOST men with a cause are busy trying to recruit as MANY people as they can. Most preachers are busy trying to get as many members for their church as they possibly can (and most have good intentions). I like seeing new members myself!

It’s natural. It’s what we expect to see. But Jesus seems radically different here in His approach. He seems to try to DISSUADE men from following after Him – or at least that’s what it looks like.
An old retired minister was sharing some advice with a younger minister. The old man said to him, “Son, always endeavor to keep your church as SMALL as you can!” That’s strange talk isn’t it?! And that was coming from a man who himself had served a quite large congregation. But what he meant was, ‘Preach the truth of God’s salvation, and the demands of following Jesus, SO CLEARLY that ONLY those who have counted the cost and are ready to give up ALL for Christ will join themselves to you.’

Now, it’s my desire to see as many as possible come to Christ – BUT I DON‘T JUST WANT TO GET A CROWD . . . that shouldn’t interest any of us! I want to see people turning to Christ whole heartedly and become truly dedicated disciples of our Lord Jesus.

And so, it’s interesting to read of Jesus’ way of dealing with those who expressed a desire to follow Him; He seems to be trying to DISCOURAGE them. BUT NOT REALLY.  Actually,  Jesus’ desire is that people WILL follow Him – but He wants them to think it through first . . . to count the cost involved . . . so that once they DO follow Him they’ll never turn back. Even as He spells out what is required in such clear and shocking terms, I believe in his heart He is longing for them to accept it – He’s rooting for them – but the cost is the cost . . . it’s non-negotiable . . . and they MUST be prepared for it.
 
I’d like to look at these three men who Jesus confronted with His demands, and consider, “THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS”.
We read of the first man in VERSES 57-58. And from Jesus’ conversation with him we learn that:
 
#1. THE FOLLOWER OF JESUS HAS NO EARTHLY SECURITY. 

In other words things of this world do not make the Christian feel secure. [read 57-58] “57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

It’s quite a bold statement this one makes, isn’t it?   “I will follow you WHEREVER you go!”
Jesus replies that to follow Him “WHEREVER He’s going” will not be an easy road. He’s not one of these “high-flying” Rabbis who jets from village to village, staying in the best hotels, and collecting nice offerings from the crowds that come to hear them. No, His is a true “FAITH” ministry!

When Jesus stepped out of His throne in glory to come to the earth and live and die for us, He left behind all that He had. He exchanged wealth for poverty – out of the ivory palaces into a rude cattle shed. He exchanged rulership for servant hood.

He says, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay His head”. What an irony . . . the King of glory – heir apparent to the throne of the Universe – doesn’t even have a place to call “home”. He had no earthly security. He was loaned accommodation by those who loved Him. He borrowed a coin to tell a story. He borrowed a donkey to ride into Jerusalem and fulfill prophecy. Why, He was even buried in a borrowed tomb! (It was just as well that He didn’t need it for too long!) HE had NOTHING. Oh, but here we see His love shine thru when we realize what He gave up to stand up and die for you and me.
And those who follow Him must be prepared for the same road. It’s not the things of this world that make us secure, there is NO real EARTHLY SECURITY. Note, I DIDN’T say “THERE’S NO SECURITY” at all,   because there is security in following Jesus.  The true disciple is not secure because of possessions, money, or homes, or such things. God’s faithfulness, and our hope for life beyond this one gives us a sense of security like nothing else.  And it’s not anything that can be taken away! Even if the Christian has nothing, is orphaned and poor as dirt in this life,  he or she is more secure than the richest, most powerful of people without Christ.

A genuine disciple of Jesus should not depend on things of this world to make them feel truly secure. If you’re going to follow Jesus – and walk His road – it just may cost you everything! Through the ages and even today, a decision to walk with Jesus has cost people jobs, their reputation, for some their possessions and for some, even their life. So it’s important to COUNT THE COST! But remember the words of Jesus, He said: “WHOEVER LOSES HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE SHALL FIND IT!”

Then we read of a second man in VERSES 59-60. And from Jesus’ conversation with this one we learn that:
 
# 2. THE FOLLOWER OF JESUS SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON ANY EARTHLY TIES. 

[READ 59-60.]

“59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Here we have a conversation that has shocked many people; it shocked me when I first read it! Jesus CALLS this man to be His disciple, but he begs leave to go and bury his father first. Doesn’t this seem like a reasonable request? You may feel sorry for the man as you read this. BUT JESUS REPLIES: “Let the dead bury their own dead: I’ve called you to preach for me.”

The point Jesus makes here, and let no-one mistake it, is that if you’re going to follow Jesus Christ then duty to Him and the claims of His Kingdom come before ANYTHING and ANYONE else. 

Jesus said in Matthew 1034ff, 

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn“  ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

NOW you get the picture of the kind of devotion that He is calling for! He’s not calling for us to dishonor parents, or shirk our responsibility to family, BUT IF WE ARE PRESSED INTO A CHOICE BETWEEN THE TWO, HE SHOULD COME FIRST!  And indeed, some have had to lose family or turn their back on what they practice to follow Jesus. The follower of Jesus should have no earthly ties that supersedes our Lord !

Let me cast a little further light on this conversation in our text. When this man says, “Let me first go and bury my father”. Understanding Jewish practices shed a light on what’s going on here.  The initial burial took place shortly after a person’s death when the diseased is placed in a family tomb. After which the family would mourn for 7 days, & then another 30 to a lesser degree..

However, the entire mourning period was not fully over until the flesh of the deceased had decomposed, usually about a year later. The final act of mourning came when the son gathered the bones into a bone box called an ossuary. The son would return to re-bury the bones in this special box in a slot in the tomb wall. If that’s the situation here, and it seems reasonable to assume it was, then this man who has been called by Jesus could be asking for up to a YEAR’S delay before following! Jesus said, or Jesus implied that, “Others can take care of that my friend – the demands of the Kingdom are more urgent – MY call cannot wait!

Then finally, we come to the third man in VERSES 61-62. And from Jesus’ conversation with this one we learn that:
 
#3. THE FOLLOWER OF JESUS Should have NO EARTHLY DISTRACTIONS. 

[READ vss. 61-62.] 

“61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Again, doesn’t this seem like a reasonable request? Would you deny a soldier going to war one last chance to bid his loved ones farewell?  But again, Jesus clearly spells out the cost of following Him. “Sir, you’ve already declared you are ready to follow me - YOU’VE PICKED UP THE PLOW – if you put it down now because of your hankering after your family back home, you’re not fit for the Kingdom of God!” What is Jesus saying? “DON’T LOOK BACK!”
When Peter, James and John followed Jesus, they literally “DROPPED” their fishing nets to go after Him. And right when it looked like business was picking up too! (Jesus had just got them a bumper catch!) They went back for nothing. The Master had called..
If you’re going to follow Jesus, there must be no going back.
 
Jesus illustrates this another way, He said: “Which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’”.

Commenting on those words, JOHN STOTT wrote this:
 
“The Christian landscape is strewn with the wreckage of derelict, half-built towers – the ruins of those who began to build and were unable to finish. For thousands of people still ignore Christ’s warning and undertake to follow Him without first pausing to reflect on the cost of doing so. The result is the great scandal of Christendom today, so-called ‘nominal Christianity’.
What he is saying is that there are pews filled with people who wear the title, Christian’, but after starting out good they pull back and now refuse to follow their Lord all the way. Why, because they can’t give up some things from the past, hence they never reach their full potential in the kingdom and stand incomplete like the towers Jesus talked about.
The true follower of Jesus allows NO EARTHLY DISTRACTIONS. We don’t  turn back for anything or anyone when push comes to shove.

CONCLUSION:
Jesus’ words are strong her in this text, aren’t they?  These are some of the things that will cost you and me to follow Jesus. In short, it will cost you EVERYTHING. He calls for us to commit ourselves completely to Him, and hold nothing back, and if necessary – give up all for Him. Jesus said to the first man: “COUNT THE COST”. He said to the second man: “LEAVE IT BEHIND”. And He said to the third man: “DON’T LOOK BACK”.
What’s He saying to YOU today?
 
Well, you’ve heard the COST of following Jesus. You might well ask, “Who then would ever want to following Him if this is what He expects of us?”

Perhaps to answer that we should consider the COST OF NOT FOLLOWING HIM!  – NO ETERNAL LIFE   – NO GUIDANCE (or meaning) IN THIS LIFE. NO OPPORTUNITY TO GLORIFY GOD, and the prospect eternal damnation.

Your home, your money, your things, your bank accounts, you jobs, your farms, your friends and family are important, but none of these things will get you into heaven where we are promised an eternity of wonder, glory, and bliss. That’s why none of these things are as important a Jesus, and having a relationship with Him. Jesus once said, “What good is it if you gain the whole world, yet loose your soul?”

My encouragement today is to put Jesus and His will, and the things of God first in your life. And don’t be like these 3 individual  who only came up with excuses as to why they couldn’t, or wouldn’t follow Jesus. Jesus also said that the path, and gate is a narrow way, and only a few will choose that path. Be one of the few that will puts Jesus first and enter and stay on that narrow path.  Why, because all other paths lead to the grief and destruction of our soul.