Word@Work Luke236 - Luke 14:25-27
Published: Wed, 11/17/10
Word@Work from BeaconLight
THE CROSSROADS IN FOLLOWING JESUS
Luke 14:25-27 Large crowds were travelling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." (NIV)
Popularity is not the same as commitment. People become popular because others admire them and, in some way, want to gain value from them: but commitment is a deliberate choice to personally dedicate oneself to fulfilling a purpose even if that may involve self-sacrifice.
Jesus told the crowds that to follow Him would mean an extraordinary personal commitment - which might separate them from their families and even result in their own death. Commitment to Christ is not a leisure activity but living for the kingdom of Heaven while on earth. "Carrying the cross" does not mean putting up with inconveniences or enduring hardship - it is something much stronger than that. It means being willing to die to self-interest and living as though each day may be our last. Jesus has never wanted to build an empire because people think He is good, but to inspire followers who will commit to the same gospel mission that drove Him to be crucified.
Paradoxically, the church grows best and is of the highest quality when it is under persecution. Of course nobody wants to invite persecution, but when all the popularist reasons for following Jesus are stripped away, the truth of the gospel remains. Those who believe in Jesus as Saviour and commit their lives to Him find that He is able to sustain them until the day they meet Him in glory. As Jude said, "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy" (Jude 1:24). This remains the confidence of all true followers of Jesus who look beyond present comforts or distresses to the joy of being in the Lord's presence for ever.
Prayer: Dear Lord. Thank You for this reminder that following Jesus is a hard commitment which goes against the grain of my personal comfort and other people's expectations. Please forgive me when I wilt under the pressure of hostility, or seek an easier way. Help me to be confident that You are with me always, that Your Word is always true, Your power is always active, Your promises will always be fulfilled and Your purposes will always be achieved. Help me to remain true, being willing to take up my cross daily and not be deflected from following Jesus by either the lure of comfort or the pressure of opposition. Give me grace to keep following even when those who are closest to me do not understand. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Popularity is not the same as commitment. People become popular because others admire them and, in some way, want to gain value from them: but commitment is a deliberate choice to personally dedicate oneself to fulfilling a purpose even if that may involve self-sacrifice.
Jesus told the crowds that to follow Him would mean an extraordinary personal commitment - which might separate them from their families and even result in their own death. Commitment to Christ is not a leisure activity but living for the kingdom of Heaven while on earth. "Carrying the cross" does not mean putting up with inconveniences or enduring hardship - it is something much stronger than that. It means being willing to die to self-interest and living as though each day may be our last. Jesus has never wanted to build an empire because people think He is good, but to inspire followers who will commit to the same gospel mission that drove Him to be crucified.
Paradoxically, the church grows best and is of the highest quality when it is under persecution. Of course nobody wants to invite persecution, but when all the popularist reasons for following Jesus are stripped away, the truth of the gospel remains. Those who believe in Jesus as Saviour and commit their lives to Him find that He is able to sustain them until the day they meet Him in glory. As Jude said, "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy" (Jude 1:24). This remains the confidence of all true followers of Jesus who look beyond present comforts or distresses to the joy of being in the Lord's presence for ever.
Prayer: Dear Lord. Thank You for this reminder that following Jesus is a hard commitment which goes against the grain of my personal comfort and other people's expectations. Please forgive me when I wilt under the pressure of hostility, or seek an easier way. Help me to be confident that You are with me always, that Your Word is always true, Your power is always active, Your promises will always be fulfilled and Your purposes will always be achieved. Help me to remain true, being willing to take up my cross daily and not be deflected from following Jesus by either the lure of comfort or the pressure of opposition. Give me grace to keep following even when those who are closest to me do not understand. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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