The Cost of Discipleship

Matt 10:38,39 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

 

These were tough words that Jesus was speaking to His disciples. He was laying it down. He was being up front with them. He was telling them what it was going to cost to be His follower, and this was it: It was going to cost them their lives. The implication was not: "You have to die to yourself." The clear word was: "You are going to die. Get ready. If you are not willing to die, then you are not worthy to follow me."

 

John MacArthur makes a good point in his study Bible. He said that this is Jesus' first time that He ever brings up the word cross to His disciples. He had just given them a dissertation on how they will be hated and persecuted and now He is telling them that they have to pick up a cross. The picture in His disciple's minds would be Roman crucifixion. They had seen it. They saw criminals put to death by the Romans on the cross. They knew what a gruesome death it was, and Jesus was telling them that this was their destiny. (He didn't tell them at this point that it was His destiny first.) He told them that they had to get their focus right. He was telling them that they needed to get eternity cemented in their minds. If you want to live life here and get all you can here, then really you are going to lose your life. But if you are willing to give up your life here for the sake of Christ, you will gain life.

 

I am sure that these guys were so pumped about following Christ, they heard this but it did not register. How do I know? Because when Jesus was crucified, they all ran for their lives…except for John. They said: "I want my life. I don't want to be arrested. Get me out of here." But then something happened a few days later. Jesus came back to life. A picture of what He was talking about losing your life and gaining it was standing right in front of them, eating with them, talking with them. This solidified their commitment.

 

This was it. This was the cost of discipleship. Jesus was not beating around the bush and His guys knew what they were getting into. Jesus was killed because of His message and each one of His followers was martyred except for John who lost his life in exile. Why? Because they had a different perspective. They had an eternal perspective. Their physical lives were no longer important to them because they looked at them in the light of eternity…real life.

 

The cost of discipleship still applies today. Jesus is saying to all of us: "Be willing. Be ready. Let go of the stuff that you cling to on earth. Fix your eyes on Me. Have an eternal perspective and follow me even if it costs you your very life."

 

I know a lot of persecuted Christians throughout the world understand this, but I wonder if we in the U.S. get this? I wonder if I get it? We may see.