by Tracey Gholson

How much will it cost? How much time will I have to commit? You will usually ask these questions before you join a club or organization on campus. You count the cost before you decide to commit.

Deciding to follow Jesus should be no different. Before you chose to follow Christ, you should ask, “What will it cost me to be a disciple?” In Luke 14:25–27, Jesus asks his followers to count the cost of discipleship.

Read Luke 14:25-27.

The Large Crowds (verse 25)

Luke tells us that large crowds were traveling with Jesus. Why were so many people following him?

For generations the Jewish people had waited for the Messiah. Many Jews were looking for a great military hero who would overthrow the Roman government and reestablish their nation. Many who traveled with Jesus believed that He might be the One for whom they had waited. The crowds wanted a Messiah to serve them—their needs and their wants. They were not considering what it might cost to follow Jesus.

Put Jesus First (verse 26)

What does Jesus say to the crowds? He challenges them to count the cost of full commitment to Him. He says, “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.”

These are tough words. Jesus was not teaching us to hate anyone. Instead, Jesus was using a hyperbole to stress his point. Jewish teachers often used hyperboles, extravagant exaggerations, to emphasize a point. Jesus was saying that, to follow Him, you must put Him first and love Him above all others. You should love your parents, your spouse, your children, and your siblings, but you should love Jesus even more. You shouldn’t let anyone stand in the way of your relationship with Jesus and your service to Him.

Do you love another person more than you love Jesus? Do you love Jesus more than anyone or anything?

“Carry His Cross” (verse 27)

Jesus further challenges the crowd by saying, “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Exactly how much will it cost to follow Him? Jesus said you must be willing to pay any price. Discipleship may even cost you your life. The Jews had seen their countrymen crucified on crosses at the hands of the Romans. Jesus said that allegiance, even to death, was demanded of His followers.

Jesus also said that to be a disciple means you will have to carry your own cross. No one can do this for you. You will have to make sacrifices. Are you willing to follow Jesus no matter what the cost?

“If Anyone”

Notice that Jesus used the word “anyone” in these verses. Jesus said that anyone who follows Him has to make Him top priority and be willing to sacrifice for His cause whether they are young or old, male or female, rich or poor. There are no exceptions.

For further study, read Matthew 10:37–38. Notice how many times the word “anyone” is used in these two verses.

The Cost of Discipleship

The cost of discipleship can be very high. Some people are disowned by their families when they convert to Christianity. Missionaries often leave family members behind to serve God in other countries. Some people lose friends or jobs when they choose to follow Jesus.

It’s not easy to follow Jesus. It may cost you everything you are and all you have. But Jesus does not ask you to do anything that He Himself has not already done. He will provide His strength and His presence as you follow Him.

Tracey Gholson is a writer from Nashville, Tennessee. She is a pastor’s wife and mother of 5th-grade twins.