April 14, 2025 Morning Devotional

Morning Devotion: Read Luke - The Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14:25  And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Hate is a strong word, people often mistake the word for hostility when in fact our text means hate is a dislike. No one should be hostile motivated by a strong dislike. Jesus is not advocating hostilities.

He is revealing a great truth, for nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to Christ. To be a disciple of the Lord means setting Him first in your life making the Lord the first and foremost above all else.

To place the Lord Jesus first in your life means simply follow the Lord being obedient to the Lord and living for the Lord in all you do according to the Word of God. It never means abandonment or ostracizing anyone from your life to make Jesus first.

If Jesus is first in your life, you will, by necessity love, treat and honour others, like your father, and mother, and bothers, and sisters, and wives, and husbands as God would.

Christian husbands would love their wives and be not bitter against them, Christian wives would honour and love their husbands, Christian children would honour their parents because Jesus is first in their hearts.

In fact the royal law would become the law of the heart. James 2:8  If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

In our text Jesus go even further when He brings up the subject of the cross.

Luke 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

As we approach resurrection Sunday and celebrate the death burial and resurrection of Jesus we find another truth in scripture. Jesus bore the cross of sacrifice. He bore the cross to bear the sins of the whole world and give His life a ransom for many. He gave himself that others might have their sins paid and have the opportunity to be saved.

Even when He was mocked and ridiculed and beaten and cursed, He still loved; He loved those who hated Him. That is the essence of bearing your cross.

Our Lord Jesus makes another great and final statement. Luke 14:33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Are you willing to forsake all to follow Jesus, to be His disciple. It does not mean sell everything you have and become a recluse. Forsaking all means nothing compares to Jesus. Jesus is first and everything else is second place.

We often use the acronym of J.O.Y. to express this whole passage. Jesus first, Others second and You last.

The choice is still yours,

Pastor Cook