Luke Bible Study, Day 26
Today’s passage: Luke 14
Focus verse:“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26)
Another time, as Jesus travels, a large crowd trails behind him. He turns to them to talk about what it takes to truly follow him and be his disciple.
In doing so, Jesus uses some strong language. He uses the word hate.
He says that if we want to be his disciple—a true disciple—we must hate our parents, our spouse, our children, and our siblings. We must even hate our own life. Then he says we should pick up our cross and follow him.
What does he mean about picking up our cross? He’s building upon his prior thought about hating our own life. I
n his day, prisoners dragged their crosses through the city on their way to the execution site. For his followers to do this would confirm their allegiance to him and their willingness to die. That’s commitment.
These are some serious barriers to deal with. Does Jesus really want us to hate our family and despise our own life to the point of death before we can fully follow him?
No.
Jesus uses hyperbole to make his point. He wants disciples who will make him their priority. He wants disciples to consider what it will cost to follow him. They must commit fully.
He shares two short parables to explain.
The first is a builder who wants to erect a tower. Before he starts, he figures out the total cost of the project. This will save him the embarrassment of starting construction and not having enough money to finish.
So, too, when we decide to follow Jesus.
The second is a king about to go into battle. Won’t he first analyze the situation and look at troop strength to see if he can hope to defeat his enemy? If he doesn’t expect to win, wouldn’t he pursue a peaceful solution instead of fighting?
Jesus doesn’t want us to say we’ll follow him and be his disciples if we don’t really mean it, if we haven’t considered what it will take to go all in for him.
He’s not trying to talk us out of it, but he wants us to contemplate what it may cost us to put him first in our lives. First over everything else.
Questions:
Though we may say we put Jesus first, do our actions confirm it?
What might get in the way of giving him first place in our lives?
[Discover more about following Jesus in Luke 9:23 and Luke 9:57–62.]
Tips: Check out our tips to use this online Bible study for your church, small group, Sunday school class, or family discussion. It’s also ideal for personal study. Come back each Monday for a new lesson.
Read more about the book of Luke in Dear Theophilus: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus through the Gospel of Luke, now available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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