25 Now great multitudes went with
Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If
anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And
whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For
which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the
cost, whether he has enough to finish it—29 lest,
after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see 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, does not sit down first and
consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him
with twenty thousand? 32 Or
else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks
conditions of peace. 33 So
likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My
disciple. 34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how
shall it be seasoned? 35 It
is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Commentary
Vs. 25-26 25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
In the previous passage the Lord Jesus Christ warned by way of a parable that not entering the Kingdom of God while it is availed to oneself means that one when by their own choice, they have excused themselves from it, they then will then never enter it. And so now having great multitudes following Him, Jesus turns too them and begins to say, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Jesus then by saying as much is not looking for casual disciples who would like to try Him, or add Him to their already “busy” lives. No, the Lord Jesus Christ is looking for heart felt commitment, for those individuals who will place Him, and keep Him above and before all things in their lives! Thus, family ties which are universally held as the most important relationship in people’s lives, must be subservient to our relationship with, and loyalty towards Him.
For those family ties that once seemed everything to us will as we grow in our faith and discernment In Christ will soon become severable, and not necessarily by us! For when we receive the Lord Jesus Christ our families may initially open to our faith in Him, however as we grow in our faith, we will inevitably become to them either a fragrance of life leading to life or of death leading to death, depending on what they themselves decide for themselves about Him and His Word, whether to receive or reject Him. And so, these once inseverable ties will then be quickly and easily broken and forgotten by them in regards to us. Therefore, do not marvel at this when you find that those you once loved and cherished the most (and they once loved and cherished you) no longer have any more love or need for you. For believing in and belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ means that we will be hated by all for His Names sake. And in this our families maybe the first ones whom we truly experience this from. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ in saying that in order to be His disciple we must hate our father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even our own lives also, is not saying that we are to destroy these relationships, rather He is saying that believing in and belonging to Him means that we must choose Him and have complete loyalty towards Him above all of these most personal relationships if we want to be His disciple. For inevitably the time will come when we will have to decide to stand with the Lord Jesus Christ, (yes) or stand with those family members who have rejected Him (no). Therefore no that there will be loses in this life, but in losing our own lives down here (and especially those relationships that would only hold us back) we show that we already have eternal life, and that we are driven by and focused on doing and pursuing God’s Will and His new relationships for us which last forever, while this life and its mortal relationships and pursuits will only last for this very sort lifetime. Therefore, don’t let familiar ties and or your old life, keep you from becoming and doing all that God wants you to do and be!
Vs. 27 “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Now the bearing of one’s cross can be many things, from suffering public reproach and hostility for the Person and Name and Word of the Lord Jesus Christ, to enduring hardships and afflictions for the Kingdom of God’s sake. Yet at its heart is living a life of self-denial, which means I choose to do and pursue what God wants me to do and pursue, even if it means it costs me my life! Which means for most of us losing our own personal plans, dreams, and desires so that we might do and pursue God’s plans, designs and desires for us! That’s sort of the big picture of bearing one’s cross. For in serving the Lord Jesus Christ there will be “daily sacrifices” that will need to be made by us all who want to follow Him in discipleship.
Vs. 28-33 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see 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, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
The Lord Jesus Christ now likens His discipleship to that of man who intending to build a tower begins to build, first calculates the cost of doing so, lest when he starts building he is not able to finish, and “…all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ (vs. 28-30). So too is discipleship with the Lord Jesus Christ, because to start one’s journey with Him and not finish it, is only to be mocked at the end!
Similarly, Jesus then uses the analogy of a king going to war, who first sits down and calculates the cost of doing so, as to whether he is able to overcome the one whom he is about to do battle with (vs. 31). Otherwise if he is not able to do so, he then sends a delegation to him while he is still a great way off, seeking conditions of peace (vs. 32). “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” vs. 33
Christian discipleship then is more than just believing and saying a prayer to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, for believing in Christ and following Him in discipleship means the forsaking of all that one has! That is the point Jesus is making in His parable, for us all to count the cost and fully embrace Him and His will for our lives!
Vs. 34-35 34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Now in concluding His parable the Lord Jesus Christ gives us all a warning, a warning that is comparable to one losing one’s “seasoning” abilities. For that is what we are, Christians who season the world (especially those around us) with the Word and fragrance of God being lived out and manifested through our own persons and lives. Thus, if a disciple loses this ability through unrepentant sin and or ongoing and persistent neglect, and thus over time they only become salt that has lost it’s flavor, Jesus asks how shall it be seasoned? “It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” vs. 35
Therefore, Jesus’ warning is serious, and is not something that any true disciple would want to happen to them, to lose ones witness and testimony for Him. For if one does, (and they no longer care about it), they inevitably then go back to where they came from, doing and speaking those things which are not fitting for them, or anyone else to do and speak (consider 2 Peter 2:18-22). Now having stated as much can those who have fallen be restored? Clearly, they can, for as we will see in Luke 15 the Lord Jesus Christ did not come to condemn men, but to save them (John 3:17). The only question then is are you willing to be saved by Him?
Scripture Quotations
Commentary
Vs. 25-26 25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
In the previous passage the Lord Jesus Christ warned by way of a parable that not entering the Kingdom of God while it is availed to oneself means that one when by their own choice, they have excused themselves from it, they then will then never enter it. And so now having great multitudes following Him, Jesus turns too them and begins to say, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Jesus then by saying as much is not looking for casual disciples who would like to try Him, or add Him to their already “busy” lives. No, the Lord Jesus Christ is looking for heart felt commitment, for those individuals who will place Him, and keep Him above and before all things in their lives! Thus, family ties which are universally held as the most important relationship in people’s lives, must be subservient to our relationship with, and loyalty towards Him.
For those family ties that once seemed everything to us will as we grow in our faith and discernment In Christ will soon become severable, and not necessarily by us! For when we receive the Lord Jesus Christ our families may initially open to our faith in Him, however as we grow in our faith, we will inevitably become to them either a fragrance of life leading to life or of death leading to death, depending on what they themselves decide for themselves about Him and His Word, whether to receive or reject Him. And so, these once inseverable ties will then be quickly and easily broken and forgotten by them in regards to us. Therefore, do not marvel at this when you find that those you once loved and cherished the most (and they once loved and cherished you) no longer have any more love or need for you. For believing in and belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ means that we will be hated by all for His Names sake. And in this our families maybe the first ones whom we truly experience this from. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ in saying that in order to be His disciple we must hate our father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even our own lives also, is not saying that we are to destroy these relationships, rather He is saying that believing in and belonging to Him means that we must choose Him and have complete loyalty towards Him above all of these most personal relationships if we want to be His disciple. For inevitably the time will come when we will have to decide to stand with the Lord Jesus Christ, (yes) or stand with those family members who have rejected Him (no). Therefore no that there will be loses in this life, but in losing our own lives down here (and especially those relationships that would only hold us back) we show that we already have eternal life, and that we are driven by and focused on doing and pursuing God’s Will and His new relationships for us which last forever, while this life and its mortal relationships and pursuits will only last for this very sort lifetime. Therefore, don’t let familiar ties and or your old life, keep you from becoming and doing all that God wants you to do and be!
Vs. 27 “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Now the bearing of one’s cross can be many things, from suffering public reproach and hostility for the Person and Name and Word of the Lord Jesus Christ, to enduring hardships and afflictions for the Kingdom of God’s sake. Yet at its heart is living a life of self-denial, which means I choose to do and pursue what God wants me to do and pursue, even if it means it costs me my life! Which means for most of us losing our own personal plans, dreams, and desires so that we might do and pursue God’s plans, designs and desires for us! That’s sort of the big picture of bearing one’s cross. For in serving the Lord Jesus Christ there will be “daily sacrifices” that will need to be made by us all who want to follow Him in discipleship.
Vs. 28-33 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see 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, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
The Lord Jesus Christ now likens His discipleship to that of man who intending to build a tower begins to build, first calculates the cost of doing so, lest when he starts building he is not able to finish, and “…all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ (vs. 28-30). So too is discipleship with the Lord Jesus Christ, because to start one’s journey with Him and not finish it, is only to be mocked at the end!
Similarly, Jesus then uses the analogy of a king going to war, who first sits down and calculates the cost of doing so, as to whether he is able to overcome the one whom he is about to do battle with (vs. 31). Otherwise if he is not able to do so, he then sends a delegation to him while he is still a great way off, seeking conditions of peace (vs. 32). “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” vs. 33
Christian discipleship then is more than just believing and saying a prayer to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, for believing in Christ and following Him in discipleship means the forsaking of all that one has! That is the point Jesus is making in His parable, for us all to count the cost and fully embrace Him and His will for our lives!
Vs. 34-35 34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Now in concluding His parable the Lord Jesus Christ gives us all a warning, a warning that is comparable to one losing one’s “seasoning” abilities. For that is what we are, Christians who season the world (especially those around us) with the Word and fragrance of God being lived out and manifested through our own persons and lives. Thus, if a disciple loses this ability through unrepentant sin and or ongoing and persistent neglect, and thus over time they only become salt that has lost it’s flavor, Jesus asks how shall it be seasoned? “It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” vs. 35
Therefore, Jesus’ warning is serious, and is not something that any true disciple would want to happen to them, to lose ones witness and testimony for Him. For if one does, (and they no longer care about it), they inevitably then go back to where they came from, doing and speaking those things which are not fitting for them, or anyone else to do and speak (consider 2 Peter 2:18-22). Now having stated as much can those who have fallen be restored? Clearly, they can, for as we will see in Luke 15 the Lord Jesus Christ did not come to condemn men, but to save them (John 3:17). The only question then is are you willing to be saved by Him?
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
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