Luke 14: 25-35
1. This parable really illustrates the fact that it’s important to see and understand what discipleship really means. In essence, one must take into account all the costs that are involved in following Christ, because since Christ seems to be a very transparent person, we know there are costs involved. And even in the minds of unbelievers, some of the costs are holding them back hence realizing that there is indeed a cost. You must cling to Jesus so much that it seems like “hating” your dear ones. I guess this idea of giving everything up is still a concept we, as American Christians, are trying to learn. In reality, we have pretty much eveything we need and hence nothing needed to be given up when we became Christian. Of course, there is a slight “cost” of being persecuted by words and/or people who just think we’re weird “religious” people. This is hardly a cost in my eyes simply because there could be a lot worse things out there. I guess to me, cost means something substantial is being given up, and I’m not sure many of us, including myself, really understands what it means. And I don’t think we’ll ever really understand what it means until we are faced with something we must really give up to follow Christ, a big thing. But maybe a “big” thing could still be something relatively small and that is enough to give up and show dedication to Christ. But I still believe if we were truly saved, there would be something bigger to teach us a lesson about this. Not sure what that would be…
