"The Price of Discipleship"

"They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" Mark 10:37,38

Most Christians tend to think that being a disciple of Jesus is about what we can "get" from God. We think it is about all the blessings He gives. We are always after the "good" things and good gifts that He will send our way. There is more to it though than just receiving blessings. There is a price to pay.

When we think about "the price" in Christianity, we tend to confine it to the price Jesus paid for our salvation. We forget that there is a price to discipleship as well. If you are going to follow Jesus, if you are going to be a partaker of His inheritance, if you are going to enjoy the blessings, then you are also going to have to pay a price.

Let me clarify that I am not talking about us paying a price for our salvation through works and by doing good deeds. I am talking about the price that comes from following Jesus. He told us in His word that there was a price and what the price was. "And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 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. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?" (Luke 14:25-28)

The price is:
1) Love Him with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. (and hate not... cannot be my disciple)
2) Don't allow anything or anyone besides Him to have first place in your life. (not father, mother, wife, children, brothers or sisters) He is your family now.
3) Surrender your own will to Him. (hate his own life also)
4) Die to self- (bear his cross)

Jesus wasn't telling us to hate others or self. The true evidence that we are Christians is our love for others. Besides if He told us to "hate" our families in the sense that we define hate, He would be telling us to break the greatest commandment. He was telling us that we cannot let our love for people(including family), ourselves, or material things come ahead of our love for Him. Our love for Him must be willing to sacrifice all other relationships for the relationship we have with Him. The cross is the place of death and sacrifice. This is the price that we are called to pay as disciples- the sacrifice of all for a relationship with Him. (Isn't that exactly what He did- sacrifice all in order to have a relationship with us?) This was the price that He told James and John when they were arguing about "position" in our verses above- "can ye drink of the cup that I drink of?"

Have a great day. We want the blessings, benefits and glory that come along with being His disciple, but we don't hear much about the price that comes along with it too. "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:17)

For further reading:
1 Peter 4:12-14
Matthew 22:36-40

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell
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