Discipleship Considered (Continued)
But can God use me?
In Biblical terms discipleship incorporates service – indeed service is a major ingredient – so the question must be raised – can God use me? Just to ask the question is un-nerving. Why would the omnipotent God use me? Can I really be a representative for Christ? Does the Bible give me any confidence to believe that the Lord would actually allow me to work for Him? It is true that Jesus called disciples, but weren’t they special? Well, they were special inasmuch as they were committed to following Him, but apart from that, they did not have any talents that rose above others of their generation. They actually seem very ordinary – mainly men from the fishing community of Galilee. They became extra-ordinary men because of their communion with the Saviour. They accompanied Him and saw the life that pleases the Father lived before their eyes. They heard His teaching, could follow His example, and obey His instructions. When, subsequently, they showed bravery and spoke with wisdom even though as the Sanhedrists observed “they were uneducated and untrained men” it was evident “that they had been with Jesus”. (Acts 4:13) Yes, Jesus can use anyone - if they are willing. The incarnate Son of God issued an open invitation - “If anyone desires to come after Me” (Matt. 16:24; Luke 9:23).
Is there a cost to discipleship?
But before you commit yourself, there are some things you should know. As we have already intimated, there will be a cost – Jesus talked in terms of self-denial and carrying a cross. This is important. He made sure that no-one followed Him under false pretences. To those who came to hear Him, He laid out the cost of discipleship in clear terms. For a disciple of Christ, His claims are the highest. And since there can be no going back, we need to be sure before we begin. His advice was – ‘count the cost’. Let us enlarge the Luke 14:26 reference:
But before you commit yourself, there are some things you should know. As we have already intimated, there will be a cost – Jesus talked in terms of self-denial and carrying a cross. This is important. He made sure that no-one followed Him under false pretences. To those who came to hear Him, He laid out the cost of discipleship in clear terms. For a disciple of Christ, His claims are the highest. And since there can be no going back, we need to be sure before we begin. His advice was – ‘count the cost’. Let us enlarge the Luke 14:26 reference:
“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. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 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 - lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 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? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26-33).
brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 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 - lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 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? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26-33).The thrust of this passage is the advice to count the cost of discipleship before embarking on that path. But when we read it the word ‘hate’ in the first sentence somehow catches our eye and requires an explanation. Placing it in the overall context of the gospels it is illuminated by the teaching of the Saviour Himself. He said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37-38). ‘Hate’ then does not equate to hostility or enmity, not even dislike – it is used as a comparative to emphasise that our love for Christ should be greater than our love for any other. In other words, that which is expressed here is the requirement that the love of Christ has to be placed above all other loves and commitments. The word ‘hate’ is used in a similar manner in the Old Testament, where in Gen. 29:30–31, Jacob’s greater love for Rachel (29:30) is phrased as hating Leah (29:31, RSV). This kind of commitment is, no doubt, worrying to the modern mind; but we should not be too concerned. What will become clear is: a person who commits himself or herself to Christ will develop a greater love for both neighbour and family. And we have been through it before, for this kind of wholeheartedness was required at the beginning of our Christian walk. We entered the family of God by throwing ourselves on His mercy. The Christian life has never been one of half measures.
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