Resource Detail

Luke 14:25-35 

Key Verse: 14:33

1.  What does Luke describe (25a), and why might these people have been doing this? What does Jesus say to them (26), and what does he mean by “hate”? Why do you think Jesus tells them this?

2.  What else does Jesus say to the crowds (27), and what does he mean by “bear his own cross” and “come after me”? How is this teaching related to verse 26? What do his repeated words “cannot be my disciple” mean (26,27,33)?

3.  What does Jesus want us to learn from the man building a tower (28–30)? From the king considering war (31–32)? How do these illustrations help us better understand following him practically?

4.  What is Jesus’ conclusion (33), and what does the word “renounce” mean? Why does he say “all that he has”? What does this say about being a disciple of Jesus? How can we apply this to our own lives today?

5.  What final words does Jesus give (34–35), and in light of verses 26–33, what is the “saltiness” he wants us to have?

When you hear the word “disciple,” what comes to mind? Honestly, some of us will have a negative reaction. It’s because we’ve been around people who’ve been too legalistic and judgmental about it. Or, this word “disciple” may sound so imposing and intimidating. Actually, this is exactly what Jesus is saying in today’s passage. He uses the word “disciple” three times. In each case, he’s implying that being his disciple is a tremendous privilege. Is it? Who’s he talking to? What does he mean? Why is being his disciple so important? How can we “count the cost”? May God open our hearts and speak to us personally through his words today.

As we’ve seen in this section of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus has been traveling to Jerusalem, where suffering and death await him. He’s been training his disciples and dealing with opposition from the Pharisees. In chapter 14 he’s just been to dinner at a Pharisee’s house. There, he broke some religious rules to heal a man with dropsy. He taught us to choose humility over self-promotion. And he told his parable of the great banquet, to show us God’s heart to bring all kinds of outcasts to his kingdom. Now Luke returns to the main theme on this journey: discipleship.

Verse 25a says, “Now great crowds accompanied him…” In Luke’s Gospel, great crowds were coming to hear Jesus speak and be healed of their infirmities (5:15; cf. 6:17; 8:4; 9:37; 12:1). They marveled and rejoiced at all the glorious things he was doing (11:14; 13:17). In all his teaching and healings, Jesus was working for the people, and they sensed it. They must have been really enjoying the graceful, joyful community vibe around Jesus, who was always so truthful and so compassionate.

But suddenly he gets tough with them. Read verses 25b–26. “…and he turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother / (next slide)  and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.’” Jesus is saying that to truly follow him involves making a radical commitment. Why? Partly it’s due to the context of that time. Anyone who committed to follow Christ would likely be persecuted by the Jewish establishment (11:49; 21:12). Earlier, Jesus talked about persecution coming from one’s own family (12:51–53). Because the religious authorities considered him a heretic, people could even be put out of the synagogue if they followed him (John 9:22). Choosing to follow Jesus was like social suicide. In some non-Christian places in the world today, it still is. In this country, unbelieving family and friends still get upset when someone puts Jesus first, ahead of them and ahead of cultural and family traditions. If our hearts are not ready to really put him first, we can cave in to the pressure and fall away from following him.

So he uses a strong word here: “hate.” Earlier, he taught us “love your enemies” (6:27,35). So why does he now say “hate” our family members? He’s using an extreme figure of speech to help us grasp the nature of a disciple’s commitment. We need to make him our first priority, even before our beloved family members. The word “hate” suggests that nothing and no one should ever be able to pull us away from him. He already taught this principle to two men who wanted to follow him (9:59–62). Jesus isn’t telling us to become insensitive or to annihilate all our human feelings. He himself cared for his own mother and beloved disciple from the cross (John 19:25–27). What he is saying is that we need to learn to love him most (Matt.10:37–38). Do we really love Jesus most, more than even our dearest family members? Does it actually show in our priorities? In light of verse 26, Jesus wants us all to restore our “first love” for him (Rev.2:4).

Why is he challenging us so strongly? It’s not because he’s elitist or intolerant; really it’s out of love. How’s that? Jesus was focused on the good news of the kingdom of God (4:43). He told his disciples that theirs “is the kingdom of God” (6:20). He said only they could know “the secrets of the kingdom of God” (8:10). Why? It was due to their “all-in” commitment to him. They left everything to follow him (5:11,28). They centered their lives around him. They put him first in their practical lives. Only then could they really start hearing what he was saying and really start learning how him. Whatever the subject matter, if we’re not fully committed, we won’t really learn it. Jesus is still calling us not to casually join a popular movement at our convenience, but to respond to the good news of the kingdom of God with an all out, fully engaged commitment, holding nothing back. When we do, our spiritual eyes begin to open. This challenge is his best love for us, because it enables us to experience the kingdom.

He adds in verse 26b, “…yes, and even his own life.” In light of his words here, the underlying cause in failing to follow him is self-love. Jesus said: “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (9:24). If we’re mainly concerned with ourselves, our own fulfillment, enjoyment, preservation, we can’t follow him first and love him most. Revelation 12:11b says of the faithful and true followers of Jesus: “…for they loved not their lives even unto death.” What a commitment, even to die for Jesus! It’s rare to immediately have such a commitment. When Jesus was arrested, his first disciples all fled due to this inner problem (Mk14:50). Even Peter denied him three times (Mk14:66ff.). But a life-giving commitment and love for Christ can grow over time. Only when we’re ready to die for him can we remain faithful to him in a world filled with distractions and temptations.

Read verse 27. “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Being his disciple always involves bearing a cross. The Greek word literally means “to bear the burden.” Like it or not, in life we all bear various burdens. Every day we have to earn a living by going to work. We have to pay taxes. We have to take care of our children and property. We have to do our daily chores. Some of us have to study. Sometimes we bear another burden, like a serious health problem. But Jesus says we each also need to bear our “own cross.” What’s this “cross”? It’s the humiliation, sacrifice and suffering involved in following Jesus. His words “and come after me” mean to follow in his footsteps, in his example of humility, sacrifice and suffering to save others. Every believer needs to be sharing this cross in some specific way. What’s your cross? Through bearing our own cross and coming after Jesus, we grow in closer fellowship with him, and in closer fellowship with other true believers. There’s no such thing as crossless Christianity.

Today it’s popular to emphasize grace only. Yes, we’re saved only by grace. But it’s easy to turn this doctrine into “cheap grace.” As the famous pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”^[1] It’s why Paul said, “I die every day!” (1Cor.15:31b). Jesus isn’t calling us to a cheap, superficial grace, but to a costly grace. Is that the grace we’re living by?

To help us make such a radical life decision, Jesus goes on to give us two illustrations, found only in Luke’s Gospel. The first is of someone attempting to build a tower (28–30). It’s a bigger project than most might imagine. Many might start it, but not many will finish. Why? Because it costs lots of money. People may not have enough, or may be afraid of spending that much. It’s a powerful allegory for following Jesus. So many start out, but when it gets costly, they drop out and disappear. Jesus doesn’t want just an emotional decision, but a fully thought-out, sober decision. The second illustration is of a king going out in war (31–32). Following Jesus is like engaging in war. It’s a life-or-death matter. Are we aware of what it takes to win this battle? Only with full dedication can we win it. Are we fully dedicated to following Jesus?

Read verse 33. “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” “Therefore” means it’s Jesus’ conclusion. The word “renounce” is literally “say good-bye.” Figuratively it means to get rid of or break free from something. And this Greek verb is in the present tense, meaning it’s something we need to be doing continually. Getting rid of what? Jesus says “all that he has.” Do you like to accumulate stuff, or do you enjoy donating stuff? My wife and I are like opposites. I like to collect. I even still have my coin collection from my boyhood. Kathy, on the other hand, loves to give things away. She’s not sentimental at all. Sometimes her giving level borders on the frightening. Why does Jesus want us to give everything we have away? Sometimes he says to give it to the poor and needy (12:33; 18:22). Here he just says to “renounce” it all, give it all away. All of it? Why? In verse 33 he doesn’t mention any heavenly reward. He just says it’s so that we can be his disciple. When our hearts are engrossed in our material possessions or finances, we can’t give our hearts to Jesus. It’s that simple. It’s known as “holy detachment.” Jesus is calling us all to live in undivided devotion to him (1Cor.7:35b). Are we?

In verses 34–35 Jesus talks about salt losing its saltiness. Chemically speaking, that’s not possible. Salt is always salty. But in the holy land, people got their salt from the Dead Sea, where it was mixed with carnallite or gypsum. If not handled properly, such salt could become useless. The expression “lost its taste” in Greek is literally one word: “become foolish.” Jesus says this right after saying to get rid of all that we have. It’s fascinating. How foolish to hold onto perishing possessions when we can have Jesus himself, when we can grow in his image as his real disciples! Jesus became poor to make us rich (2Cor.8:9), and we can do the same for others. But we are all susceptible to becoming foolish because of our possessions. Earlier, Jesus dumped them into the category of the thorns of “the cares and riches and pleasures of life” that choke out his word and prevent our growth to maturity (8:14). Jesus wants us to remain as salty disciples. It means he wants us to always taste like him, especially as we interact with people. Just as we can immediately taste if food is salty, people can tell right away if we’re like Jesus.

Read verse 33 again. “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” May God help us really put Jesus first and love him most, even more than our own lives. May God help us bear our own cross and come after Jesus. May God help us count the cost and renounce all that we have. Through this, may God make us salty disciples of Jesus who can bring his influence to this sin-sick world.

^[1] Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. New York: Macmillan, 1966.