Counting the Cost of Discipleship

Is it possible to be a Christian and not a disciple?

Luke 14:25-33                         Rev. Todd B. Freeman

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Dallas         September 5, 2004

There is a saying, a very wise saying, that states, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Another similar saying goes, “There’s no free lunch.” And yet it seems that we’re always on the lookout to try to get something for nothing. While this may occasionally work at garage sales, it usually doesn’t when it comes to life itself. For in reality, everything comes with a cost. And I’m not just talking about financial cost.

When you enter into a relationship with another person, for example, there is a cost. It will cost you time, energy, and usually a lot of hard work to make that relationship a healthy one, one that will last. Just ask anyone who has been married or in a committed relationship for years and years.

Ask anyone who is a parent and they will tell you about the time and commitment necessary to raise a child.

Ask anyone who is an accomplished musician or singer, and they will tell you about the cost of hours and hours of practicing in order to be good at what they do.

Ask anyone who has ever tried to renovate their house, and I know many of you have, and you’ll get a great example of needing to count the cost before starting. Renovating almost always takes more money and more time that one usually expects at the beginning of the project.

No, nothing worth very much in life is truly free. And if we really want something, we better count the cost before we start a project or enter into a relationship. For if we don’t, we will most likely give up or fail.

This, as we learn in today’s Gospel Lesson from Luke 14, applies to becoming a disciple of Jesus as well. Jesus warns the crowd that there is a heavy price to pay in following him, and they better count the cost first to see if they’re really willing to pay it. These words still apply today.

Jesus uses two parables to make his point. The first one is similar to the example I gave of renovating a house, especially if it includes building on a new room. Drawing from an example of farming life, we hear about a person who wants to build a tower in a vineyard from which the farmer can stand watch against thieves and wild animals. To begin to build such a tower and have to abandon the project when it was half completed because one had run out of money would make the builder look like a fool. In that ancient culture, and to an extent today, it would cause much shame.

Similarly, the second parable, set in the context of international politics, assumes common sense on the part of a king contemplating waging war on an enemy. No king would knowingly lead an army into a slaughter or into a situation where he could be forced into an unconditional surrender, but rather, the king whose troops are outnumbered will pursue a diplomatic solution. But how many times throughout history has this advice not been taken?!

The point of the two parables is precisely that at the very least one will try to avoid disaster. One should recognize the cost before beginning a venture, and one should choose one’s course carefully and realistically. So it is also, Luke implies, with discipleship. One needs to go into the venture with forethought, aware of where it might lead, and ready to pay the price if necessary. For true discipleship does not mean simply tagging along behind Jesus – or, in Luke’s setting, to become part of the church – in a rush of enthusiasm that evaporates as quickly as it appears when the going gets rough.

So Jesus makes some extremely harsh statements about the requirements of discipleship. Luke records, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” And, “None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”

I almost decided not to preach on this assigned lectionary reading for today in order to avoid these very difficult and indeed hard to hear sayings. But perhaps they are just the words we need to here at this time and place.

It would be easy to read these sayings as equating discipleship with neglect of one’s own family in the pursuit of some higher goal. This would be a misreading of these verses. Of course we are not to literally “hate” our parents and abandon our children. Nor are we to hate ourselves. That would be in direct contradiction to Jesus’ commandment to love God, our neighbors as ourselves, and even our enemies. It would also be in contradiction of the Ten Commandments.

Rather, what is demanded of disciples is that in the network of many loyalties in which all of us live, the claim of Christ and the gospel not only takes precedence but, in fact, redefines the others. This can and will, at times, necessarily involve some detaching, some turning away – even from family – in order to be a true disciple. That’s a price many are not willing to pay. Jesus is sharply confronting us with the priority of our commitments. That’s why Jesus warns us to count the cost of discipleship before saying yes.

Luke is writing his Gospel for Gentile Christians who would often have had conflicts with their family members over converting to Christianity. They would have had a long period of preparation for becoming a Christian. During this time, they would have had to look at the consequences of the decision they were planning to make. They had to look ahead and decide whether they had enough resolve and commitment to carry through in their desire to become a Christian.

Most of us have never had to do this. Most of us were baptized as babies, raised in a Christian household, and were never forced to really count the cost of being a Christian.

Perhaps in order to fill the pews in declining congregations, churches today make the decision to become a church member too easy. We are tempted not to challenge people. We don’t really challenge them to faithful stewardship, and faithful worship attendance, and faithful sexuality, and honest business practices, and compassion for the less fortunate, and other costly commitments. Perhaps, if we don’t ask too much, visitors will return.

But in the long run, is that really being fair by not sharing God’s and our expectations? Perhaps we need to be more intentional about warning people about the price of association, of what being an active church member really entails. Perhaps we need to ask, “Do you know what you’re getting yourself into? Do you realize what church membership really means?”

One biblical commentator writes, “A church that does not spell this out clearly to prospective members or to its constituency proves false to the good news.” Another states, “The irony is that churches with high standards attract people with high standards. Their integrity and commitment draw others. Soon their pews are full.” Perhaps there is a lesson in there for us.

Jesus does not make discipleship easy. He does not offer an easy payment plan. He never tries to disguise the cost of discipleship. Instead, he writes the price tag large for all to see.

Concerning the issue of true and deep commitment Dallas Willard, professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California bluntly claims, “A person can be a Christian without being a disciple.” Think about that.

If our faith in God applies to only coming to church on Sunday mornings and not carried through to every other part of our lives, then yes, I believe this statement is true. But Jesus didn’t call people to become Christians, he called them to be his disciples! Bethany Presbyterian Church needs each and every one of us to be disciples!

Discipleship was never meant to be the easy path of life. We are asked to count the cost and decide if we are willing to pay it. Discipleship is serious business and not to be entered into lightly. So before saying yes, Jesus asks of us: Do you have the resources? Will you commit them fully to this purpose?

It is a fact of life, not only that everything costs us something, but in our better moments, we are even eager to pay the cost.

Amen.