If Anyone Comes to Me…

Luke 14:25-35 

Key Verse 13:34

This passage says that a disciple of Jesus must look like a disciple of Jesus, so that he or she should be able to function as a servant of Jesus fulfilling the purpose for which Jesus called them, that is, bearing fruit that lasts forever.  How then does one fail to become a real disciple? There is a cost involved. 

1. Verse 25 mentions “crowds”, but the remainder of the passage talks about Jesus’ “disciple.” How are the “crowds” different from a “disciple”? 

** Disciple is the one who follows Jesus to serve Jesus’ purpose, whereas the crowds follow Jesus to serve their own purposes. 

2. Read verse 26. The Bible teaches us to love people, not to hate them. (Luke 10:27) Yet why does Jesus say at this time to hate those who are listed here? What do you think Jesus might have meant when he used the word “hate”? 

** It is to ensure that all followers of Jesus would give Jesus their undivided loyalty. 

** Here Jesus is not contradicting himself because it is when we love Jesus even to the point of hating people who are in conflict with Jesus, that we can truly love others as we are supposed to love them. 

Comparing Jesus to other people, the value of Jesus is limitlessly great, whereas the value of others is dependant upon Jesus, for it is Jesus who created everyone, and preserves everyone’s life. 

3. Read verse 27. What does “cross” mean? Why is it that without carrying one’s cross, one cannot be Jesus’ disciple?

** Cross means the work (of salvation) Jesus has in mind in calling each person. Simply it denotes “apostleship” as Paul says in Romans 1:5-6.  

** A disciple means the one who is dedicated to disseminating the teachings of his master, that is, Jesus Christ. So when a disciple ignores this mission, he is no longer a disciple. It is just like a car which does not start can longer be called a car/transportation; rather it should be called a peace of junk.  

4. Think about a man building a tower (28-30) and a king going to war against another king (31-32).  In what respect is choosing to be a disciple of Jesus like: 

1) a man building a tower; and 2) a king going to war against another king? 

** A disciple is like a builder of a tower in that a disciple is called to build another disciple. 

** A disciple is like a king going to war against another king, for he is called to be soldier of Jesus belonging to the army of Jesus, warring against the devil. 

5. Compare the two examples (a man building a tower and a king going to war against another king) with what Jesus says in verse 33. What does the phrase “in the same way” indicate about: 1) the importance of counting the cost of following Jesus as his disciple; and 2) the actual cost of following Jesus? 

** Counting the cost is the key to “completing” the venture of becoming a fruitful disciple, even if the going gets tough. 

** The cost is giving up “everything” for Jesus. 

6. Read verse 34. What does a disciple of Jesus have in common with salt? 

** Salt preserves food. Likewise, a disciple preserves man’s life, by inviting them out of this corrupted world to the living God, and serving them to be worthy of the fellowship with God.  

7. Verses 34-35 indicate that it is possible for a Christian to become like salt that loses its saltiness, thereby becoming “useless”. How can one prevent this from happening? 

** Count the cost, and follow Jesus daily bearing the things Jesus teaches in mind (that is, giving undivided loyalty to Jesus, taking up the cross of mission, and following him to the end.) 

---