Well Worth the Cost

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:25-33 ESV

This entire chapter has dealt with the topics of eating and feasting. It began with Jesus accepting an invitation to dine in the home of a prominent Pharisee. At this invitation-only meal, Jesus was confronted by an unexpected guest who suffered from a debilitating disease. This man’s presence in the Pharisee’s home seems to have been a calculated ploy on the part of the host, intended to tempt Jesus into breaking the Mosaic law’s prohibition against performing any kind of work on the Sabbath. Of course, Jesus didn’t disappoint. He healed the man, and then promptly told two parables, both of which centered around a feast or banquet. Each of these stories involved the issuing of a highly coveted invitation to a prestigious social event, one a wedding feast and the other, a lavish banquet.

And yet, in the second parable, Jesus describes those slated to be guests at the banquet as indifferent and even reluctant to accept the host’s invitation. When the day of the banquet arrived, they each came up with a different reason for explaining their absence. And their reticence to accept the gracious and undeserved invitation of the host was met with anger and resentment. He quickly filled their empty seats with “the poor and crippled and blind and lame” (Luke 14:21 ESV). And Jesus ended His parable by stating the foreboding words of the offended host:

“…none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.” – Luke 14:24 ESV

It’s likely that the Pharisees and scribes who reclined at the table as Jesus shared this story remained oblivious to its meaning. They probably failed to make the connection between themselves and the banquet no-shows in Jesus’ story. These men were far too proud to consider that Jesus might be talking about them. And yet, it was their refusal to accept His invitation to believe in the Gospel that would ultimately keep them out of the kingdom of God.

Luke immediately follows this banquet-focused pericope by Jesus with another message involving an invitation. But this time, the invitation is of a completely different sort. Luke records that “great crowds accompanied him” (Luke 14:25 ESV). The Greek word is symporeuomai and it means “to go with” or “to go on a journey together.”  As Jesus made His way to Jerusalem, He was accompanied by a large crowd of “followers” or disciples. This group would have been comprised of the curious, the cautious, and the committed. There would have been those who were seeking healing from disease or deliverance from demon-possession. Others would have been there hoping to see Jesus perform a miracle. And there was probably a handful who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel.

As this motley group of disparate individuals walked along with Jesus, He suddenly turned to them and said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26 NET). This rather obtuse statement, delivered in a blatantly blunt fashion, just have left His audience a bit stunned. Everyone in the crowd was “following” Jesus. But what most of them failed to understand was that, all along, He had been offering them an invitation. It took the form of His invitation to enjoy rest in Him.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 NLT

In Jesus, they could find fulfillment and refreshment.

“Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!” – John 7:37 NLT

Those who had a desperate desire for righteousness would find satisfaction in Him.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” – Matthew 5:6 ESV

And all those who accepted His invitation to follow Him would find their lives marked by a new purpose.

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” – Matthew 4:19 ESV

But in Luke chapter 14, Jesus provides a somewhat surprising caveat that accompanies His invitation to follow Him. In a sense, Jesus is thinning the herd. He’s letting the crowd know that there is a far more required to being His disciple than simply getting in line behind Him. The path He was walking was going to be a difficult one that ultimately ended in death. One day, the miracles and the messages would end, only to be replaced by persecution and, in the end, His execution.

For most of the people in His audience, being a Jesus “groupie” was a low-cost, high-return investment. They got to witness Him perform miracles. They were privileged to hear Him speak. Some even benefited from His miraculous powers, enjoying healing from disease and deliverance from demon possession. But while following Jesus clearly had its perks, it could also come with a high cost.

Those who followed Jesus to the bitter end would discover that their commitment came with a price. They would be forced to make the uncomfortable choice between their family and following Jesus. This was a surprising message that Jesus had delivered on more than one occasion.

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.  Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” – Matthew 10:34-38 ESV

For the time being, following Jesus was a rather easy pursuit that required little more than a commitment of one’s time. But the day was quickly coming when being His disciple would prove to be quite costly. As He got closer to Jerusalem, the intensity of the opposition toward Him would  increase exponentially. And His followers would soon find themselves facing the difficult decision between sharing in His suffering or enjoying the acceptance of their family and friends.

In time, the decision to follow Him would require great sacrifice. And Jesus wanted all those who were eagerly following in His wake to consider the cost of their ongoing commitment. The price to participate as His disciple was about to go up dramatically.

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” – Luke 15:28 ESV

The vast majority of the people walking with Jesus had no idea what He was about to face in Jerusalem. They were innocently oblivious and completely clueless when it came to the intensity of the opposition mounting against Jesus. Even the 12 disciples were having a difficult time grasping just how bad things were about to get. At one point, Jesus informed them of the exact nature of the reception He was going to receive upon His arrival in the capital city.

“…we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.” – Mark 10:33-34 NLT

And yet, just minutes after hearing this devastating news, James and John approached Jesus with the following request:

“When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” – Mark 10:37 NLT

To which Jesus responded:

“You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” – Mark 10:37-38 NLT

They had no idea what they were asking because they had no way of processing what was about to take place in Jerusalem. Despite Jesus’ clear disclosure of His fate, they were still convinced that He was about to set up His earthly kingdom and they wanted to ensure that they got at the head of the line when the rewards were handed out. Little did they know that Jesus would have to suffer crucifixion before He experienced exaltation. And these two brothers didn’t understand that they too would have to endure their own season of suffering.

“You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering.” – Mark 10:39 NLT

The path of Jesus was never intended to be the popular or pleasant way. As a matter of fact, the majority of the people who followed Jesus would soon abandon Him. As the animosity toward Him intensified, the number of His followers would rapidly diminish. And the truth of the message He conveyed in His sermon on the mount would become painfully apparent.

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14 NLT

Jesus uses two simple parables to drive home His message. The first involves the building of a tower. The second deals with the waging of a war. In both cases, the point is the same: One must consider the cost long before making the decision to begin. You don’t begin a construction project without the resources to complete it. And you don’t go to war unless you have the wherewithal to win it. To construct a building or win a war, you will have to make costly concessions. You will have to completely commit yourself if you want to reach the objective. And while that commitment will involve great cost, it will also ensure great dividends. The sacrifice will be well worth it.

“And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.” – Matthew 19:29-30 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

A Touch.

Matthew 14:34-46; Mark 53-56

“Wherever he went – in villages, cities, or the countryside – they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.” – Mark 6:56 NLT

They had made it shore, safe and sound. Their evening and early morning adventure on the lake had been a memorable one. The disciples had been caught in yet another storm. This time without Jesus in the boat with them. He had stayed behind to pray. But He had appeared to them in the middle of the storm, walking on the water. The sight of Jesus walking on top of the waves and surrounded by the blowing mist and darkness, had scared them more than the storm. But now they were all safe again near the town of Gennesaret. And as soon as they were able to climb out of the boat, the crowds spotted Jesus. It didn't take long for the news to spread and the crowds to show up. And Mark tells us that wherever Jesus went – in the villages, cities, or countryside – the crowds would appear. Anyone who was sick or had a friend or relative who was sick, flocked to Jesus. He was like the Pied Piper of Palestine.

Interestingly enough, both Matthew and Mark record that people were begging Jesus to simply let the sick touch at hem of his robe, and that all who were able to do so, were healed. Where did they get this idea? Obviously news had reached them about the woman in Capernaum, who had touched Jesus' robe and been healed (Mark 5:24-34). Jesus had told her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over" (Mark 6:34 NLT). Now there were hundreds, if not thousands, of sick people who wanted the opportunity to touch Jesus' robe and be healed. And Mark tells us, "all who touched him were healed" (Mark 6:56 NLT). Matthew makes the same claim. Not some, but all. What a scene this must have been. Into every town and village where Jesus walked, a crowd would surround Him, reaching out to touch Him. I can imagine the disciples trying to act as bodyguards, attempting to keep the crowds away. They probably feared for Jesus' safety. But nothing was going to keep the sick from reaching Him. They were needy and desperate, and their need and desperation drove them to get to Jesus any way they possibly could. They were determined. And as each one touched Him, they were immediately healed from whatever disease from which they suffered. As Jesus walked along, He would have left countless healed and happy people shouting and dancing in His wake. All because they had touched His robe. What power. What incredible proof of who He claimed to be. Just hours before, the disciples had watched Jesus walk on water and had exclaimed, "You really are the Son of God!" (Matthew 14:33 NLT). Now they were watching as Jesus gave further undeniable proof of His claim to be not only their Messiah, but the Son of God.

Did all those people who touched His robe and received healing believe He was the Messiah? Did they acknowledge Him as the Son of God? We're not told one way or the other. But they obviously believed He could heal them. So they came and they reached out and touched His robe. And they were healed. They received back their health. They were made physically whole. But there is no indication that they were spiritually transformed. Like so many of Jesus' miracles, these were intended as lessons for the disciples – those men whom Jesus had chosen and who would take the message of Good News to the world once Jesus had died, resurrected and returned to heaven. Every time someone touched Jesus' robe and received healing, it was meant to solidify in the minds of the disciples that He really was who He said He was. When He walked on the water, it was proof of His deity. When He fed the 5,000, it was proof of the limitless nature of His power as the Son of God. When He cast out demons, it was evidence of His sovereignty over all things, not only in the physical realm, but the spiritual. His power was so great, that those who simply touched the hem of His robe received complete healing. No words spoken. No conversations had. No details shared. A single touch and wholeness was restored.

But Jesus Himself had said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost" (Luke 19:10 NLT). He came to restore the spiritually sick to wholeness. He came to bring healing, but not of the physical kind. He came to heal the broken souls of men and restore them to a right relationship with His Father. He came to redeem mankind out of slavery to sin and offer Himself as the payment for the penalty they owed to God as rebellious sinners. Many, if not most, of the people who received physical healing from Jesus would go on to reject Him as their Lord and Savior. They would end up mocking Him as He hung on the cross. They had gotten from Him all that they really wanted from Him. They were well physically, and that was all that mattered to them. But Jesus came to give us so much more. He came to give us eternal life, not just a temporary fix to our physical lives. Those very same people would inevitably get sick again. They would all end up dying at some point. And while they had touched the hem of His robe and received healing, what they had really needed was Jesus to touch their hearts and give them new life. Perhaps many of these same people came to faith in Jesus after His resurrection. They may have been there that day at Pentecost when the disciples, filled with the Holy Spirit, "began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability" (Acts 2:4 NLT). They could have been in the crowd when Peter spoke, and said, "each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38 NLT). And "those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day – about 3,000 in all" (Acts 2:41 NLT). Surely, there were some who had received healing from Jesus who eventually received salvation from Jesus. But there were others who were probably content with what they had. Jesus came to provide so much more. The healing He offers is eternal, not temporary. The touch He offers is meant to heal the soul, not just the body. Anyone could reach out and touch His robe and receive physical healing. But only Jesus can touch a heart and provide salvation for the soul.

Father, thank You sending Your Son to touch me. When I wasn't even able to see my own sin and admit my own need, He mercifully and graciously touched me and showed me my need and offered me His solution. I am eternally grateful. Thank You for healing me from the inside out. Thank You for the assurance, that while this body is prone to disease and decay, my soul is whole and my future is secure in You. Amen.

A Transforming Touch.

Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56

"But Jesus said, 'Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.'" – Luke 8:46 NLT

Jesus and His disciples had just sailed back across the Sea of Galilee to the village of Capernaum. Before they could get out of the boat they were surrounded by a crowd of people who had been waiting for Jesus to return. Among them was Jairus, a leader in the local synagogue. He made his way through the throng of people surrounding Jesus and fell at His feet, begging Him to come and heal his 12-year old daughter, who was near death. As they made their way to the man's home, the crowd followed, pressing in on Jesus. They were all there for a variety of reasons. Some were simply curious. Others hoped to receive healing. Still others, influenced by the rhetoric of the religious leaders, were there because they hated Jesus. But one woman in the crowd was desperate and determined to see if this man called Jesus could help her with a very serious problem. Imagine the scene, as hundreds of people crowded around Jesus, jostling Him, bumping up against Him. Everyone wanted to get a close look at Him. And somehow this very ill woman was able to make her way to His side, close enough to touch the hem of His robe. That was all she dared do. She didn't dare do what the leader of the synagogue had done. She probably did not feel worthy. But she was driven by hope. She had heard about Jesus. And Mark tells us, "she thought to herself, 'If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed'" (Mark 5:28 NLT). Driven by need, motivated by desperation, and encouraged by hope, she touched the robe of Jesus and was immediately healed. After 12 long years of suffering and countless trips to doctors that had left her financially destitute and worse off than when she started, she was healed. With just a touch of the robe of Jesus, she had received the miracle of healing. And Jesus knew exactly what had happened. He had felt healing power go out from Him. So Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" (Luke 8:45 NLT). Interestingly, the word Jesus used for touched is one that can be translated, "to fasten oneself to." It carries a sense of intimacy and closeness. Her touch was different than all the others who were bumping up against Jesus, even reaching out to touch Him just to say they had. Some in the crowd had viewed Jesus as a celebrity. This woman saw Him as a source of hope, help and healing. And when she touched Him, she did so fully intending for something unbelievable to happen. And it did.

There are so many times that each of us come into touch with Jesus. We read about Him in the Word. We hear about Him through a sermon, Bible study lesson or small group study. We spend a great deal of our lives "bumping" into Jesus, but never expecting anything to happen as a result. We are part of the crowd that follows Him and even says we believe in Him, but we rarely receive anything from Him. Maybe it is our seeming lack of need or our failure to believe that He can do anything to help us. We come into contact with Jesus, but walk away unchanged. And the problem lies not with Jesus, but with us. We don't reach out to Him expectantly, because we fail to believe He has the power to heal us or help us. The woman in the story had spent twelve years of her life reaching out to everyone but Jesus, and now she was desperate enough to try Him instead. Jesus told her that it was her faith that made her well. Yes, it was His power that healed her, but it began with her belief that simply reaching out to Jesus would make a different in her life. Her touch became the conduit of healing. Her faith as expressed through her intentional touch of Jesus changed her life forever. She chose to "fasten herself" to Jesus. So should we.

In the time it took for this miracle to happen, a tragedy occured. Jairus' daughter died. A servant arrived with the news, but Jesus was not deterred or downcast. He simply said, "Don't be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed" (Luke 8:50 NLT). Like the woman in the crowd, Jairus had a choice to make. He could have doubted Jesus' words and given up all hope. But he chose to believe and then put that belief into action by walking alongside Jesus to his home. Matthew records that Jairus, upon hearing of his daughter's death, told Jesus, "you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her" (Matthew 9:18 NLT). Which is exactly what Jesus did. He took the little girl by the hand, commanded her to get up, and she did – fully alive and fully restored. Jairus had chosen to believe. He ignored the circumstances and "fastened himself" to Jesus. He counted on Him to solve his pressing need. And Jesus did. He always does. He longs to feel healing power go from Himself in response to the faith of His followers. He longs to respond to the faith of His disciples when they choose to fasten themselves to Him even in the face of insurmountable odds. Are you willing to reach out and touch Jesus today? He is waiting.

Father, the power of Your Son has not diminished. He is just as powerful as He has always been. He still longs to transform our lives. But we must be intentional about fastening ourselves to Him. Give me the faith to believe like these two people did. Help me to see my need and to reach out to Jesus in desperation, but also expectation. He still helps and heals today. Amen.