In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 NABRE
Jesus has a great crowd traveling with Him and explains the radical commitment required of those who follow Him. Three times He sets forth a condition in which He says a person cannot be His disciple. First, Jesus demands a commitment greater than one’s attachment to family members; parents, spouses, children and siblings. Second, Jesus demands a commitment to carry one’s cross to be His disciple. Thirdly, Jesus demands one denounces all possessions to be His disciples. These are radical ideas and preachers for years have helped us water these demands down so we may still be disciples and not have to leave family, carry a cross every day and renounce all possessions. We might hear things like we shouldn’t’ be attached to these things. We can commit to Jesus’ demands in spirit, as long as we are willing to give them up. Unfortunately this kind of thinking creates a culture that lives to be completely independent, no dependence on any Christian charity or community. We look at our family as our priority, which requires we build up our possessions so we can be sure to give them everything they need or want and we work hard to keep suffering out of our lives and the lives of those in our family. We have become a society working harder for stuff and overwhelmed when suffering enters our lives, a death or trauma.
Jesus makes disciples so we know to go God for our needs, to make God our highest priority and when suffering, how to live in it ourselves and how to help others in their suffering. Jesus is not making these demands so we prove our love for Him, but so we know He loves us, without Him we are alone.
Who or what is your greatest love? Are you able to thrive through an event that causes suffering?
Jesus does not make demands so we prove our love for Him, but so we know He loves us, without Him we are alone. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #renounce #possessions #Luke #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #cross #last #gospels #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways