My Daily Pause

The cost of following Jesus is high. Do you have enough in you to do it right?

This stings:

An old friend of mine posted something critical of Christians on Facebook the other day.

We can read the “count the cost” passages (Luke 14:25-33) over and over, but it still hurts when something like that happens. Is that what he has really thought of me all this time?

The post was a political one that set up a straw man attack on Christians. Even though it was not a personal attack, an attack on the group I am most proud to be associated with still feels personal.

This is the kind of thing we’ll continue to have to deal with. All we can really do about is “shake the dust off our feet” and move one. Sure, we will lose the occasional “friend” over it, but it is all part of the transition from counting the cost to paying the price.

Paying the full price is what Christ requires. (Luke 14:33)

…many will seek to enter … Luke 13:24

Jesus taught some hard lessons.

We probably need to hear more about those hard lessons. Jesus told us that getting into heaven is as easy as squeezing through a narrow door. In fact he told us to “strive” to get through.

Luke 13:22-30 should at the same time encourage us to keep working toward our goal and to stay concerned over being able to enter that narrow door.

Why strive? Because on the other side:

• we have citizenship (Philippians 3:20)
• we have treasure laid up (Matthew 6:20)
• we have hope there (Hebrews 6:19)
• we will see the Lord (John 14:1-3)

Whatever trials, or temptations, or effort, or needs we have to struggle with, it will all be worth it in the end.

But that’s the side of the story we always hear.

What about the tough lessons? What about the danger of failing? Jesus’ point here was that despite the teachings above, many are not going to enter at all!

Many are going to do nothing thinking they are already safe – waiting all the way until they hear the door close before they investigate. (Luke 13:25) But he says he won’t even acknowledge them at that point.

Ouch.

There’s more too:

• some are even waiting until the door shuts on purpose. Procrastination is dangerous (2 Corinthians 6:2)
• some are being too casual – remember Jesus said “strive” (Luke 13:24)
• some are trying to bring old baggage with them, never fully repenting
• some are simply too proud (1 Peter 5:6)

So many will be caught short because they have listened to the “easy” lessons. Jesus will not recognize them because they listened to outsiders.

That sounds like me, what do I do?

It is said that there are two perfect times to plant a tree: twenty years ago and today.

Now is the time to be on our way to the “narrow gate.” If you haven’t started yet, get started now!

Question: What are some ways you can move from your current place toward spiritual maturity?

The parable of the Mustard Seed – An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Mark 4:30-32 in the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England.

It’s okay to start small.

There are very few overnight successes. When we do think we have witnessed an overnight success, it usually turns out that there were years of sacrifice and preparation.

Small is exactly the place we’re supposed to start a project, and the Kingdom of God is no exception. Jesus told us as much in The Parable of the Mustard Seed. (Luke 13:18-19) Small is often discouraging – and that is what Satan wants it to be.

But …

…in a small group, a better foundation can be laid for growth through training.

…in a small group, stronger bonds can be formed between the members.

…in a small group, agreements are easier to reach without compromises.

Explosive growth in the Lord’s church would be difficult to sustain without preparing a large number of sound elders, deacons, teachers and preachers. What would your congregation do if 300 people of varying denominational backgrounds started attending within a month of each other?

It would be exciting at first, but then reality would set in as we realized the infrastructure to support and teach them is not ready. Use the time you have being small to prepare to suddenly be big.

What if the mustard seed sower planted it in the little bed next to his house rather than out in the field?

The next time you are tempted to be discouraged about attendance or participation of the church. think about how Jesus started with 12 good men and changed the world.

An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Luke 12:41-48 in the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England.

Firemen are fully suited when they get in the truck.

Our military wears all of their gear when they train.

Policemen have their bullet-proof vests on routine patrol and they are even armed during their off-duty time.

These servicemen all keep their gear clean and organized so they are ready in a moments notice. A wise Christian is ready for action in the same way. Luke 12:35-48 is all about Christian readiness and their fate if they are found otherwise.

The Messy House

Anyone whose house has been a mess when they were surprised by a drop in guest, might have just a taste of the surprise we will feel if the Lord comes back and finds our spiritual house is in disorder.

Avoiding the fate of those caught short requires us to be ready – as if the Lord will be here momentarily. Our text shows us much praise for the diligent servant.

For those caught sleeping? The punishment is swift and severe – especially when they knew better. (Luke 12:47)

Keeping the House Clean

Just like being ready for visitors requires daily attention in our houses, we need daily maintenance for ourselves. We should be planning for the Lord to return at any time, and we should be helping others prepare.

In addition to understanding and coming to Christ through his Plan of Salvation, We are to be trying to live as perfectly as we can in his service. It is a lifelong process of dedication and growth. It is easy to get started and to create the habits needed to be one of the “faithful servants.”

1. Study – 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV. Understanding the Bible will help you avoid depending on others
2. Teach – 2 Timothy 2:2. Being capable of teaching helps you stay prepared
3. Choose friends wisely – Galatians 5:7-9. Friends are a lot like the leaven. Their influence will spread into our lives
4. Avoid the filth – Philippians 4:8. What we expose ourselves to and think about directly impacts our attitudes

Ready For Visitors

Whether we get into a situation where we can defend God’s word or Christ returns, we need to be ready. Starting with these basic things will help us mature. (Romans 10:17)

Being on the path to maturity is they only place we will want Jesus to find us!

Landscape with the Parable of the Sower – 1557 – Pieter_Bruegel

Excuses.

Pick any goal or responsibility that didn’t quite turn out as was expected. Is there a good reason for it or just an excuse?

Is there a difference?

If we contrast the account of Jesus’ three prospective followers (Luke 9:57-62) with the parable of the sower, (Luke 8:4-8) some similarities pop out. I’m looking mostly at the people represented as being eager to follow the Gospel when they first heard about it.

Think of some reasons why a new Christian might fall away after obeying the gospel:

• It is hard to leave that old lifestyle
• Dear old friends are left behind
• Family pressures
• Learning to read and understand the Bible is a challenge
• The feeling of being out of place with the “experienced” Christians

In both of our passages, we see reasons for whom are presumably new followers of Christ, but are the reasons much different for a “mature” Christian falling away – or being slack?

• That other lifestyle looks interesting
• There are some “really good” people out there
• No support from extended family
• Bible reading habit never really developed
• Not growing relationships with other Christians

Excuses

Good reasons

Excuses

Good reasons

In the end, the result is the same. We were never given any exceptions to the requirement to follow the Gospel.

To not fall in that trap, we have to put a lot of effort into prioritizing what is required over what is a “good reason.”

To avoid the trap, we have to recognize an excuse for what it is.

When we look at the three prospective followers, some might say the reasons they gave for wanting to do something else first were pretty “good reasons.” Jesus didn’t see it that way. It seems like this would worry us more than it does.

Just as an experiment, let’s practice what we would say to Jesus on judgment day to explain why we put him second. How would that change your priorities?