What is a Disciple? Part 2: The Cost - by Dan Roach

Following Jesus comes at cost.

Jesus attracted large crowds of people who followed him around for much of his ministry. These people came for all sorts of different reasons. Many were amazed by the miracles and healings he performed, while others were astonished by the things he said. They followed Jesus out of curiosity rather than because of any commitment to him. But, as Michael Wilkins has written, “Jesus did not want people to remain spectators; he called for individuals to come out of the crowd to follow him as his disciple…[his] intention was to make disciples not simply enthusiasts.” Responding to this call came at a cost.

Following Jesus out of the crowd and into discipleship with him means that he becomes the priority in our lives. The realisation that he is more valuable than anything this world has to offer means that everything else must get bumped down into second or third place beneath him if he is to take his rightful place in our hearts. When we begin to see this, we have a decision to make: what will we put first: that thing or person we love or want, or Jesus? Every disciple must make this decision at the beginning of their walk with Jesus and hundreds of times after that for the rest of their lives. This process of denying our own selfish desires and priorities is a massive part of discipleship. It is where the rubber really hits the road. Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously said “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Nothing and no one else can take first place in your heart; otherwise, it will hinder your relationship with Jesus.

We see in the Gospels that Jesus personalises the cost of discipleship according to the person he is talking to and the priorities of their heart. It is the same with us. He challenged those who held back from following him because of their love for their family in exactly that area, and to the rich man who was obsessed with his wealth and possessions, Jesus said that he should sell it all and follow him.[1] On another occasion, Jesus told the crowds that they must be like a man wanting to build a building: before beginning the work, they needed to calculate whether or not they could afford to finish it.[2]

After Jesus said that it was easier to thread a camel through the eye of a needle, even his own disciples told him that they struggled to believe how anyone could follow him! The conversation which followed is profound:

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.[3]

Make no mistake, the cost of discipleship is high. Even Jesus’ closest followers found what he said difficult to stomach. John records an instance when many of his disciples actually stopped following him altogether. But if Jesus really is the Son of God, then the benefits of discipleship far outweigh the cost – we persevere because we know that at the end of it all, we will receive eternal life! No one else offers this. When Jesus asked the Twelve if they wanted to stop following him like the other disciples had done, Peter memorably responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”[4] True disciples of Jesus know deep down that there is nowhere else they would rather turn to and no one else they want to follow. Jesus is worth it.

[1] Matt. 8:18-22, 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 9:57-62.

[2] Luke 14:25-33.

[3] Matt. 19:23-30; Mark 10:23-30.

[4] John 6:60-69.