A Big Ask
Sometime in the late summer or early fall of 1810, Adoniram Judson wrote a letter to the father of a young lady he’d recently fallen in love with, Nancy Hasseltine. He wanted to marry Nancy, so he wrote these now immortal words to her father:
“I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death. Can you consent to all this, for the sake of him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Saviour from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?”[1]
Adoniram was asking Nancy’s father to give up his daughter for the glory of Jesus among those who’d never heard the gospel. Her father was willing, giving Nancy his blessing. Nancy prayed and sought wise counsel from her friends, eventually deciding to marry Adoniram and go with him to Burma. She wrote to a friend, “I feel willing, and expect…to spend my days in this world in heathen lands…I have about come to the determination to give up all my comforts and enjoyments here, sacrifice my affection to relatives and friends, and go where God, in his providence, shall see fit to place me.”[2]
Adoniram and Nancy were willing to lose everything so that others might gain Christ. They made a radical decision to get on a boat, cross an ocean, and ultimately die in a foreign land because they thought Jesus was worth it.
All or Nothing
Where does this sort of commitment come from? It happens when the Holy Spirit enables Jesus’ followers to take his commands seriously. And Jesus’ commands are so hard that there’s no way we could obey them if the Spirit didn’t help us!
For example, one of those hard commands is in Luke 14:33, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” Jesus says that his followers must renounce (relinquish, forsake, surrender, give up, hand over) everything they have, or they can’t be his followers. Jesus says it’s all or nothing. This is a hard teaching. What does it mean?
Today I want us to consider what renouncing all for Jesus means and what it doesn’t mean. The main point of our text (Lk. 14:25-35) is that following Jesus demands that we give all to Jesus. I want to talk about what that means and what that doesn’t mean.
More Than Just Showing Up
But first let me point out the context of our passage. Jesus has just given the parable of the great banquet in verses 12-24. The wealthy host extends his invitation to people we wouldn’t expect when the originally invited ones make excuses and don’t show up. The parable is an illustration of the grace of the kingdom and the need to respond to God’s invitation to sit at his table.
Then right after this parable about the generous grace of God’s kingdom come several warnings and demands. The parable says God wants a wide sweep of people to fill his house. Everyone’s invited to enjoy his grace. But then Jesus quickly reminds us that with his grace come demands.
The fact that these demands come right after the invitation of grace remind us that discipleship isn’t just showing up. Following Jesus isn’t about presuming to just sit at his table in ease and comfort. Rather, those who come to the table must come through sacrifice and suffering.
Jesus feels the need to make this clear because his audience has shifted from the Pharisees house to a large crowd (v. 25). The crowd is a large “pool of potential disciples.”[3] They’re tagging along because they sense something special and exciting is happening with Jesus. But unfortunately, most of them won’t fully grasp what it means to follow Jesus. They’re following Jesus on the road, but they aren’t yet his disciples, and there’s a big difference between simply going along with Jesus and being his disciple.
Lots of people are interested in Jesus – everyone loves a parade, but few are willing to become his disciples. Few are willing to change every priority in their lives and conform their lives to his word. Jesus knows this so he decides to stop and tell people what truly following him looks like. And he says plainly that it means handing everything over to him.
What Does Renouncing All for Jesus Mean?
First, what does renouncing, or handing over, all for Jesus mean? According to Luke 14:25-35, it means at least three things. Here Jesus talks about three commitments every disciple must make, or three characteristics of discipleship. The disciple must choose Jesus over family (v. 26), be willing to suffer (v. 27), and willing to surrender their possessions (v. 33). Each of these commitments are noted in the text when Jesus says, “…and does not..” He says this three times (vv. 26, 27, 33). Let’s look at these three characteristics of discipleship one at a time.
Jesus Over Family
First, Jesus says that following him means that he becomes your primary allegiance, even over your family (v. 26). “Hating” ones family isn’t what it sounds like. This is a Semitic expression used to describe preference for one thing over another. “I love A and hate B” is like saying “I prefer A over B.” Genesis talks about Jacob loving Rachel and hating Leah (29:30-31), and the Lord says in Malachi 1:2-3, “I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated.”
Matthew’s version of this saying brings out the meaning more clearly. Jesus says in Matthew 10:37, “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.” Jesus is saying that his followers must love and obey him over everyone else. No family member can take priority over him. Jesus, not our family, is our master.
And this is good for us because when we elevate family relations over God things get screwy really quick. Parents start seeking emotional comfort and connection from their children instead of their God. Spouses start seeking to control and manipulate each other, using each other to quiet their aching hearts, instead of resting in the Lord. Siblings start fighting over everything from toys to places at the dinner table to inheritance because they’re not trusting what God provides.
Then there’s the reality that many of our family members don’t know the Lord and so can tempt us or subtly try to persuade us to not love Jesus too much. One writer says it this way, “Natural affections can undermine faithfulness to God and provide us with excuses to back down in our commitment.”[4] It’s easy to think, “My wife/husband/mom/dad/son/daughter/brother/sister would be upset if I followed Jesus in this or that way, so maybe I shouldn’t.”
But following Jesus will actually help us love our family even more than we did before because we finally know what real love is. Because Jesus becomes our primary identity, we aren’t defined by our family anymore. We’re free to truly love them because we don’t depend on them for our security and well-being. One writer says it like this, “Discipleship to Christ must take precedence over all other relationships in life and the securities they offer. It requires redefining those relationships with some measure of detachment.”[5] John Hasseltine could let his daughter Nancy go to India because she didn’t define him. And she could go because her family didn’t define her life, Jesus did. They were both living for something much bigger than themselves.
Nonetheless, there will be times when following Jesus may be seen as rejecting family if the family doesn’t share the same commitment to Christ. We may not have to choose family or Jesus very often, but if we ever do, Jesus tells us who his followers must choose.
Willingness to Suffer
The second thing Jesus demands of his followers is a willingness to suffer (v. 27). Jesus calls us into a lifetime (verb is in the present tense, indicating ongoing action) of sacrificial suffering for his sake.
This is going to look different for everyone. Some will be called to martyrdom, or death for Jesus. Some may be called into an agonizing and difficult marriage to an unbeliever. Some may be called into a work situation where no one around you cares about God. Some may be called to endure harassment or ridicule or being rejected at school. But all are called to “bear their cross.” And Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything he wasn’t willing to do himself.
Jesus illustrates the seriousness of this call by giving two short illustrations in verses 28-32. Because following Jesus is hard, Jesus says to stop and think about it very carefully before you do it. He’s not after hasty or emotional decisions. Instead, he says, “count the cost” (v. 28). Before you come to his banquet table where his grace is free, you have to decide if you’re willing to give up everything or not.
This is just common sense. When you start a project, you first think about whether you have what you need to finish it. You prepare. So it is with following Jesus. You stop and think about the cost and whether you want to pay it. You have to consider whether you’re willing to lose friends, not date certain kinds of people, not compromise at work just to make more money. The point isn’t that you have to earn salvation. The point is that “God’s grace can only be received by those who, in repenting, place him above everything else.”[6]
Willingness to Surrender Possessions
The third thing Jesus demands from his followers is a willingness to surrender their possessions (v. 33). “All that he has” is translated “all his possessions” in the CSB. The term here always refers to earthly possessions in the New Testament. Jesus plainly says that his followers “renounce,” or say goodbye or break free from, their possessions.
Jesus has already asked Peter, James and John (5:11) and Matthew (5:28) to leave everything and follow him. Twice he asks people to sell their possessions and give to the poor (12:33, 18:22). This pattern of sacrificial giving continued into the new Christian community. Acts 2:45, “And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (cf. 4:34).
The verb to “give up” is in the present tense and so means continuous action. This isn’t a one-time handing over. It’s a lifestyle. Sacrificial giving should be part of our lives as followers of Jesus. It’s not optional. It’s not just for those who’re older, retired, or wealthy. It’s a basic and non-negotiable part of following Jesus.
In my view, we should give at least 10% of our income to the Lord through our local church, and then on top of that look for ways to give even more to those in need, as we’re able. Using the material things God’s given us to bless others reveals that our hearts have been freed from the false comfort and security of wealth, freed to love and serve others in Jesus’ name. We always put our money into the things we love.
Saltless Salt
Then in verses 34-35, Luke adds this somewhat enigmatic saying about salt. Jesus says that his disciples are the “salt of the earth” (Mt. 5:13). But if they lose their “saltiness,” they’re worthless. He’s saying that if these three characteristics of our discipleship fade away, we’ll also be useless. We’ll be like unsalty salt.
Luke is writing to Christians who needed to be reminded what their commitment to Christ was supposed to look like. Jesus is full of grace, but he doesn’t give out cheap grace. It’s not cheap because it cost him everything and it’s not cheap because it demands everything from us.
Jesus says these things to the crowd because he doesn’t want half-hearted followers, people just along for the ride, who love his teaching while the fundamental values and loyalties of their life remain unchanged. And he doesn’t hide this in the fine print somewhere. He puts it out there in bold for all to see. He wants us to know that the kind of person who sticks with him to the end isn’t driven by sudden bursts of feeling and enthusiasm, but rather a steady and sober commitment to him no matter what.
God’s grace is free, but it’ll cost you everything. Those who sign up to follow Jesus must “renounce all that they have” or they “cannot be his disciple” (v. 33). This “renouncing,” or handing over” everything for Jesus means being allegiant to him even over family. It means suffering for him. And it means surrendering your possessions to him.
What Renouncing All for Jesus Doesn’t Mean
But, secondly, what does renouncing all for Jesus not mean? Jesus’s demands are serious and sobering and must be obeyed for any who claim to follow him. But we need to make sure we’re understanding his demands rightly.
For example, does his demand for our ultimate loyalty to be to him over family mean we should neglect our family for him? Does his demand that we suffer for him mean that we must put ourselves in the most dangerous positions possible? Does his demand to surrender our possessions mean that we must sell everything we own and go live under a bridge?
The answer is no in each case. It’s tempting to hear the demands of Jesus and then apply them in the most radical way possible. We think, “If Jesus says he’s my highest loyalty, then maybe I shouldn’t get married? If I need to suffer for him, maybe I should move to Saudi Arabia and start evangelizing indiscriminately? If I should surrender my possessions, then maybe it’s wrong to buy things for my kids to enjoy, maybe I should give all my extra money to missions?”
Michael Horton explains why, especially nowadays, it’s easy for us to assume that Jesus’ demands must be applied in the most extreme ways possible. He writes:
“Radical. Epic. Revolutionary. Transformative. Impactful. Life-changing. Ultimate. Extreme. Awesome. Emergent. Alternative. Innovative. On The Edge. The Next Big Thing. Explosive Breakthrough.
You can probably add to the list of modifiers that have become, ironically, part of the ordinary conversations in society and in today’s church. Most of us have heard expressions like these so often that they’ve become background noise. We tune them out, unconsciously doubting what is offered because it has become so predictably common…
We’ve become accustomed to looking around restlessly for something new, the latest and greatest, that idea or product or person or experience that will solve our problems, give us some purpose, and change the world. Although we might be a little jaded by the ads, we’re eager to take whatever it is ‘to a whole new level.’
‘Ordinary’ has to be one of the loneliest words in our vocabulary today. Who wants a bumper sticker that announces to the neighborhood, ‘My child is an ordinary student at Bubbling Brook Elementary’? Who wants to be that ordinary person who lives in an ordinary town, is a member of an ordinary church, and has ordinary friends and works an ordinary job? Our life has to count! We have to leave our mark, have a legacy, and make a difference. And all of this should be something that can be managed, measured, and maintained. We have to live up to our Facebook profile. It’s one of the newer versions of salvation by works.”[7]
Jesus says that if anyone wants to follow him, they must love him more than family, bear their cross, and renounce everything for him. This is radical sounding stuff.
But what if renouncing all for Jesus looks a lot more ordinary than you think? We may hear verses like this and assume that pastors and missionaries and those working with the poor are the only ones really taking them to heart.
But what if what he means is that, if you want to follow him, you have to make him Lord in every area of your life? What if renouncing all to follow him means husbands sacrificing for their wives and wives submitting to their husbands, children obeying and honoring their parents, employers treating their employees fairly and employees working hard to use their gifts to bless others? What if it means church members thinking of ways to bless each other and praying regularly for one another? What if it means students not cheating but rather doing their best work? What if it means that you don’t get to define your gender or who you can have sex with but rather submit to God’s design and commands?
Renouncing all to follow Jesus looks a lot more ordinary than you think. It looks like faithful marriages and parenting and work and play and ministry. It’s not as glamorous as you think.
“It is Not Our Part to Master All the Tides of the World”
As always, Gandalf says it better than I can. Towards the end of The Lord of the Rings, he says, “It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.”[8]
In other words, our job in “Middle Earth” is to faithfully do what we’re supposed to do where we are for the good of others, pushing back evil and not trying to be the “master of all the tides of the world.”
Following Jesus will cost you everything, but it’ll look more ordinary than anything. And of course, the only way we can bear our cross for him is because he bore his cross for us. John writes, “And he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him” (19:17-18).
When we understand that he did this for us, we’ll do whatever we must for him. His grace is free for all who know they need it, and for all willing to give everything to have it.
[1]Courtney Anderson, To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1987), 83.
[2]Ibid., 84.
[3]David E. Garland, Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2011), 600.
[4]Ibid.
[5]Ibid., 606.
[6]Robert H. Stein, Luke, in The New American Commentary, vol. 24 (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 1992), 397.
[7]Michael Horton, Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014), 11-2.
[8]J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: 50th Anniversary One-Volume Edition (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2004), 879.