We've been looking at what it is to be a disciple. Coming unto the passage in Luke 14:15-34, we see two different stories, possibly closely related. The first story tells of a man preparing a great banquet, yet the invited guests came up with lame excuses for why they couldn't come. They simply weren't interested anymore. They had obviously made the invitation list or you might even say, accepted the initial invitation, but refused to come through when the Master asked them to follow Him deeper. Nevertheless, the guy was upset at their refusals, and proceeded to invite any and all who would come off the streets.
The next story relates to the cost of being a disciple directly, challenging followers to love Him more than family or anything else, "taking up his cross" to follow Him. He reasons that no one undertakes large projects or challenges without first planning and considering what it will take. The commentary states that Jesus does not want people to have a blind, naive commitment to Him, only expecting blessings in return. A person must consider what He expects from His followers now that they have accepted the initial invitation, or you might say, received their salvation from Him.
The conclusion to these stories paints a vivid picture of a person who has accepted Christ, but then did not continue to follow Him in discipleship. He describes salt losing its flavor and the difficulty of restoring it to be salty again. At that point it is not fit for anything, but thrown out. You might relate this story to the passion one feels when dating that special someone. It is interesting how the fire can dwindle and cool as the "new" wears off and time and duty take over. We must allow Him to rekindle our fire to where we want to be like our Rabbi!
Jesus is warning us that He wants complete surrender of all that we have to Him. True, His salvation of our souls is wonderful, but now He wants us to follow Him, letting Him teach us to become like Him. There is something He expects from us. There is a road and process of discipleship ahead of us. There is a battle to fight, but it is a good fight, and it is a fight worth fighting for.
We've been looking at what it is to be a disciple. Coming unto the passage in Luke 14:15-34, we see two different stories, possibly closely related. The first story tells of a man preparing a great banquet, yet the invited guests came up with lame excuses for why they couldn't come. They simply weren't interested anymore. They had obviously made the invitation list or you might even say, accepted the initial invitation, but refused to come through when the Master asked them to follow Him deeper. Nevertheless, the guy was upset at their refusals, and proceeded to invite any and all who would come off the streets. 