Titus 2:11-14 NIV
[11] For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. [12] It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, [13] while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
It is the grace of God that motivates His people to live as disciples of Christ. I would like to focus on some identifying marks of being a disciple of Christ/Christian.
Acts 11:26 NIV
[26]…The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
You could say disciple = Christian, or that disciple & Christian are synonymous. This is a very important distinction, because many profess to be Christian, but are not living like disciples.
Luke 14:25-33 NIV
[25] Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: [26] “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. [27] And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. [28] “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? [29] For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, [30] saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “[31] Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? [32] If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. [33] In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
This is an invitation to become a true disciple of Christ. In this passage, Jesus states three attributes we need to have, otherwise we ‘cannot be his disciple.’ Sometimes they are referred to as the hard sayings of Jesus:
- Love Jesus above all others; even more than your own life.
- An attitude of being ready & willing every day to give up your life & follow Jesus. ‘Everyday’; see Luke 9:23 NIV
- Having an attitude of surrender; being ready & willing to give up everything you have.
These sayings of Jesus are convicting, challenging & extreme. But if we want to be true disciples of Jesus, we have to take this teaching seriously. Jesus once said:
Matthew 7:13-14 ESV
[13]“Enter by the narrow gate. . . [14] for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Luke 14:26 NIV
[26] “If anyone comes to me & does not hate his father & mother, his wife & children, his brothers & sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.”
How can Jesus say, we have to hate those we love the most? Those closest & dearest to us? Jesus is using hyperbole. He’s using an exaggeration to get our attention. Jesus doesn’t want us to literally ‘hate our mother & father, spouse & children.’ Jesus wants to be first place in our lives & our love for him should be supreme. (In other places Jesus taught to honor your parents, love your neighbor & love even your enemy.)
People can get very emotional about their families. It’s just a natural aspect of life to love our family the most. Our hearts are full of concern for them. They are our biggest benefactors & they’re the ones who love us the most! Because of the strong relationship we have with them, we care about what they think and feel & they usually have the most influence in our lives. We would never want to hurt them. We always want to please them & do our best for them.
Some questions to ponder:
- What if your immediate family doesn’t like the zeal & enthusiasm you have as a Christian?
- What if your family rejects you because you take the teachings of Jesus to seriously?
- What if your family starts mistreating you or verbally abuses you because of your commitment to God?
- What will you do when your family persecutes you because of Christ?
- What if your spouse or your parents are not Christians & they don’t like what you’re doing?
Living as a disciple may alienate you from your family. Jesus stated his teachings would cause divisions within families.
[51] “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. [52] From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. [53] They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
When I lived in New York City, I knew a Jewish brother. When his family learned he became a Christian, they packed his suitcase & put it on the doorstep. Then the family had a funeral for him, as if he died. This may be extreme for America, but I know another brother & if he happens to share his faith when he’s out & about with his family, his wife gets angry. She also gets upset if he ever does good deeds for other people, or if he somehow gives money to others in need. I know a young man who lived at home & his parents gave him an ultimatum. They demanded he stop going to church or have to move out of their house. I know a college student who lived on campus & his father stopped paying for school because they didn’t like his Christianity. They thought he was brainwashed & that he was ruining his life.
Being a true disciple could cause division in your family. Some families demand our full attention & in doing so they can hurt, or weaken our relationship with God. Controlling, needy people can keep us from living as disciples.
We always have to make the choice; that Jesus is first place in our lives!
From your loving brother,
Gary Lewandowski
Disciple of Jesus