The Reason Jesus Won’t Let You Be His Disciple

There is perhaps no greater passage of Scripture that so adequately defines what a radical disciple of Jesus Christ looks and acts like than what our Lord taught as recorded in Luke 14:26-27.  Here is a perfect example of God’s revealed will for you today.

As happened frequently, Jesus was walking from one dusty town to another and “large crowds were going along with Him” (Luke 14:25).  Some churches today seem overly concerned about filling their pews and stuffing their collection plates, yet have little interest in feeding their lambs Monday through Saturday.  Jesus was not such a Shepherd.

Rather, He turned around to that large crowd of fickle followers and shouted, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.  Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26-27; italics mine).

Did you notice that Jesus said “cannot” twice and that He equated both hatred of other relationships and physical death as the requirement for being a true Christian disciple?  I dare you to try that one out at your church’s next New Members Class and see how it goes.

What Jesus was trying to get His uncommitted followers to understand was that their love for Him needed to be so overwhelmingly radical that every other human relationship almost looked like hatred when compared to how much they loved Him.  If you do not love God’s Son that passionately—that radically—Jesus said He would not let you be one of His disciples.  He was essentially saying that you are not saved if this isn’t true of you.

Many television preachers are becoming multi-millionaires peddling Seed-Sowing campaigns that promise health, wealth, and prosperity.  But Jesus preached a message requiring hatred and death.  Those are two opposing messages to say the least.

The Son of God was not interested in the size of crowds.  Popularity was never high on His agenda.  He was interested in harvesting wheat—not sowing tares.  He was nailed to the cross for the sins of genuine believers—not Christian impersonators.

Jesus wanted to make sure that the masses of would-be followers knew exactly who could and who could not be one of His disciples.  There were no gray areas in the discipleship process as far as the Lord was concerned.  The Incarnate God had no taste for lukewarm churchgoers.  It was all or nothing as far as He was concerned.

Hate the world and get crucified for Me—that was Jesus’ requirement for being a genuine Christian.  My how far the apple of American Christianity has fallen from the tree of biblical discipleship.  In too many churches today, all one has to do to be welcomed into the fellowship is to sign a card, walk an aisle, or pray a prayer and you’re as good as in.

Have you ever wondered why so many churches today have strayed from Scripture’s fundamental teachings regarding authentic discipleship?  It is baffling to me, really.  It is not as though Jesus was vague or unclear about all this.

Would you please notice that Jesus did not say someone could be His disciple and yet be largely uncommitted or even carnal.  No!  He said you “cannot be My disciple” ( Luke 14:27).

You are either a slave of Jesus Christ or you are not.  You are either born again or you are not.  You have either passed from death into life or you have not.  You are either a child of God or you’re the devil’s plaything.

It is rather simple and straightforward, after all.

In his book The Gospel According To Jesus, pastor John MacArthur commented about this highly dangerous trend in contemporary Christianity when he wrote, “Some Christians today seem to take perverse pride in never challenging the lifestyle of anyone who claims to be a believer.”

Have you checked your own spiritual pulse lately?  Are you passionately in love with Jesus?  Do you have a radical faith in God?  Test yourself!  Please do so before it is too late.

According to Jesus’ statement in this Luke 14:26-27 passage, a true Christian is one who hates and despises everything in this life so far as it hinders them from drawing closer to Him every day.

Does that describe your walk with the Lord?  Do you cherish Christ more than anything else this world can offer you?  If being a Christian were illegal, would there be enough evidence against you to be found guilty in a court of law?  Would there be enough evidence against you to even be charged, let alone found guilty?

Genuine disciples of Jesus Christ are those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6).  We experience true satisfaction only when feasting on and obeying God’s Word.  Does that sound like you?  Are you hungering and thirsting for the righteousness of God, or is your stomach full from the husks of worldly living?

A true servant of Christ does not come to Jesus hoping He will expand their financial borders or increase their stash of worldly possessions.  A true Christian desires to be severed from the bondage of anything that hinders them from being molded into the image of God’s Son.

Allow me to ask you some important questions and, please, think honestly about how you would answer these.  There really is nothing more important in your life than thinking rightly about God and His will for your life.

Are you more interested in getting God or in getting what God can give you?

Do you want Jesus or just a smiling Genie who grants wishes and makes no demands?

Do you want a holy God or would a celestial Santa Claus be just as good.

Would you be perfectly content to inherit a heaven filled with unimaginable blessings yet forever empty of God and His glorious presence?

What exactly is Christianity all about to you?  Is it about a right relationship with a holy God or just about getting a better life now?  Jesus said, “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:25).

A genuine disciple of Jesus Christ does not try to camouflage their faith, but radically alters every human relationship for the glory of God alone.  Unlike the tares, regenerate disciples of Jesus Christ are not interested in putting Great Commission Discipleship on cruise control.  They willingly embrace death—even by crucifixion—if their Lord so wills it.

Does that describe you?  Such radical discipleship is what Jesus requires of all who claim to be His.  There is no room for compromise.  He does not make exceptions and He never shows partiality.  You are either a “have” or a “have not” when it comes to God’s grace.  You are either a citizen of heaven or a breath away from hell.

Which side of Jesus’ discipleship-fence are you on right now?  In case you are wondering, there are no fence-straddling, almost-Christians in the kingdom of heaven.  Are you a tare or wheat?  Be sure before it is too late.

In his book The Master Plan of Evangelism, author Robert E. Coleman wrote about the intense expectations Jesus had for His followers.  Coleman wrote, “Jesus expected the men he was with to obey him.  They were not required to be smart, but they had to be loyal.”

Did Jesus really require obedience and absolute loyalty from those who followed Him?  Yes.  Here are Jesus’ own words concerning loyalty: “He who is not with Me is against Me; and He who does not gather with Me scatters” (Matthew 12:30).

I could be wrong, but it sounds like Jesus is saying that if you are not with Him then you are against Him; if you are not serving Him then you are fighting against Him.

Isn’t that what it sounds like to you?