THE SEND: Luke & ActsSample

There’s a lot going on in chapters 9 and 10 in Luke. In fact, with Peter declaring that Jesus is the Christ and Jesus revealing to his disciples that he must go to the cross, most people see this section as a turning point in the whole book!

As you read today, notice how much time Jesus spends in these chapters talking about the cost of following him.

When someone told Jesus that they would follow him, he warned them that even he, Jesus, has no home on this earth (Luke 9:57-58). He says not to bury your family (Luke 9:59-60) or to even say goodbye before joining him on the road (Luke 9:61-62)! Why does he make it so hard for people who are interested to follow him?

And he uses even stronger language in Luke 9:23-27. He says that following him means daily taking up a cross upon your back—that the only way to save your life is to give it up. He warns his disciples that if they try to save their lives on their own, they’ll end up losing them. I don’t know about you, but I find these are hard words to read.

But let’s take a moment. What if there’s life and hope in these words from Jesus? What if the only way to a life of satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy is to surrender your own plans, desires, and priorities to the one you want to follow? What if counting the cost of following Jesus is key to being a real follower and not a pretend disciple?

I just wonder if Jesus shares hard words because he knows that following him is hard. We live in a world that demands our attention and affection. If we’re not truly surrendered to him, what kind of followers of Jesus will we be? And what kind of disciples will we make? And what kind of impact will fully surrendered followers of Jesus have in the world?

I’ve become convinced that the only way to step into full surrender to Jesus is to have a revelation that he is worth trusting. You’ll have noticed too in these chapters that Jesus’ identity is a key question. Herod doesn’t understand him (Luke 9:7). And even though Peter recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah they’ve been waiting for (Luke 9:20), the disciples don’t get why their Savior and friend has to die (Luke 9:45).

The only person who seems to get it is an unlikely woman called Mary. At the end of chapter 10, Jesus affirms that Mary has found “the one thing worth being concerned about” (Luke 10:42). Notice how she surrendered the work that was ‘necessary’ so that she could give her full attention to “the one thing worth being concerned about.”

Take some time today to follow Mary’s example and give Jesus your full attention. Ask the Holy Spirit, “What do you want to reveal to me about who Jesus is?” “How are you calling me to take up my cross today?”