Oh yeah, like discipleship is SO hard…you just follow Jesus around, right?

After rebuking Peter (you remember: “Get behind me, Satan!”), Jesus began to explain the costs of discipleship as well as the real meaning behind following him. (According to Garland) First, the disciple must be willing to put all his own ambitions and choices in God’s control. I love the way Garland states discipleship in the face of our culture: “Discipleship is not a part-time volunteer work that one does as an extracurricular activity. God refuses to accept a minor roll in one’s life; he requires a controlling place.” (p. 327) Secondly, discipleship requires taking up a cross EVERY DAY! To the disciples, this would have meant quite a bit considering Christ was not yet crucified and the whole idea of crucifixion with Christ had not yet been presented. The idea was that disciples of Christ had to be willing to suffer the cruelest, most humiliating death for the sake of Christ EVERY DAY; not just MWF or TTH or Sunday…7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. The third cost of discipleship is following Christ in the direction HE would have for them to go…following Christ even in a procession of cross-bearers (that's a heart-wrenching visual). Are we obedient as disciples? Are we THAT willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING, even our very lives in a procession of crosses, for Christ?

Zach Pyron