30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 14 25-33 The cost of discipleship 05 Serve no other god
📖 Luke 14:25-33
27Dec19 - *Serve no other god* - _Luke 14:25-33_ - Bible reading: _Deuteronomy 13:6-8_
We have been seeing thus far the background understanding that needs to be in place for us to be disciples of Jesus. We got this understanding out of the two analogies that Jesus gave us in _Luke 14:28-32_. The background lessons for discipleship that needs to be in place are –
- Our preparation for discipleship
- To press on
- With wise counsel to wage war
We need a constant reminder that we cannot attempt to be Christ’ disciples by our own strength. We will fail miserably. Discipleship is a walk in the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit alone, who can enable us to be disciples of Jesus.
_Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple._
What does the Lord mean, when He expects us to hate our loved ones? How are we to understand, accept and live out this expectation?
Let us learn from the understanding from the Old Testament. _Deuteronomy 13:6-8 "If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, (7) of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, (8) you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him;_
The emphasis here is, if any from the family or friends, were to entice God’s people to worship other gods, then the instruction was to not consent, listen, pity, spare or conceal the matter. This is the context for hating the family.
How do we apply this teaching to our times? The one god that very quickly takes the place of God in our lives, is money. _Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon._
When we make choices and decisions in the family, the alternatives that present itself before us is invariably money and economics related. From within the family the compulsion will come to make decisions that are money based or bread based. This is worshipping mammon.
When we see this happening in our families, we must be strong to take decisions based on God’s will and purpose and not on the basis of money, even if this would mean that we will have to go against the judgement of a loved one. This is what it means to hate the people, who are closest to us.
Just as money, there are other gods that take the place of God in our lives.
It is necessary for us to come to God and pray, seeking His mercy and grace to show us if we are already worshipping any other god, in the secret of our heart. If so, we must repent and in the Holy Spirit, take a stand in our families, that God will have the first place in our choices and decisions.
*Thought to ponder*
```Who are your gods?```