ESOCS Devotional 16 March 2026 – The Price of Discipleship
MEMORY VERSE: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26 KJV
TEXT: LUKE 14:25-35
Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 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. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
34 “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
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Multitudes followed Jesus everywhere because they wanted free salvation that was only possible through Christ. God has promised regeneration, justification and sanctification to those who follow Him (John 5:10, 17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Unfortunately, not many people ever sit down to consider the “hidden” costs attached to being a disciple. Receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour has its high costs. Through the ultimate sacrifice on the cross, God has declared us (believers) righteous. But we must necessarily become practically transformed by our readiness to meet up with the costs. The cost is complete surrender to God and His will – just as Christ was completely submissive to His Father’s will – even unto death.
Little wonder that Jesus warns those who want to follow Him to first of all, count the costs of discipleship (Luke 9:23). Moreover, this high cost was made more profound in our text – verse 26, thus: that those who come to Jesus cannot be His disciple, unless they love Him more than they love father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even their own lives as well.
According to our text, it was at this point in the ministry of Jesus that He needed to separate the wheat from the chaff. He sought to sift out of the multitudes those who were not willing to pay the price of becoming true disciples. These are hard words for those who are not willing to commit themselves totally to the course of the salvation project. Truly, many will not pass the test. But those who do will have a tremendous influence in the world with their lives. They will also join the throngs of saints already in heaven. What is your stand on this?
Reflections
- Salvation is a finished work on the cross. How come we talk of costs here?
Prayer
- My Lord, My King, I want to be in the number.
Further Reading: 1 Samuel 6:1-6; Jeremiah 4:19-31, 2 Corinthians 5:1-21
ESOCS Devotional 16 March 2026
