THE COMMITMENTS

Luke 14: 25 – 35


The duty or pledge to someone or something, is what Jesus was asking those who followed Him.
The Bible tells us of large crowds that were following Him from town to town listening to what He said, and probably they believed what Jesus spoke of with, what they considered to be, all their heart.
They were kinda like the dead heads that followed Jerry Garcia and his bands, and I'm willing to wager that the large crowds felt as if they were the true believers and disciples of Jesus.
But, we humans are a funny lot. We claim to dedicate our lives to a cause, but, when the rubber meets the road, there are many who bail out to return to the safety of their former lives and homes.
I don't know why we delude ourselves about our willingness to be dedicated to a cause when we know deep down we are just doing this to feel wanted.

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

With a bold statement like that I'm sure that a goodly number of the crowd walked away. They may even have grumbled about, “He talks of love, yet He wants us to hate our families?”
“What up wit dat?”
Jesus was calling for true love and commitment to Him and God. Many folks just didn't get it.

33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
34 "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure heap; it is thrown out. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

I will tell anyone who asks what my priorities are.
1, God.
2, Family
3, Friends.
4, Work.
Followed by everything else.
I truly try to follow those priorities to the best of my ability. But, being a fallen man, I mess it up from time to time.
I also know that it is hard work to be a follower of Jesus, but, it is worth it.

Make the commitment. It will be worth it!