Thursday Devo
Scripture:
28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’
31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
34 “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? 35 Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”
31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
34 “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? 35 Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”
Commentary:
14:28–32 Two parabolic illustrations involving building (vv. 28–30) and going to war (vv. 31–32) both warn against making a hasty decision to follow Jesus. Potential disciples must first count the cost to see if they will persevere in the faith (cf. 8:15; 21:19).
14:33 The third condition for discipleship involves renouncing all (cf. 5:11, 28; 12:33; 18:22).
14:34 if salt has lost its taste. Most salt came from the Dead Sea and contained impurities (carnallite and gypsum). If not processed properly, it would have a poor taste and would be worse than useless, being unusable for food and creating a disposal problem. If the conditions of discipleship (vv. 26–27, 33) are not kept, the disciples likewise will become less than worthless (cf. Rev. 3:15–17).
14:33 The third condition for discipleship involves renouncing all (cf. 5:11, 28; 12:33; 18:22).
14:34 if salt has lost its taste. Most salt came from the Dead Sea and contained impurities (carnallite and gypsum). If not processed properly, it would have a poor taste and would be worse than useless, being unusable for food and creating a disposal problem. If the conditions of discipleship (vv. 26–27, 33) are not kept, the disciples likewise will become less than worthless (cf. Rev. 3:15–17).
Questions:
- Jesus said we are to be the "salt of the earth." This is what it looks like to be useful in his Kingdom. He's saying that we must be willing to give up everything and follow him. If not, we aren't followers at all. We are fans. And a fan is like salt that looses its saltiness... worthless. So, a true follower should long to be useful. Do you long to be useful in the Kingdom of God? What steps have you taken recently that prove this desire? How open are you, on a daily basis, to being used by God?
- Following Jesus could very well cost us our SAFETY. Sometimes we think that "carrying a cross" is just a figure of speech that has something to do with the burdens of our daily life. But Jesus isn't talking about a general participation in suffering or in bearing the anxieties of our daily lives. He is making a clear reference to martyrdom. He's saying, very plainly, unless you are prepared to become a martyr, you can't be his disciple. In fact, when scripture talks about being a "witness" for Jesus, the Hebrew word has its roots in the word "martus", which is where we get "martyr." Do you have the kind of faith that is ready to die for Jesus if it came to that? Is it strong enough to withstand persecution?
Pray:
- That you would long to be used by God.
- That you would desire and develop a faith that can withstand persecution.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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