Following Jesus in Spite of the Cost
In Matthew 10:24-42, Jesus teaches his disciples (and those of us who are his disciples today) about the challenges of following Him. Matthew 10:38 gives a summary of all that Jesus says in this passage: “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” These are heavy words. We fear that words like these might scare people away. However, Jesus doesn’t say these things to push us away but to equip us for the road ahead.
Following Jesus has a price. Jesus tells us that persecution should not surprise us. After all, we are following the one who was rejected and crucified. We can’t expect that following Him would get us any different kind of treatment. “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Jesus also tells us that we shouldn’t be afraid. Three times he says: “Do not fear.” In each case, Jesus gives us a reason we don’t have to live in fear. The cost of following Christ is worth the price. First, the truth of the Gospel will be vindicated. Therefore, we can shout from the housetops. Second, there are worse things than persecution. Worse than persecution is to deny and disobey Jesus. “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the should; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Our greater fear of God (not meaning that we are afraid of Him but that we are accountable to Him and more concerned about His response to us than others) conquers the lesser fear of our safety or comfort. Third, we need to remember God cares for us like a loving father. Not even the smallest details of our lives are unknown to Him. He loves us and cares for us and therefore we don’t need to fear anything that comes our way.
The final thing Jesus wants us to understand about the price of following Him is that we shouldn’t be ashamed to confess Him publicly (Matthew 10:32-33). Shockingly, Jesus says: “Do not think I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). No, this is not a contradiction. Jesus does bring peace. But for those who reject Christ, there is often hostility to those who follow Christ. Jesus wants His disciples to be prepared to face relational hostility. This conflict can even extend to those members of our immediate family. Jesus isn’t saying this is a good thing or something to strive for but He is pointing out the reality that it will happen. Our ultimate love and loyalty belong to Jesus first. Jesus says this is part of denying ourselves and taking up our cross.
Following Jesus has a price but make no mistake: Following Jesus is worth it! He makes this abundantly clear in 10:39 when he says: “…he who has lost his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39). Following Jesus is where we find true life and fulfillment. In Matthew 10:40-42 Jesus explains that not even the smallest service rendered on His behalf will fail to be rewarded. We can’t keep our lives anyway. We all give our lives to something. We might as well make that something that counts for eternity. As missionary Jim Elliot said: “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Following Jesus is worth it!
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