COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
For the first disciples, they took all of Jesus’ teachings literally. Following Jesus had a cost. It meant taking immediate responses. It meant giving up everything for him. It meant making sacrifices. It meant dying on a cross for him. Jesus expected them to do all of these difficult tasks to be his true disciples. From the gospel of Mark, we find Jesus to be quite a hasty man, making them put him first.
“And Jesus said to them, ‘Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.’ And at once they left their nets and followed him.” (Mk1: 17-18)
Jesus expected them to give up everything for him; their homes, jobs, security and families. They had to “Deny themselves.” These men did it unknown of what to expect, but they must have known that Jesus was so special and so unique, that he was worth doing anything for. Jesus told them to do this putting complete trust in God.
“I tell you the truth, this poor woman has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.” (Mk12: 41-44)
This poor woman had the trust in God that Jesus wanted his disciples to have. She literally placed her life in the hands of God, having total dependency on him. This is the way the first disciples lived. They were to “deny” themselves like this woman did, and not like the rich young man had failed to do. He wouldn’t give up everything he had as he was of great wealth. (Mk10: 17-27) If they gave up everything they had, they would have “treasures in heaven.”
“Jesus said, ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”
When Jesus made this statement, he meant that a disciple take up his own cross in life – all the suffering that will come with being a follower of Jesus. For the early disciples this would have included rejection, abuse, physical suffering and possibly death. Jesus accepted his own cross in life even though he didn’t want it. It is thought that Peter took this literally, and was murdered upside down on a cross for his beliefs.
