Luke 14:25-35 Counting the Cost of Following Jesus

September 3, 2026

 The Ten Signposts of the Bible

CAMDE—400—CALY

Creation. Abraham. Moses. David. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come.

Is following Jesus easy or hard? Sit with that question for a moment. What would you say? Let’s listen to Jesus’ answer, because what he says may be unsettling. It stands in sharp contrast to much of today’s brand of Christianity.

Luke is writing an “orderly account” of Jesus’ life to a man named Theophilus. Luke divides this account into three years of Jesus’ ministry: the year of popularity, the year of opposition, and the year of rejection. We are currently in the second year, the year of opposition, as Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem where the cross awaits him (Luke 9:51; 13:22). 

During Jesus’ travels, large crowds would accompany him (Luke 14:25). They loved hearing him teach and watching him perform miracles. And certainly they enjoyed Jesus putting the pompous Pharisees in their place. But Jesus was never impressed by the big crowds; he knew the motives of those who followed him.^[1] So he laid out some difficult teaching: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26–27).

The Ten Commandments teach us to honor our parents, and in Jewish culture, caring for family was a top priority. Jesus is speaking in hyperbole, using this exaggeration to make his point. Christians are not meant to reject or neglect their families, but family must come second to following Jesus.

A disciple is a full-out follower of Jesus willing to put everything under the control and Lordship of Christ. 

This includes life itself. When Jesus says, “whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple,” he is not referring to suffering or persecution; he is referring to martyrdom, a willingness to die for the One who gave his life for us. In the Roman world, a person sentenced to crucifixion carried the crossbeam to the place of execution. This was a “statement,” albeit a forced one, that the criminal agreed with Roman justice. So Jesus is saying that we are to be willing to follow him even to our deaths. 

Let me ask the initial question again- Is following Jesus easy or hard? 

To emphasize the cost of discipleship, Jesus used two readily understood illustrations. First, a person building a tower would need to determine whether he had the resources to finish it. Otherwise, he would look foolish (Luke 14:28–30). Second, a king going to war would ensure he had the troops and resources to win the battle. If not, he would send a delegation to work out terms of peace (Luke 14:32). Likewise, a person who desires to follow Jesus must count the cost. Jesus said, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). 

Jesus' version of Christianity is very different from today’s consumer Christianity. For many, following Jesus is a weekly church event rather than a real relationship that shapes our day-to-day lives. It is easy to attend a worship service because we enjoy the music, appreciate the children’s ministry, and like the positive, encouraging messages. But the cost of discipleship doesn’t fit well in gospel tracts and isn’t good clickbait for social media reels.

Today’s what-is-in-it-for-me brand of Christianity reminds me of those in China during the nineteenth-century famines, when missionaries would provide rice to people who professed Christianity. These “Rice Christians” became a name for people who accept Christianity only for the tangible benefits.^[2] 

“Rice Christians” were in the large crowds that followed Jesus, and “Rice Christians” are in our churches today.

 Jesus ends this section by comparing “Rice Christians” to worthless salt. He said, “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 14:34–35). 

The value of salt in Jesus’ day cannot be overstated. It was used for flavoring food but, more importantly, as a preservative. It was also used as a cleaning product, for wound care, and for newborn care (Ezek. 16:4). Salt was a vital part of the economic engine. In fact, the English word “salary” comes from the Latin word salarium, which describes a financial allowance for salt. When we say someone is “worth their salt,” we mean they are valuable and worth their pay. 

Salt is good as long as it stays salty. But when it loses its flavor, it is thrown into the manure for fertilization. So it is with a “believer” or a “Rice Christian” who loves God like the farmer loves the cow—only for the milk and cheese. A true disciple of Jesus is willing to give up everything to follow the Lord-even life itself. 

And the power of the true believer lies in the truth that God is living in us. He will give us everything we need to do what he has called us to do. He will finish what he starts (Eph. 2:10; Phil. 1:6). 

So-one more time- is following Jesus easy or hard? 

Read and reflect on Luke 14:25–35: If Jesus examined your priorities today, what relationships, possessions, ambitions, or comforts would be hardest for you to place completely under his Lordship?

Talking to God: Ask God to show you the hardest thing to surrender. Then talk to him about that. 

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