The Cost of Discipleship: A Call to Radical Commitment

Understanding Luke 14:25-33

Luke 14:25-33 states, "Now large crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and said to them, 'Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So, therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.'*

As a child, I loved reading books about knights and dragons. It wasn't just the action and adventure that drew me in. It was the knight's devotion to his king or queen. The knight would kneel before the king, placing his sword on the ground. He would say, "I pledge my sword to you, my king. I pledge my life and my being in service to you and the crown from this day until my last." The king would respond, "Rise, I pledge to you, Sir Knight, to honor your commitment to me and to never ask of you anything that would dishonor you. Now, take your sword and defend this kingdom." This is a prime example of commitment—a covenant agreement of devotion between two willing participants.

The Price of Following Jesus

Turning to Luke 14:25-33, we encounter Jesus addressing the swelling crowds. He speaks soberly about the price of following Him. This scene unfolds as Christ journeys toward Jerusalem. He steadily unveils the heart of His ministry and what it takes to follow Him: authentic discipleship. Viewed through the lens of Reformed theology, this passage challenges us with the radical, all-encompassing claim of Christ upon each Christian. It sets before us the necessity of thoughtfully counting the cost before we take up the call to follow Him.

When Jesus addresses the great multitude trailing in His wake, He is neither captivated by their numbers nor swayed by the excitement of the crowd. He knows that not all who follow Him do so for the right reasons. Unlike those who measure success by the size of their following, Christ seeks sincere disciples—those marked by wholehearted allegiance.

In verse 26, Jesus utters a startling word: “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” Here, “hate” (Greek-μισέω miseō) is the demand of comparative devotion, as echoed in Matthew 10:37. In this context, “hate” does not mean intense dislike but rather to reject or renounce anything or anyone that stands in the way of following Christ. As the wisdom books of the Old Testament teach, Jesus calls His followers to be entirely devoted to Him. This call to “hate” is about prioritizing Christ, not about emotions or interpersonal animosity.

The Cross and Costly Obedience

He presses further in verse 27: “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” The cross is not a comfortable ornament but a symbol of suffering, rejection, and even death itself. To follow Jesus is to embrace self-denial. A believer must be willing to walk a path of costly obedience. Here, the Reformed voice finds resonance: such devotion cannot arise from human will or native strength. The call to true discipleship is sovereignly initiated by God alone. As Ephesians 2:8-10 declares, salvation is a gift from God received through faith, not by our own efforts. God has created us to live out good works as a result of this grace.

In other words, discipleship is not, and cannot be, the product of our own striving. Discipleship, by God’s sovereignty, is fashioned by divine mercy. It shapes us into those who count the cost and cling to Christ above all else, just as a potter shapes the clay, as Jeremiah so poetically pointed out in Jeremiah 18:3-6.

Following the advice of 2 Corinthians, which urges believers to evaluate their faith and recognize Christ’s presence within themselves, we must occasionally test ourselves. We must examine whether we are living in the faith. Are there relationships or comforts we place above Christ? Most importantly, how do we respond when following Jesus requires a painful sacrifice?

Examples of Counting the Cost

Christ gave us two examples of counting the cost. In the first, a builder must estimate the cost before laying the foundation. Otherwise, he invites ridicule for an unfinished tower. This serves as a warning that hasty enthusiasm, untested by thoughtful discernment, cannot sustain true discipleship. Likewise, a king, weighing the prospect of war, must consider whether his forces can prevail. If not, he wisely seeks peace. Here, Christ presses home a central principle: genuine allegiance to Him demands more than impulsive resolve. It calls for a deliberate reckoning with the sacrifices required.

Many Christians love to stand on a soapbox and yell, “I’m right, and you’re wrong,” when they feel morally superior. Yet, they fail to humble themselves when asked to serve a neighbor, friend, or family member in real need. Both scenarios are wrong for Christians. The former can feel right in the moment, while the latter is comfortable and safe. Both are sinful acts in the face of Christ. If you examine your life and discover a time such as this, how will you react? Guilt and shame, or repentance and prayer?

The Transformative Nature of Faith

Faith is not ours by native strength but God’s gracious gift; yet it is never cheap. It always comes paired with repentance and a life transformed. The Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 21 and 86 remind us that individuals should honestly assess whether their lives reflect authentic Christian faith. True believers have Jesus Christ within them. If not, they need to reconsider their spiritual condition. Many begin the Christian journey with zeal but falter when trials arise. Just as Jesus speaks in the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:13-14), seeds of discipleship are forged not in the rocky soil of momentary excitement but in the toil of Spirit-wrought conviction. Grace feeds us, allowing believers to forsake everything, counting all costs, and steadily growing in the nurturing soil of Christ.

In this process of self-reflection, Christ claims us as His own. We only have Him to whom we cling. He said, “… none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.” These words of Christ in Luke 14:33 pierce through our self-made boundaries and lay claim to every aspect of our existence. The Lordship of Christ is not partial. It does not permit hidden compartments where self-interest governs. He demands our hearts, our possessions, our ambitions, and our very future.

Total Surrender to Christ

Christ’s call is total. He is not merely a figure fitted into an already crowded life. He is the sovereign King who commands allegiance over every domain. Discipleship is not a series of negotiations or selective submissions; nothing is exempt from Christ. He is the king who accepted our pledge and promised never to dishonor us. The surrender to Christ requires not a single transaction but a daily renunciation—a continual yielding of all we are for His sake and for His glory.

The Apostle Paul testifies in Philippians 3:7-8, reflecting on his previous achievements and worldly status—things he once considered valuable. However, after coming to know Christ, he now sees those past gains as insignificant compared to the value of his relationship with Jesus. He even calls them “rubbish” (or “garbage”) because, in his view, nothing is as crucial as knowing Christ and living for Him. He prioritizes faith in Christ above all worldly accomplishments or possessions.

Paul reminds us that the mark of genuine faith is not merely the outward relinquishment of possessions or ambitions but the inward fruit of willing surrender. Like him, our hearts must be unreservedly yielded to Christ. In this, the disciple finds freedom—not in clinging to lesser treasures but in the liberating surrender to Christ. The Spirit is at work daily in our lives, sanctifying us as we live devoted to Christ. The question is this: Are we truly surrendering to Christ all that we are? What is holding you back? Can we be like Paul and examine ourselves to see that all we had before Christ was simply loss?

The Radical Call of Christ

We should each stand awestruck before the radical call of Christ—a summons so encompassing, so absolute, that it exposes the bankruptcy of human ability. Left to ourselves, we cannot bear its weight. Jesus’ demand to forsake all and follow Him transcends what flesh and blood can accomplish. Even so, here lies our assurance: the capacity to answer Christ’s call is not mined from our strength but poured out from the sovereign grace of God. As the apostle John testifies, “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). Our devotion is always a response to divine initiative. Christ asks nothing of us that He did not do Himself. He counted the cost for our redemption—He emptied Himself, embraced the cross, and endured rejection so that we might become His own (Philippians 2:5-11). Our renunciation of sin is never a prelude to grace but an echo of the greater work accomplished by Christ on our behalf.

So, in considering the radical call of Christ, we can see it is a summons so encompassing, so absolute, that it exposes the bankruptcy of human ability. What is the cost of discipleship? If we analyze the teachings of Christ and the reflections of the Apostles, we can only come to one conclusion. The cost of discipleship to Christ is this: nothing. It is nothing because compared to the peace, love, and joy we find in our Savior, nothing else compares. Nothing we have accomplished in our lives, nothing we gain, buy, win, or somehow acquire remotely compares.

Search your heart, search your soul, and ask yourself, “Am I willing to humble myself, empty myself of pride, and kneel before the King of heaven?"

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I pray we all will. AMEN.

Bibliography

Calvin John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion [Book] / ed. McNeill, John T./ trans. Battles Ford Lewis. - Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960. - Vol. I: II.

Kittle Gerhard Theological Dictionary of the New Testament [Book] / trans. Bromiley, D. Litt., D.D. Geoffrey W.. - Grand Rapids: WM.B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967. - 1983 reprint: Vol. IV: X.

Meeks Wayne A. [et al.] The Harper Collins Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books [Book]. - New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993.

Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Online] // Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. - September 19, 2024. - [https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/sanctification.

NRSVue // Holy Bible w/ With Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament.. - Washington: Zondervan, 2021. - Updated Edition. - National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

[1] “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me,” - Matthew 10:37 NRSV

[2] For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them. - Ephesians 2:8-10 NRSV

[3] So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4 The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him. 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the LORD. Just like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. - Jeremiah 18:3-6

[4] Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test! - 2 Corinthians 13:5

[5] Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ - Philippians 3:7-8