Luke 14:25-35: Bitter Requirements for Life in Christ

Jesus told the story of the man who made a great supper in response to one who was excited about entering the kingdom of God and eating bread there (see Luke 14:15). He had previously been speaking about the reward of the righteous at the resurrection of the just. Whoever said “blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God” was like multitudes who are excited about heaven, yet have watered down and overall misguided expectations of what it will take to actually enter there.

So Jesus then speaks about the true grace of God which is demonstrated by the offer of salvation in Himself, an offer which is made to all men that is both free and accompanied by strict terms and conditions, by telling the story of the great supper in Luke 14:16-24. We see there how those who were invited did not want to comply with the terms and conditions of coming though they were not required to pay a price to attend. One valued the interest related to his property more, another the interest of his business more, and another valued his wife more. These correspond to the obstacles to the salvation of man’s soul which Jesus had spoken of in Luke 8:14, the “cares and riches and pleasures of this life.” The refusal of these men showed that they devalued the man who gave the supper and the work which he had done to prepare it. Luke 14:25-35 is then placed by Luke immediately afterwards.

Reading from Luke 14:25-27: “And there went great multitudes with him (with Jesus): and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

In this context, the need to hate your family members and own life isn’t a reference to malice towards them. In relation to the preceding story, it obviously means that your own business interests, living circumstances, relatives, and any and everything else must be devalued and esteemed less than being subject to the King of Kings. None of these things should prevent forsaking sin and submitting to Jesus Christ as is illustrated by Paul (aka Saul) when he was confronted by the Risen Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Acts 9:6: “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”

Jesus said something which is substantially the same in Matthew 10:37-39: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”

To turn to Jesus and obtain His grace you must forsake everything which is inherently sinful and ungodly. Yet even human relations, business, pleasure, earthly cares, and other activities which are not inherently sinful need to be devalued in comparison to serving Him. To do otherwise is to commit idolatry.

Luke 14:28-30: “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.”

Those not willing to lose anything and everything in order to remain faithful to Jesus won’t endure to the end in Him unto salvation (see Matthew 24:9-13). And along the way, their Christian testimony will be invalidated- at least before God and the hosts of heaven. Though they may continue to profess to believe in Jesus and fool a lot of people, those with sharp Biblical discernment will also discern their betrayal by their hardness of heart towards light from the Bible.

The loss which must be known in enduring under Jesus’ authority could occur in ways which could have never been imagined by an individual until it happens or becomes obvious through circumstances that it may need to happen. Better understanding of the Bible often brings to one’s attention righteous responsibilities which they weren’t aware of before. New circumstances could make it evident that burdens need to be taken on which may not have been necessary to carry in other circumstances. Jesus continues then with a similar illustration to strengthen the point He has been making.

Luke 14:31-32: “Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.”

The narrow way to life in Christ is inherently a spiritual war against the devil and his forces. The course of the world itself makes a Christian walk of faith a swim upstream. There is no victory which will come without much risk of suffering and loss- along with actual notable suffering and loss. Even the thief on the cross had to turn against the crowd and become an object of scorn much more than already was by siding with Jesus like he did. That in itself was hard.

Jesus compares the Christian fight against the devil to 10,000 going to war against 20,000. It is actually impossible to win without the grace of God in the equation. Even with the grace of God, it is still very difficult. It requires prolonged endurance which will inevitably be brutal and costly. Those who might try to win in this war otherwise will surely be routed by the devil.

Revelation 12:11: “And they overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

From an earthly perspective, it would be better to just concede to the devil well beforehand if one chooses to spare their own life from death related to holding to the right ways of the Lord. Concession before the battle gets heated even entered will lead to damnation on Judgment Day- yet it will save a person from sufferings pertaining to Christian discipleship on earth which they don’t have the heart to fully endure in order to actually continue on to victory and a favorable Judgment Day anyways. Also, note that it is possible to make such a concession and still call oneself a Christian. In many places and times, this is even normal. Many churches are actually incompatible with Biblical discipleship altogether.

The lukewarm person who is part of a church which actually regards the authority of the Bible is the type of person who would do well to make a quick concession to the kingdom of darkness if they refuse to utterly surrender to the Lord to go forward in fighting against it. Otherwise, they might very well end up with both a defeated soul and a wrecked natural life due to how they were willing to yield to Christ to some extent and go to war for Him- yet not yield to Him altogether in order to endure in the war and obtain victory. To go to war yet shrink back in the middle of it obviously leaves one in an especially miserable situation.

Since there is free will after conversion to Christ as well as beforehand, many are faithful Christians for a time even though unrighteous roadblocks eventually spring up in their hearts in relation to their own cares, interests, and relations. The presence of these roadblocks set them on a collision course with suffering for their Christian testimony that they will not be able to righteously handle as long as those roadblocks remain in their hearts. That is not to mention how many professing Christian converts never really repented and got in line with the Lord to begin with. Such might try to be faithful to Christ in many ways though their heart is still bound by sin. They might very well face similar consequences.

Jesus concludes this aspect of His discourse in Luke 14:33-35: “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

Really take to heart that the gate is strait (i.e. constricted) and the way narrow (i.e. tribulated) which leads to eternal life.