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by Sandy Shaw
We are reading these verses at the end of Luke Chapter 14, where Jesus Christ is speaking about carrying the cross and the cost of discipleship. Discipleship is likened to building a tower - and it is likened to a battle. This is very different from just going ‘to church’ now and again, and singing a few Psalms and Hymns and some of these new Choruses which you may enjoy.
Jesus is teaching us - be prepared to complete the tower - and win the battle! Do you have the resources for both?
If you are a true disciple of Jesus - nothing will put you off - no-one will be able to put you off - because, you have counted the cost.
If there is anything which you could come across in this Book, the Bible, which could put you off, or if there is anything anyone could say to you that might just put you off following Jesus Christ - let God deal with that – let God remove that today. Take time and make time to ask God to deal with that in your life before it is too late.
We have to be willing to give up everything - possessions - friends - reputation - family loyalties and ties - worldly security - personal safety - private opinions - opinions on certain political or moral matters - everything has to be laid at the foot of the Cross and surrendered to Jesus.
Counting the cost first - avoids the need to resign - or run away - or compromise later on. Why count the cost? Surely that is one way to put people off. Yes, certain people will be put off by that, but not those who mean business with God.
Why count the cost? Because Jesus wants salty disciples.
True obedient dedicated reliable faithful disciples are like salt, but if there is an unwillingness to forsake all and follow Jesus, then the salt can soon lose its tang - and it can lose its tang quickly.
The salt referred to here was used as fertiliser - or disinfectant. It would be scraped up from the shores of the Dead Sea - but if there was too much sand in it - it would not be so effective.
It would lose its saltiness - if there was too much of the world in it.
The salt was used to promote growth - to allow things to grow - and to prevent evil things from spreading. This is our calling in Christ, and that is why we must not have too much of the world in us - or the salt will lose its tang - its powerful influence.
When we are committed to Jesus Christ and His Word, we will help good things grow, and we will prevent other people from spreading bad things. But if we lose our vitality - if we let the world wash away all our saltiness - if we allow our influence to become diluted - our effectiveness decreases.
Jesus Christ is calling men and women to be more than mere listeners. He is calling us to be salty disciples - salting the earth - promoting the growth of what is good - and preventing the spread of that which is bad. That is one high responsible calling.
"He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Jesus is saying - Now pay attention - this is important for service and ministry in the Kingdom of God.
It pays to pay attention to what Jesus Christ has to say and teach. It always does – always.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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