Authentic discipleship is hard. Bonhoeffer’s book The Cost of Discipleship highlights the reality of how “when Christ calls a man he bids him come and die”. Anything other than this dying to self is a cheap substitute built on a foundation of cheap grace. Here are three things that hinder authentic discipleship:
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Jesus encountered three men who expressed an interest in following him. In his encounters with these men, Jesus addressed three things that can hinder a life of authentic discipleship.
Comfort
The first was an attachment to comfort. The first man approached Jesus and said “I will follow you wherever you go”. He was confident he would be able to follow Jesus wherever Jesus went in terms of geography. Here’s the catch. He didn’t fully understand Jesus does not always go to places of comfort and status. Jesus says he has no place to lay his head. He doesn’t have a home. Following Jesus means being uncomfortable.
Disloyalty
The second man responds to Jesus’ invitation by saying “Lord let me first go and bury my father.” It sounds like a reasonable request. After all, burying your father is a part of your family duty. In this ancient Jewish culture this is a holy and sacred duty for a son. For Jesus, it is secondary to following him. What he says to the man is telling “Let the dead bury their own dead.” Jesus says you’re alive and part of a new family. This is your highest loyalty.
Distraction
The last request doesn’t sound that unreasonable. Before following Jesus a man wishes to go and say goodbye to his family. This makes sense especially if you are familiar with the Old Testament call of Elisha. Before Elisha dropped everything to follow Elijah he went home to his family. He killed his oxen and burned their yokes and invited his entire village to a feast before he set off. Jesus says this won’t do.
Why? The nature of following him is urgent and turning back would be a distraction. “No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Plowing land required focus on what was ahead of you. To turn back and look at the furrow you plowed would inadvertently cause you to make the next part crooked. Jesus is saying do not be distracted by the cares and the worries of this age. Set your sights on the kingdom of God.