WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday March 10, 2019
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CALLED TO SACRIFICE
(The cost of being a disciple)
(Mark 1:14-20 and Luke 14:25-35)
The arrest
of John the Baptist by King Herod Antipas triggered the beginning of JESUS’
three years of ministering here on earth. After John’s incarceration JESUS went
to Galilee and began preaching GOD’s Good News, announcing that the Kingdom of
GOD was near, and urging people to repent and turn from their sin (Mark 1:14-15).
One day as JESUS
was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee HE came upon two commercial
fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew, going about their work, fishing with
nets in their boat just off shore. JESUS shouted out to them, and invited them
to come and let HIM teach them how to fish for the souls of men. As if through
divine discernment, they immediately came to shore, left their boat, and began
to follow JESUS (Mark 1:16-18).
A little farther
up the shore they came upon Zebedee’s sons, James and John, who were sitting in
their large boat with their father and several hired men, mending their torn
fishing nets. JESUS called them out of the group and invited them also, to come
and follow HIM. And just like Simon and Andrew, they immediately left their
father, Zebedee, in the boat with his men, and began following JESUS (Mark 1:19-20).
People commonly
believe that JESUS was just calling these men from their jobs. However, what was
happening here in this passage was that, JESUS was actually calling them out of
the Church, which had been contaminated by the teachings (yeast) of the
Pharisees and others for years, so that HE could teach them the pure undiluted
Word of GOD, and then send them back into the Church to fix it, and make it a
righteous and holy place of worship, teaching, and prayer again.
Here JESUS was
calling these men to a greater occupation (fishing for men) that would call for
them to not just use their physical and mental prowess, but for this task that
they were called to, it would take all of their hearts, all of their soul, all
of their minds, and all of their hands to accomplish. And so we will now go to
the Gospel of Luke, where JESUS explains exactly what it takes to become a
disciple of HIS.
In Luke 14,
verses 25-35, JESUS parted from the house of the unnamed Pharisee, after
teaching them on the subject of Salvation, and how it is available for all
people who wish to partake in its eternal benefits. When HE left, although
throngs of people followed HIM, not all of them were interested in the
spiritual things which HE had spoken about earlier. Some people hung around
only to see JESUS perform more miraculous acts, while others just wanted to be
fed physical food, or hoped to obtain physical healing from HIM. Very few were
interested in truly following in the spiritually disciplined lifestyle that
JESUS was calling for people to live.
Taking up at
verse 25 of Luke 14, JESUS, now sensing how lightly people were taking the
responsibility required by one who seeks to be HIS follower, stops along the
side of the road and begins to preach about “the cost of being HIS disciple”.
Here JESUS clearly makes a distinction between “salvation” and “discipleship”.
While at the house
of the Pharisee, JESUS had taught basically that “salvation” meant “coming to
cross and trusting HIM”. However, in this passage (Vs.25-35), HE is clearly
saying that “discipleship” means “picking up your cross, and actually following
HIM”.
JESUS wants us to
clearly understand that, while salvation is “free”, when we actually pledge
ourselves to follow HIM in discipleship, we must be willing to “pay a very
steep price”. Disciples must carry a cross, and that means that we must be
willing to identify with CHRIST in suffering and complete surrender to GOD’s
Will.
In verses 26-28,
JESUS, no doubt, thins the crowd out considerably when HE lays down the
criteria for being HIS disciple. Here HE tells the people, in no uncertain
terms, that, “Anyone who wishes to be MY
disciple must love ME more than your own father and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters, and even, more than your own life. Otherwise you cannot
be MY disciple. And you cannot be MY disciple if you do not carry your own
cross and follow ME” (NLT).
Taking up at
verse 28, JESUS explains HIS point further using the well-known analogy of how
any sensible person should approach the task of a “building project”. If every
21st century protestant pastor followed the advice that JESUS
renders in verses 28-30, they would never have the weight of a “Church
mortgage” hanging over their heads. The very word “mortgage” is a French term
that means, quite literally, “death note”, and there is no place for it in the
Church that says it represents GOD.
There is also no
successful biblical example of a Church or Temple of GOD being built with
borrowed money, especially from a secular source (banks etc.), or any other
financial source. In fact, the only biblical account of a temple being built
for worshippers of GOD using pagan money at all, was built by King Herod the
Great in the first century, and GOD promptly allowed it to be destroyed
completely, “with not even one stone left standing on the other”, in A.D. 70.
JESUS had earlier foretold to HIS disciples (Luke 21:6, Matthew 24:1-2, Mark
13:2).
The temple built
by Herod, at that time, covered one third of Jerusalem and took over forty
years to complete. The problem with this magnificent building project was that
it was “not authorized by GOD”, and so, it could not stand as a place where
GOD’s name was represented.
Here in this
passage, JESUS gives good solid advice for anyone who wishes to be HIS
disciple, however, here HE uses the common-sense analogy that nearly everyone
in those days could relate to, and that is, “you don’t begin to build anything,
let alone a church building, unless “you already have enough money to finish
the project”: Here JESUS advises; “But
don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a
building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if there is
enough money to pay the bills? Otherwise, you might complete only the
foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh at
you! They would say, “There’s the person who started that building and ran out
of money before it was finished!” (NLT).
In this day and
age we tend to think we can overcome JESUS’ advice by borrowing our way out of
our financial shortages. However, it shouldn’t ever be done that way,
particularly with the Church. The biblical examples that we see are that
dedicated people pool their available assets and monies together until the full
estimated cost of the building project has been actually received (not
promised), and that’s prior to laying, even the foundation.
In JESUS’ second
analogy, of “a king going to war against seemingly insurmountable odds”, in
verses 31-33, HE tells us that we must be able to use wisdom, not physical
force, in battling our only true enemy, who is satan, and, who is spirit. In
the “spiritual battle” that must be embarked upon by all of HIS followers, we
must rely on the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD, and must depend heavily upon our
communication with GOD through our learning of HIS Word, and, through our
prayers and supplications, as we desire, and aspire, to ultimately obtain peace
through HIS council.
And finally, in
verses 34-35, JESUS renders yet another saying using the element of “salt”.
Before man comes to CHRIST, he is only mere “dirt”, or “clay”. The acceptance
of CHRIST into our lives gives us “salt”. We then become, as JESUS says, “The
salt of the earth”, and are able to overcome the difficult challenges of this
life.
Unlike today,
salt in those days would lose its favor after a while and become flat, pretty
much in the way we become flat, or “bored” with where we are in life, and, with
what we are doing. We can refresh ourselves by doing something different,
however, after a while we become bored again (lose our salt), and begin to
fizzle off again, in our enthusiasm.
Anyone who accepts
the calling of CHRIST must be prepared to go the distance, just as CHRIST did.
We cannot afford to lose our “flavor” over time, as we are still fighting the
spiritual battle, lest we render ourselves unable to finish the building
project (the spiritual Church body of CHRIST), or, in effect, are unable to
overcome in our battle against the true spiritual enemy, satan.
JESUS uses the
analogy of “salt”, because salt is strong. Salt is used to “cure”, and “preserve”,
and, it also continues to “make us thirsty”. Through the strength that the salt
of CHRIST gives us, we can be as strong as we need to be, for as long as we
need to be, and, at one and the same time, continue to thirst in our quest to
seek and know GOD better and better as we move along our Christian journey. And
anyone, who is willing to hear, should listen and understand. However, first
and foremost, JESUS says that, “We must count the cost” before we embark upon
our quest to “follow HIM”.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY
D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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