Matthew 24:9-13 NKJV
[9] “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. [10] And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. [11] Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. [12] And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. [13] But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
We all love good things, but we all don’t have good things. The reason for that is the cost of those good things. Though we consider some things to be good, we don’t pay the price to have them because either they are not a priority or we consider the cost to be too much, and we are not willing to pay it.
Countless people want to go to heaven when they die. They want eternal life and all the benefits attached to it, and they know the way to attain this is to believe in Jesus and become his disciple, but they are not willing to pay that price. Jesus paints a very vivid picture of what it means to follow him. He tells us that if we love our father, mother, brothers, and sisters more than we love him, then we are not worthy to be his disciples. In fact, he informs us that if we love our life more than we love him, we cannot be his disciple.
Jesus said that we should expect persecution. If they persecuted the king of glory whom we believe in and follow, how much more will they persecute his followers? The promise that Jesus gave us is that we will not go through that alone, he is always with us to strengthen us as we go through the valley of the shadow of death.
To follow Jesus demands total commitment. Yes, blessings are part of the package, but so is persecution. It will cost you to follow him. I love how Paul sums it up;
Romans 8:18 NKJV
[18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
The cost to follow is great, but the rewards of following far outweigh the cost of following.
Reflections.
What is the most expensive thing you have ever bought with your hard-earned cash? Was it worth it?
What has following Christ cost you so far?
What rewards are you looking forward to as you remain faithful in following Christ?
