The Cost of Following Christ Luke 9:51-62; 1 Kings 19:9b-21; Galatians 5:1, 13-25

 

Grace, mercy and peace to you, from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

We’re going to talk about the cost of following Christ, as Jesus talks about it in our Gospel.

 

It’s been said that nothing is free in life: everything has its cost in some way, either now or in the future – pay me now or pay me later, as the saying goes.

 

For example, if we neglect our health when we’re young, which many do or have done, then later in life, we’ll pay for it with problems stemming from the disregard for our health, and the lack of care for our body. 

 

I remember seeing a documentary some years ago about baby-boomers who were older teens and young adults in the late 60s and early 70s, and they got caught up in the drug culture.

 

They talked about the harm the hallucinogenic drugs did to them; and how, now, decades later, they’re having to deal with permanent damage that was done to their minds. There was a cost for that behavior and those choices.

 

There’s always a cost; it’s just a matter if the cost is worth it or not.

 

The cost of following Christ is so well worth it.

 

If we neglect our body, there’s a physical price to be paid; if we neglect our mind, there’s a psychological and emotional price to be paid; if we neglect our soul, there’s a spiritual and eternal price to be paid.

 

And again, to some extent we all do it, we all neglect the welfare of our soul, since we’ve all fallen into sin and come up short of the glory of God, as Romans 3 says. 

 

The price we pay for neglecting our soul is a lack of, or less of God’s blessings to our soul, and His love in our life.

 

Considering how wonderful the love and the blessings of God are, that’s a terrible price to pay. So let us commend our lives and souls to Him.

I recently read about a survey that found that 81% of Americans say they believe in God, the lowest since the survey started in 1944. 

 

In 2017, 87% had said they believe in God. So the trend is toward a more godless culture, where God is denied or disregarded, and the soul is neglected.

 

If we neglect our soul to the extreme that we fail or refuse to repent of our sin and believe in our Christ, Savior, then the price we pay is monstrous: no hope, nor peace, nor joy, nor love from above, not in this world, nor the next.

 

But if we come to our senses, and repent; and by the power of the Holy Spirit, believe and embrace God’s grace, then we receive the greatest possible blessings, which our Lord has won for us at the highest possible price: His very life.

 

The cost of our salvation will never go up, because Jesus already paid the highest price possible.

 

However, the cost of following Him may go up; and in our society, does seem to be on the rise. 

 

Speaking of prices rising, after many years of minimal inflation in our economy, we’re now experiencing significant and rapid inflation; most everything is costing more; in some many cases a lot more.

 

The average price of a preowned vehicle in the U.S. in January of 2020, was about $16,350. 

 

In January of 2021, the average price was $20,300. 

 

This year, in January of 2022, the average price was $28,200. 

 

That’s an increase of $7,900 or 28% in one year; and $11,850 or 42% in two years. 

 

And we all know how gas prices have skyrocketed.

 

Thanks be to God, the price of our salvation has not changed; Jesus already paid  for it in full.

However, it would seem that the price of following Him is increasing in our godless culture.

 

In following Christ we’re NOT paying the price for our salvation: Jesus paid that in full. 

 

The price we pay is the rejection or ridicule we might have to endure; and the sacrifices we need to make in order to serve God and bear witness to Christ.

 

Despising Christianity and Christians in our society, is becoming more popular and more intense; its’ becoming more socially acceptable, even socially preferred. 

 

Denouncing Christianity and condemning Christians is the elite and popular thing to do in some circles.

 

When we Christians fail to be like Christ to the world, that deserves to be denounced; and it needs to be repented of. 

 

But that Christians sometimes fail to be like Christ to the world, is not a legitimate reason for the anyone to denounce Christianity and despise Christ. 

 

Christ’s love for the world speaks for itself; His death and resurrection for all proves the legitimacy of the Gospel and His love for the world.

 

But we pray that we might share His love and truth through our words and actions, and that our sins and short-comings don’t get in the way; that we may, 

as our Epistle says, live by and keep step with the Spirit. 

   

In our Gospel, Jesus speaks of the high price He paid in His ministry, and the high cost of keeping step with Him, following Him. 

 

Luke writes, 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 

 

By this time Jesus, had been denied by His family, His brothers, and by His community; He was no longer welcome in His home of Nazareth. 

His ministry meant traveling from place to place, without the comfort or security of a family and a home. 

 

So Jesus was warning the person who offered to follow Him that there was a price to be paid; a denying of one’s needs and wants.

 

Luke continues, 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 

 

61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

 

This was a reference to the calling of Elisha to succeed Elijah as God’s prophet, as we heard in today’s Old Testament. 

 

Jesus isn’t saying that we shouldn’t love and take care of our parents, but that following Him means God comes first in our lives.

 

If the salvation Jesus won for us is a small thing, then He would only be worthy of a small amount of devotion, or minimal or moderate sacrifices in our life, at most.

 

But if the salvation Jesus won for us is a great and wonderful thing, and it is, as our faithful, departed loved ones can attest to, then Jesus is worthy of our highest devotion, and the greatest of sacrifices.

 

Christ is worth the highest cost we can pay in following Him, even the cost of our lives, if need be, and as is the case in some places and nations.

 

Let it be our joy and honor to love, trust, obey and follow Christ, even though it may come at the price of ridicule and rejection, or persecution, or worse.

 

Let us gladly serve Him, even though the work may be difficult or frustrating at times. 

 

Let us support the ministry of the Gospel, even though it might mean sacrificing some things that would be nice to have, but aren’t needed.

It’s way better to have the Gospel, to know Christ and make Him known. 

 

There’s no better way, no higher blessing, no greater outcome, than following Christ. 

 

May God bless and strengthen you to follow Him always, no matter the cost. 

 

He, who won life for us, is more than worth it.

 

And as you follow Him, His peace, which passes understanding, will guard your heart and mind, in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, who is worth everything to us. Amen.