In Luke 14:25–33, Jesus reminds us that following Him isn’t something we do halfway — it’s a full commitment. He says we must “hate” our family and even our own lives, not because He wants us to literally hate anyone, but because He’s calling us to love Him more than anything else. Being His disciple means putting Him first — above comfort, plans, and even relationships. When Jesus says to “carry your cross,” He’s talking about dying to ourselves — letting go of pride, control, and selfish desires so we can truly live in Him. He gives two examples — a builder and a king — both of whom count the cost before starting something big. In the same way, we’re called to count the cost of discipleship. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. Because when we surrender everything to Jesus, we don’t lose our lives — we finally find them.

Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history.

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God’s Word.

Click here if you’d like to join our GroupMe and receive this each morning at 7:00 a.m. CST.

Click on the image above or this link to watch today’s video.

You can read today’s passage here.

You can podcast this reflection here. You can subscribe through Spotify or Apple Podcasts as well.

Or, if you’d like to read the transcript of the video, keep reading!

Well, good morning! It’s good to be with you on this Monday morning. Hope all is well for you as we begin what’s sure to be a busy week. Halloween’s coming up, All Saints’ Day is right after that — we are officially in that stretch where the calendar just doesn’t stop. We had Fall Fest at church yesterday, and I always say once you pass Fall Fest, hold on — because it’s on now. You better do whatever you need to do before Fall Fest, because after that, it’s a sprint to Christmas!

So I hope you’re ready for all that’s ahead, and that you find some grace and joy along the way.

Today we’re continuing in Luke 14. Remember, everything happening in this section still ties back to Jesus being at the Pharisee’s table. He’s at a feast, and all His teaching right now connects back to that scene — who’s welcome at the table, what humility looks like, and what it means to truly follow Him.

Let’s read Luke 14:25–33 (NRSVUE):

Now large crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and said to them,
“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?
Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?
If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”

That’s a tough passage, isn’t it? Jesus doesn’t exactly pull punches here.

Let’s start with that first part — “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother…” Now, Jesus isn’t telling us to literally hate our family. Remember, one of the Ten Commandments says to honor your father and mother. And Jesus lived that. One of the last things He did on the cross was to make sure His mother was cared for — He looked at John and said, “Here is your mother,” and to Mary, “Here is your son.”

So what’s He mean? He’s talking about priorities. In the ancient world, “hate” could mean “to love less.” Jesus is saying that nothing — not family, not relationships, not even our own lives — can come before Him. Following Jesus means putting Him first above all else.

Then He says, “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” We hear “cross” and think of jewelry or church steeples, but in that day, it meant one thing: death. The cross was an instrument of torture. If Jesus were saying this today, He might say, “Take up your electric chair. Take up your lethal injection.” That’s how shocking it would’ve sounded.

So what does that mean for us? It means dying to ourselves — laying down our selfish wants, our need to be right, our desire for control. Because when we die to self, we actually find life. The life we’re looking for — the peace, the joy, the meaning — is only found in Him.

Then Jesus gives two quick examples: a man building a tower and a king going to war. Both count the cost before they start. Jesus is saying, “If you’re going to follow Me, know what you’re signing up for.” This isn’t something to do halfway. He doesn’t want lukewarm followers.

You remember what Revelation says — “be hot or cold, but not lukewarm.” C.S. Lewis once put it this way: “The one thing Jesus cannot be is moderately important.” Either He’s everything — Lord of Lords, King of Kings — or He’s nothing. But He can’t just be something in between.

So today’s challenge is to really consider the cost. Do we take seriously what it means to follow Jesus? Are we willing to lay down our own desires, our own comfort, our own plans to follow Him? Because that’s where life is found. Not in getting everything we want, but in surrendering everything to Him.

When we take up our cross, when we put Jesus first — even ahead of ourselves — we don’t lose life. We find it.

Thanks for being with us today. Hope you have a great rest of your Monday, and we’ll pick back up tomorrow as we finish out Luke 14. See you then!