Bible Memory Verse
“And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27
“In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
Luke 14:25-35
“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said, (26 ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. (27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
(28 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and count the cost and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? (29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, (30 saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
(31 or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? (32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. (33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
(34 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? (35 It is fit neither for the soil or the manure pile; it is thrown out.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’”
1. What is a disciple?
2. What did He mean by hating father and mother when He commands us to “Honor your father and your mother”?
Exodus 20:12
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
Deuteronomy 5:16
"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
The New Testament reinforces this law:
Mark 7:9-13
“And he said to them, ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! (10 For Moses said, “Honor your father and your mother,” and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.” (11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: “Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban” (that is, a gift devoted to God), (12 then you not longer let him do anything for his father or mother. (13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.’”
Another Scripture of what Jesus means by hatred:
Matthew 10:37-39
“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; (38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
3. What is the teaching of this parable?
“Jesus did not want a blind, naïve commitment that expected only blessings.” NIV Study Bible
4. What does Jesus expect from disciples? For a fuller understanding of discipleship, read Matthew 9:35-10:39, John 15.
5. Besides being disciples themselves, what did Jesus want His disciples to do about finding disciples?
Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2
“Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Matthew 28:18-20
“Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 ad teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."”