The Road Devotional | Lent 2024

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 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. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

These are some of the harshest words that Jesus speaks. It would be easy for us to turn a deaf ear to them, but that would be a terrible mistake. Instead, we have to look beyond the specifics of Jesus’ teaching here to get to the point: it is time to move beyond your comfort and move into what God is doing next, no matter what the cost.

Q. In what aspects of your. life can you move from a place of comfort to being on the edge of the mission that God is calling you to?

We tend to think of discipleship as a low-cost opportunity to learn something and perhaps as a way to connect with friends. We don’t tend to think about the costs of what it means to truly follow and consent to God’s work in us! It requires an intentional decision to surrender everything, to let go and persevere in the journey, despite the challenges.

Q. Where have you chosen something unhealthy because it was comfortable or something familiar to you, but really doesn't help you in life?

God, help us to comprehend the depth of commitment required in following You. Grant us the strength to carry our cross, to let go when you call us to let go.

Amen.