Let us read Luke 14:25-27
²⁵Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, ²⁶If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate (detest) his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple (pupil). ²⁷Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple (pupil).
We see here that many were going along with Him, but Jesus is longing for more than you just following Him.
▪︎ He wants you to become His disciples.
▪︎ He wants you to become His pupils
▪︎ He wants you to learn from Him.
But He also said
▪︎ that if we don’t detest our own life we cannot be His disciple.
▪︎ that if we don’t detest our own life we cannot learn from Him.
Well so much of thinking of yourself that you are a “somebody”
When you detest your life,
▪︎ There is nothing to be proud of.
▪︎ There is nothing to give you a reason to think that you should receive honor for anything. And saying “All honor and glory belongs to God” suddenly is much more than just some words, it gets a much deeper meaning.
Does it have that deeper meaning for you?
I heard a preacher say that he was the “Senior Pastor”.
As you know I don’t like the use of titles, and specially not this one. Let me tell you why.
Well pastor means shepherd, so he considered himself to be the shepherd above the other shepherds, so the most important shepherd. To me Jesus is the Shepherd, and above Him is nothing, specially not this man, who thought so high of himself.
To be honest,
▪︎ with this attitude you cannot even be His pupil,
▪︎ with this attitude you are not able to learn anything from the Christ!
For your ego will prevent to accept anything from what He says.
But, as Jesus said, we should take up our cross and be as dead to these things.
Colossians 3:4-6
⁴When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. ⁵Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. ⁶For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,
To become a real pupil of our Lord, we have to actively kill our ego, and put an end to all things that put ourselves on a pedestal. Meaning:
▪︎ That we should no longer seek things in this world that will make people look up to us.
▪︎ That we should no longer seek to justify ourselves, but acknowledge that we are lost without Christ’s sacrifice.
▪︎ That there is no more room for
• self-assertion,
• self-assurance,
• self-confidence,
• self-importance,
• self-righteousness,
• self-will, etc. etc.
Let us all be true pupils (disciples) of our Lord, and learn from Him, our Teacher.
Internet: harryschoemaker.nl
Or directly to: devotionals.harryschoemaker.nl
P.S. : Are you interested to read more of these kind of messages? Then follow me on Twitter: @schoemakerharry or join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/349239882338068/
About Author
