The Cost of Discipleship

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of my heroes, he didn't just write about living a sacrificial life, he did it. He didn't talk about following Jesus, he did it. He didn't compromise what he though, he stood up and defended truth (though it was costly), and yet he still was a professor, father and church leader.

His book "the cost of discipleship" is what I nicked this blog title from.

However, he wasn't the first person to talk about the cost of discipleship.

 ¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” ²⁰ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” ²¹ Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
 ²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

[Matthew 8:19-22]

Here two people want to follow Jesus and he warns them of the cost. The price of finding the kingdom of heaven.

It may seam at this point so costly that there could be no reason to follow the path of discipleship but there is still more.

 ⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.   ⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

[Matthew 13: 44-45]

Discipleship involves following Jesus, following his steps and his path really did cost him everything. However, in return we gain everything. To buy the field the man had to first sell everything, to buy the greatest pearl he had to first sell all the lesser pearls.

Discipleship costs.