Those who Can't Be My Disciples
By Trevor Davis
2-19-2020

Jesus deals with basic foundational things that people forgot, neglected, or never knew. Jesus speaks quite a bit about those He calls to follow Him but they come up with excuses. They say they bought land, or oxen, perhaps married a wife, or wish to bury a dead father, even say good bye to their physical family.

But Jesus says the one He calls if they put their hand to the plow in starting to follow Him, then look back, they are unfit for the Kingdom of God. That is a basic right there.

The Lord indeed walks through the land by the Holy Spirit drawing men to Himself. He calls out, “Come follow Me”. He draws them by the Spirit. But they have a long list of things they prefer over following Jesus totally. They may partially become acquainted with Him by doing religious things, even studying or listening to others who studied about the Lord. But they will not deny themselves and follow Jesus. Yet, they think they are disciples of Jesus. That is self-deception.

Jesus said there are those He called who excuse themselves due to various things they esteemed more pressing. He says, “they can not be My disciple.” His illustration shows His anger actually. He tells His servants to go out in the highways and byways and compel the broken people such as the blind, lame, poor and down right outcasts to come in to the Kingdom. Jesus says those who had their list of priorities over following Him would not eat of His supper in the Kingdom of God.

Jesus tells us if a person does not “despise” their father, mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, in preference to loving Jesus, they can not be His disciple. He likened it to a person starting to build a tower and only getting half finished. They will be mocked, He said. So, there are many who start this religious trek of being a Christian, only to veer off the path for some other pursuit of the world.

Jesus says you have to love Him more than your own life. Jesus says you have to leave off your possessions in order to follow Him. If you don't, or won't, “you can not be My Disciple”, He says.

Jesus likens this to salt. Salt is good. But if the salt looses its saltness or savor, it is good for nothing. There is no value to bland salt, not for the field, not for the dunghill, but to be thrown out!

This is the graphic reality Jesus speaks. This is one of many censored things the false leaders will not tell the members of their churches. But I am telling you this right now. If you are one who thinks you hear Jesus calling you to follow Him, you better do it, and do it absolutely completely. There is no such thing as half way discipleship. You must love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.

And in the new eternal covenant by the blood of Jesus, you must love Jesus more than anyone, your own self, your things, and carry your own cross. Jesus says “come after Me”. No more excuses. There can be none. Not to say goodbye. Not to bury the dead, “let the dead bury the dead”, Jesus says. Wow. Jesus has a vital perspective on everything. It is high time to be educated in the Lord and learn His ways and judgments, the way He views things. Or, you will find yourself rejected by the Master Jesus. The one and only Teacher. Matthew 23:8; 1 John 2:27. The one and only Leader. Mt. 23:10.

To follow Jesus is to follow Jesus. Learn from Him. Seek Him. Obey Him. The Lord is My Shepherd.