The Cost of Following Jesus
Jesus’s words and works amazed people. In Matthew 7:28, it says, “The people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority.” His words were absolutely unique. In John 7:46, Roman soldiers said, “Never a man spoke like this man.” His words were amazing, and so was his power. He healed a leper and a centurion’s servant with just his word. At Peter’s house, he healed all diseases—instantly, completely. He moved everywhere, removing sickness throughout Palestine during his ministry. We will see how he even stilled the waves. In Luke 8:25, they said, “What kind of man is this? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey him!”
His dominance over demons shocked them. When he cast out a demon in Matthew 9:33, it says, “The multitudes marveled, saying, ‘It was never so seen in Israel.'” He literally overwhelmed them. Everything about him was astounding—his words, his works, his wisdom, his holiness. Everything about him was humanly inexplicable, marvelous, superhuman, supernatural, and divine. And they saw it all. Is it any wonder, then, that in Mark 6:6, it says, “Jesus marveled at their unbelief”? How could people be exposed to such an infinite number of convincing credentials that he is God and they must believe him, give their lives to him, and obey everything he says, and still walk away with indifference?
For many, this is a result of self-deception and a willful love of sin. In John 3:19, it says, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.” Many people just love their sinful lives. They live in unbelief, defying the evidence and clinging to their evil. They run the other way from the light.
But there is another category of people who see Jesus’s attractiveness. They see his power and the benefits and blessings that come from him, and they are attracted to that. They don’t repent of their sins or experience a new birth. They don’t leave everything behind. Instead, they selfishly seek the benefits they can get from Jesus. They are thrill-seekers who come to him. They may claim to be born again and say, “We follow Jesus.” They are attracted by the wonder of his person, but they are just as lost as the ones who turn and run from the light. We are going to meet three of these people in this passage.
These are superficial disciples, and we see three types:
- Comfort-seeking disciples: These disciples want a comfortable life, a life of luxury, a life without tension. They want peace, joy, and comfort, which are not wrong in themselves. However, they selfishly seek these things, using Jesus as a means to get them. You don’t come to Jesus primarily for comfort in this world. You come as a sinner, poor in spirit, and mourning for your sins. These people don’t come like that; they come for comfort.
- Wealth-seeking disciples: These are disciples who want worldly riches. They are pulled in the direction of wealth and want to be Jesus’s disciples at the same time. They want to serve both God and money.
- Fame-seeking disciples: These disciples want worldly fame and a good name. They are worried about what society thinks of them and are very fearful of what their relatives, friends, neighbors, and colleagues will say. Yet, they also want to follow Jesus.
We meet these three kinds of superficial disciples here. Matthew includes two, and Luke adds another. These are very important verses for self-examination. When the Lord was performing all these miracles and healings, people should not assume that all the people he healed were saved and that his primary ministry was healing. The Gospels record again and again that although he did so many miracles, they did not believe in him for their souls. Their bodies may have been healed, but they went to hell. What is the use of such a ministry? These people were only interested in the physical miracles and the food he gave; they were not interested in saving their souls. Matthew inserts these verses between the miracles to show that many people will come to Jesus because of his attractiveness, looking at his miracles and words, and will even profess to believe in him. However, they will not be true disciples or be ready to pay the price.
So these verses teach us the cost of being a true disciple of Jesus. It is not easy to follow Jesus. It is not comfortable; it is very difficult. There is a price we have to pay. Only a true, born-again disciple, who is enabled by the grace of God, will be able to pay. As Jesus said, the path to life is narrow, and many will try to enter but will not be able to. Multitudes will try, but they will not be able to pay the price. We see three superficial disciples here, and the Holy Spirit has written about them so we can examine ourselves. Are we truly God’s elect? Do we have true faith? Will our valuable souls be saved in the end, or are we deceiving ourselves by being superficial disciples?
I know we are not comfortable with self-examination, but all the saints tell us that it is the only way to come out of deception. We are very careful to examine all worldly things before we believe in them. We examine a piece of land or an item of gold before we buy it, but when it comes to our souls, we often think, “It’s fine.” That is a dangerous mindset. Let’s allow these verses to speak to our conscience, and may God open our hearts to us through them.
Verse 18: “When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.”
Jesus healed everyone, and naturally, the crowd got larger and larger. Maybe he was healing all night, and in the morning, the crowd grew even more. They were on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. The crowd was becoming so massive that the Lord was physically weary. He had not rested since the Sabbath. In fact, on the boat ride across, he fell asleep down in the hull of the boat on the wooden planks, not even realizing there was a storm. He needed time for prayer and rest. He could not handle the pressure anymore, and it was not God’s plan for his health to be spoiled. So he said, “I think we’d better leave and go to a new place.” He commanded them to depart to the other side.
When he began to leave, there was a lot of excitement. Some people had to make a decision: would they follow him or not? They might not see him again. In fact, Mark tells us that when he went in his small boat, a bunch of other small boats followed behind him like a little fleet. So some people were at a crucial point of decision: Do I get in the boat or do I stay? What do I do? We meet three of these people in our lesson today.
He was leaving the city of Capernaum, where he had spent so much time and performed so many miracles. But what was the result of his ministry there? Were any people saved? Did anyone give their life to him and become a lifelong disciple? Matthew shows that it produced two kinds of effects and created two kinds of superficial, or “loose,” disciples. One was this scribe who, at the prospect of losing the Master from his side, hurried in an emotional rush and expressed a commitment. The other had the exact opposite reaction. At the prospect of losing sight of Christ, he began to think that there were imperative duties at home that would prevent him from following the Master and said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Another person says he will follow, but has to go and say goodbye to their family and follow him with their blessings and approval. These three men, then, represent the millions of superficial disciples who claim to follow Christ even today. We have to examine ourselves before God and ask, “Lord, am I one of them?”
Let’s look at the first superficial disciple: the comfort seeker.
I tried to preach on all three but struggled and couldn’t. We will see the first one today and finish the other two next week. The first man was so interested, but he never came to true salvation because, for him, personal comfort was more important than Christ.
Verse 19: “Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.'”
This is a wonderful commitment, and guess what? He is a scribe! The scribes were the authorities on the law. They were the ones who had the official sanction in the Pharisees. The scribes were qualified by Jewish authority to teach. They were highly educated teachers whom everyone followed. They were not followers of teachers, and they were generally hostile to Christ. They generally joined the Pharisees in their antagonism and opposition, so when you get a scribe who leaves his entire group and promises to follow Christ, it’s amazing. See how he commits to follow Christ.
First, this was a very respectful statement. The scribe addressed the Lord as “Master.” “Master,” or didaskalos, which means teacher or rabbi. What respect! When all of his group considered Jesus a blasphemer, this was not a flippant statement; there was no lack of reverence. He evidently looked up to the great Miracle-worker who had been healing the sick in the streets on that long evening and called him “Master.” I’m sure the scribe thought Jesus was the greatest teacher he had ever heard. They all marveled at that.
See his earnestness: “Master, I will follow You wherever You go.” What a firm affirmation! His words are earnest, hearty, and enthusiastic. He is on fire. You can see the earnestness on his face. And from a scribe, too, a man of pens and ink, a calm, quiet, lettered man who was an expert in the law and spoke in a very calm and calculated way. To see him on fire is truly remarkable. This is a sign of a new believer. I remember how on fire I was when I came to Christ. He died for my sins, and I was ready to say, “Lord, I will leave my studies, future, parents, relatives, property, and even marriage. Jesus is enough. I will follow wherever he goes.” Sometimes new believers are so cold. They claim to believe in Christ, but if they don’t burn at first, what will they do afterward? Even more, we can bear with a lack of passion, but not coldness. He is hot.
See his actions: He was very spontaneous and ready. Nobody seems to have pressured him to become a follower of Christ. He saw Christ’s words and works and did not delay, but made haste to declare his allegiance. The Savior was going down to the boat and about to leave the multitude, and the scribe might not have seen him again. So, at the risk of being intrusive, he came to Jesus, stopped him, and said, “Master, I will follow you wherever you go.” We like to see this readiness in those who have newly come to Christ.
Not only were his earnestness and actions right, but his words were also perfect. His words were very resolute: “Master, I will follow you.” He says, “I will follow you.” There is no “if,” no “but.” There is no “I feel,” “I think,” or “I hope and trust so.” Instead, he says, “Master, I have decided that whoever else may hesitate and all the Pharisees and scribes may be against you, I will follow you. I am determined, whatever others may do, that I will be your follower. I will follow you.” Wow, how good! People like this are the ones who can go to heaven, for only he who is resolute and determined will take the kingdom of heaven. Our Lord said, “The violent take it by force.” We are glad to see the strong determination and the firm decision of a clear-cut man who comes right out from his old associates and says with all his heart and soul, “Master, I will follow you.”
There were no reservations or conditions. His declaration was very unreserved: “I will follow you wherever you go.” “If you go to sea, I will go with you. If you land on the other side, or go into the forest or desert, where you will be confronted by men possessed by devils, I will follow you wherever you go.” “I will unconditionally and continuously follow you wherever you go. You have me for good.” What a tremendous statement of dedication and permanent commitment. It reminds me of Ruth’s commitment to Naomi: “Wherever you go, I will go, your people will be my people, your God my God, where you die, I will die, and where you are buried, I will be buried.” There is something of the unreserved loyalty of Peter when he said, “Lord, I am ready to go with you, both into prison, and to death.” So this scribe makes no exception of any kind; he says, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
Wow, his earnestness, his actions, and his words were all right. He says it to the right person. The Son of God, who came down from all glory to suffer and save us. He is the only hope. He deserves the thanksgiving of heaven and all of the earth. This world exists today for his Gospel. All people should be thankful because he is worthy. He alone deserves to get this statement. Is this not what Jesus has a right to expect of us? Will he ever be satisfied with less than this? He doesn’t want nominal or cold disciples. Is this not what the Holy Spirit would work in us, that we should follow the great Master wherever he goes? Is this not the one thing lacking in the current age and in the present church, which is filled with nominal Christians—the lack of fidelity to Christ in everything and the failure to follow him? In Revelation 14:4, the life of the glorified saints is described as, “These are they who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.”
But this man had the right earnestness, actions, and words. If I had been there, I would have rolled out the red carpet and welcomed him, saying, “Come, elect of God!” But the Lord is wiser than us. He doesn’t just see actions and words; his piercing eyes know every person’s heart. Oh, if only this man had meant it in its highest spiritual sense, what a blessing would have rested upon him!
Our blessed Master is not deceived by glitter; he looks for gold. He does not seem to answer this man’s words. You will notice that throughout the Gospels, Christ often does not reply to people’s words. You and I have to do that, but Jesus reads their thoughts, and he answers their thoughts rather than their words. He read this man’s thoughts, and in his reply, he reveals what he thought. We, too, can read his thoughts, reflected in the reply Jesus gave him: “The foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Verse 20: “Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'”
What’s this? “Foxes? How did they get into this?” This is a proverbial saying. It simply means that he doesn’t have the basic comforts of life that even wild animals have.
In John 7, it says, “Every man went to his own house, and Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.” He didn’t have a house, and he spent the night lying on the ground in prayer with his Father. In Luke 8, it lists the dear ladies who were hospitable to him. It often tells us that he stayed in the little house of Lazarus in Bethany. He didn’t have any personal comforts or worldly possessions.
Foxes were abundant in those days. We see in Judges that they have holes in the ground and burrows from one place to another where they hunt for frogs, rabbits, pigs, and eggs. They sometimes spoil fruits and vineyards. Similarly, birds build nests to protect themselves from the weather and enemies.
But this is the first time the term “Son of Man” appears in Matthew’s Gospel. The “Son of Man” first appears in Daniel 7:13. Daniel prophesied that the Messiah would be the Son of Man, and Jesus came and said, “I’m the Son of Man.” Jesus uses it eighty times in the Gospels! Jesus affirmed that he was the Son of Man. What is it? It’s a term of humiliation. “Son of God” speaks of deity; “Son of Man” speaks of his humiliation. He is saying, “In my humiliation, I don’t even have what foxes have. I don’t even have what birds have.” In his humiliation, he did not have the basic comforts of life. And if you’re going to follow him, don’t follow him to get those comforts. Instead, you’re going to have to be willing to give them up. His followers must share his wandering life. “Are you ready for that?”
There is so much pity and sadness in his words. It is sad that he compares his comforts to those of foxes and birds and that they have more comforts. We compare our lives to those of rich people and say how nice their lives are. Here, the Son of Man, who came down so low, envies foxes and birds because they have more comforts. How much lower did our sin bring the divine Son of God? Foxes and birds had better comforts. He didn’t have a place to lay his head. We not only have a place, but we have rooms in a house with two or three bedrooms to lay our heads. How much we should hate ourselves and love the Son of God!
As the Son of Man in his humiliated state, he wandered from place to place. There was no room, no place, even to lay his head and rest for a while. When he was born, he didn’t have a place to lay his head. He was born in a rented stable and cradled in a manger. He lived and grew up in utter poverty. In his ministry, we see that they would not allow him into some towns. Judea would reject him, Galilee would cast him out, and Gadara would beg him to leave. The whole of Israel cried, “Crucify him.” The Romans decided to crucify him. Finally, the earth would not have him, and even heaven would forsake him. He had no place to lay his head. Living, he had no home; and dying, he was buried in a borrowed grave.
Second Corinthians 8:9 says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Oh, my Christ, how poor I made you. The scribe should figure out the cost. Let him consider what discipleship implies. Jesus didn’t have anything to offer this man. “Why did he bring that up?” you might ask. Because he could read the man’s mind and knew what his hang-up was. Scribes had a rich and luxurious life, were well paid, and had a relaxed life of sitting and reading, with no hard work, bending, or toiling. The man was saying, “Man, my life is full and rich, and I have all I want, and my lifestyle satisfies me, and I just want to add you to my lifestyle. I will come with my luxurious lifestyle with you. I want this to increase more and more, and maybe with your popularity, my comforts will increase. Whatever I have, sickness will come and spoil it someday, so as a disciple, you can heal me, and I can enjoy all the comforts in this world. Finally, as a disciple, I want to go to heaven and escape hell.”
For this man, his worldly comforts were more important than Christ. He wanted to use Christ as a means to increase his comfort. That is why he had come to Christ; there was no repentance or mourning for sins. We learn this from Christ’s reply. And from this man’s bold and outspoken style, we can see there may have been much self-interest in what he said, as he was seeking comfort. I wonder if this man thought, “Well, now, I am a scribe. If I join that company, I will be a leader. I perceive that they are only fishermen for the most part, and if I come among them, I will be a great acquisition to that little band. I shall, no doubt, be the secretary.” Also, their idea of the Messiah was political. He had an idea that Jesus really was the Messiah and that following him, he would be joining someone who would be a great King and who would have a splendid entourage. So if he cast his lot with him, he would no doubt sit on one of the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
esus’s miracles in Jerusalem were not a cause for him to commit to the people, but the opposite. He knew their faith was “shallow, superficial, and thrill-seeking.” He knew their commitment was based on emotion, ignorance, and self-reliance, not on a deep, abiding faith. This is a powerful lesson on the difference between true and false discipleship.
The Cause of False Discipleship
The scribe who came to Jesus after the festival of miracles was a prime example of a false disciple. He saw the excitement and the crowds and said, “Master, I will follow you wherever you go.” His vow was flawed in three ways:
- Emotionalism: The scribe’s commitment was sudden and based on the emotional high of a miracle meeting. Today’s Christianity is often plagued by this, with emotional appeals, music, and sensationalism replacing the sober, honest call to discipleship. Jesus, however, rejects this kind of commitment and makes people count the cost.
- Ignorance: The man was completely unaware of the cost of following Jesus. He didn’t know that the Son of God had no place to lay His head. He was like a soldier who sees the glittering uniform but not the bloody battles. Jesus refuses to let anyone follow Him based on a misunderstanding of what it means to be a disciple.
- Self-Reliance: The man’s vow was filled with a confident “I will,” with no mention of reliance on God’s grace. This self-reliant attitude is a spiritual poison that leads to a great fall. Just as Simon Peter, who boasted that he would never deny Jesus, failed when tested, so too will those who rely on their own strength.
These three factors are the curse of modern Christianity. When a person’s faith is built on emotion, ignorance, and self-will, it will inevitably collapse. The church becomes filled with people who have made a vow they cannot keep. They remain nominal Christians, bringing no fruit to the kingdom of God and becoming a burden to the church.
A Test of True Conversion
True conversion is not about saying the right words but about making a genuine covenant with Christ. It’s a commitment to follow Him “wherever He goes,” to put nothing—not even family, wealth, or comfort—before Him. A true disciple understands that Christian life is a life of following Christ’s footsteps.
How do you know if your conversion is true?
- Do you have an earnest desire to follow Christ? Do you see progress in your spiritual life? Or are you standing in the same place you were years ago?
- Are you willing to submit to His Word? A true disciple does not “kick at” the difficult truths in the Bible. They don’t try to make it conform to their desires. Instead, they say, “I am Christ’s disciple, and I will accept whatever He teaches me.”
- Are you willing to count the cost? Jesus makes it clear that discipleship is not easy. It involves sacrifice and self-denial. A person’s conversion is tested when the “blazing sun of the price to be paid” shines down on them. A true disciple will not quit when it gets hard. They know that the cost is worth it because of the reward.
This is a test of true conversion. A false conversion is often driven away by the very things that should draw a true believer to Christ—His poverty, His suffering, and His self-denial. True disciples, like Moses, count the “reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.”
The Foundation of a New Life
Genuine faith is not a matter of a single, emotional decision; it is a profound work of the Holy Spirit. No one can come to Christ unless the Father draws them. True conversion is a new birth, an act of God through His living and enduring Word. Without this, any vow to follow Christ is just a dead promise.
This is why we should not be too eager to baptize and welcome new members into the church. We should take the time to teach them the full truth of the gospel, including the difficulties and sacrifices involved. We must let them count the cost and give them a chance to see if their commitment is genuine. A fire made of paper crackles quickly and dies out, but a fire made of coal takes longer to ignite and burns for much longer. We need to focus on making disciples who are the “stuff of which Christ’s soldiers are made.”
The ultimate question is, are you willing to take Jesus and all the consequences that come with following Him? Are you willing to say, “Yes, after every consideration has had due weight with me, if Jesus will have me, I will follow Him wherever He goes”? If your heart says yes, it is not the voice of nature but the cry of grace. God, in His mercy, has reached you. May you trust Him tonight and make this your birthright in Christ.
Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Bangalore 