Defining a Disciple is an important thing.

I looked up on “the Google” the word “Traveler” and it says, “anyone who goes on a journey or frequently moves from place to place – it can broadly refer to tourists, commuters, business professionals, or people relocating”

Then I looked up the word “Disciple” on that information storehouse…

“a dedicated follower, student, or learner who adheres to and helps spread the teachings of another person or master”

In Luke 14, while eating at the house of a “leading Pharisee” on the Sabbath, Jesus tells a story of a man giving a banquet who invited many but people didn’t come, they had many excuses. That man told his servants, go into the highways and hedges and make them come in so that my house will be filled.

At the end of that encounter, then he is traveling and 14:25 says – Great crowds were Traveling WITH him. So, he turned and said to them…

Then Jesus defines a disciple by what they are and are not. My thought then is, “are we Disciples or just Travelers?”

That Greek word translated “traveling” is symporeuomai = to go with, journey together. It looks like and is the root word where we get our word “Sympathy”. Jesus is asking this “great crowds” – polys = many… “are you just sympathetic toward me, or are you my disciples?”

Now looking at that Google definition for the word “traveler”, are we just “spiritual tourists” or a Disciple? I’ve been a tourist many times. Tourists are there to see what’s happening, what has happened. Are we just “commuters”, heading somewhere else on the same path, but going to a different destination or for a different reason? Are we just “Professional Followers”, are we just “relocating”, or are we Disciples?

Then Jesus throws out several defining questions / statements that define a disciple in the end of Luke 14:

• They “hate” other relationships compared to Jesus. If not, he cannot be my disciple.
• Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple
• a disciple must Count the Cost – “Calculate” the CSB renders it, meaning giving careful thought o what must happen, what it will cost, and lay up the needed resources for completion. If not, other will say, “he started, but wasn’t able to finish the building.”
• a disciple must understand and prepare for the battle instead of giving up and “making peace” with the enemy
• If you don’t renounce all possessions, you cannot be my disciple
• Then, he says, as “salt” – don’t lose your “taste”. That word, = moraino = to be foolish, become tasteless. If we do, we aren’t being his disciple

Well, Jesus, what do you really think?

Think for a minute –

• Salt without flavor is truly useless, what’s the point? It isn’t even useful for soil or fertilizer, so just pitch it – Don’t just be a Traveler
• Other relationships have their place, but if they get in the way of following Jesus, you are just a Traveler, not a Disciple. You are just watching what might happen but not looking for life change.
• If you aren’t prepared to invest in the life of Christ, you might clear some land, lay some building materials, but not build the household of faith. That’s just a traveler who went, but had nothing to show for it.
• If you aren’t preparing for battle, you will make peace with the enemy; and his terms of “peace” are total surrender – if you think you “saved your life” you still lost it all – you relocated to the enemy’s realm.
• If you hold on to all your “stuff” but not Jesus, what will you have in the final accounting? You can’t take that stuff with you. Lay it down don’t be a professional traveler.
• But the Most Radical Thing he says is v27 – whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Think about that… How would they have heard that statement? In that day, they didn’t know Jesus was going to die on a cross and then when he did they didn’t understand the “why”.

But they knew, in the Roman World, that anyone condemned by the Romans for an awful crime or sedition – they were humiliated, stripped bare, forced to carry their cross of execution, then they were nailed on that cross in a public place for all to see.

Think about all of those definitions of what is NOT a disciple – The one who takes up the cross is all those things combined –

• all their worldly possessions were gone
• their family was of no value
• their taste was gone
• they were defeated
• they had no control

All of the OTHER statements are wrapped up in this one statement in v27 – Lay it all down and follow me

Are we “Tourists” – just came to see, take some pictures, get some souvenirs?

Are we “Commuters” heading somewhere else, but just traveling near Jesus?

Are we “Professional” Church folks?

Are we “Relocating”?

OR

Are we Disciples of Jesus Christ, laying everything else down to Follow, totaling humiliated, dead to everything else, counting the cost, and willing to bear it all to come after, that’s a Disciple, of Jesus?

“Our Lord never proclaimed a ‘Cause’; he proclaimed personal devotion to Himself.” – Oswald Chambers