when we consider what Christ sacrificed on our behalf, how He bore the cross that we couldn’t bear ourselves, and how He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God, it is of little cost and great assurance that we have chosen a greater treasure in clinging to Jesus.
Every morning here at the Songtime office we meet as a staff to pray. One of the requests that I offer every day is that God would make us good stewards of our time, our talents, and our treasures.
Stewardship is not a popular topic. It makes us feel uneasy, yet it is at the heart of discipleship. While Jesus talks a lot about how to love our neighbor and worship God, He spends a great deal of time discussing money and stewardship. It’s as if He knows how to get our attention, test the authenticity of our faith, and cut to the heart of our affections.
An Upside Down Economy
Jesus turns the economy on its head when He declares that the poor will inherit the kingdom of God and the rich will become destitute (Luke 6:20-26). He invites the little children into His loving embrace, “For of such belongs the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:15-17) while sending away a rich man seeking an inheritance in heaven, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:18-30). After sharing dinner with a Pharisee, Jesus scolds His host for climbing the social ladder, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:7-11). He rejects the self-righteousness of the Pharisees who think they are better than the tax collectors (Luke 18:9-14) and then goes ahead and forgives Zacchaeus, one of the most corrupt tax collectors around (Luke 19:1-10).
The contrast is disorienting. This is why stewardship is such a difficult subject to discuss. No one wants to be told to sell all of their possessions and give them to the poor. If that is what it takes to be a disciple, then there is no wonder the door to heaven is narrow (Luke 13:22-30).
Counting the Costs
Jesus didn’t hide the costs of being His disciple by burying it in the small print of the terms and conditions. Jesus told His followers upfront that the journey would be difficult and lonely, (“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” - Luke 9:58), that it would take personal sacrifice, (“Leave the dead to bury their own dead” - Luke 9:60), and that there would be no option to return (“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” - Luke 9:62). Jesus attempts to turn the crowds of would-be followers away by declaring, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:25-33).
Those who were with Him until the end thought they were willing to pay the price. Peter points out, “See, we have left our homes and followed you” (Luke 18:28). Jesus commended them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30). Yet even those who were closest to Jesus didn’t have pure intentions. Twice they debated amongst themselves who was the greatest (Luke 9:46-48, 22:24-30).
Those who would follow Jesus need to consider the price: “Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28). Are we really willing to sacrifice everything for the kingdom of God?
Investing Wisely
Jesus tells the parable of a rich man who had a surprisingly abundant harvest one year. He decided to tear down his barns and build new ones. With his riches before him he declared, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry” (Luke 12:19). Little did he know that he would die that very night and leave his treasures behind.
This world will pass away. Invest in something that is eternal. Seek God’s kingdom and trust that our heavenly Father will provide all the things that we need in this life (Luke 12:22-34).
- W. Tozer, in the second chapter of his book, The Pursuit of God, entitled, “The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing,” says, “Everything is safe which we commit to Him, and nothing is really safe which is not so committed.”
We are conditioned to hold on tightly to the things that we treasure most. That’s why Jesus’ call to discipleship is so heavy, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Yet, when we consider what Christ sacrificed on our behalf, how He bore the cross that we couldn’t bear ourselves, and how He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God, it is of little cost and great assurance that we have chosen a greater treasure in clinging to Jesus.