Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:37–38 Jesus is speaking here about a family member who puts pressure on you to stop following Jesus. Will you listen to Jesus who says, “Follow Me”? Or to a loved one who says, “Give Him up”? Jesus tells us how to make this decision. We must count the cost, and there are two sides to this calculation. 1. Count the cost of following Jesus “Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mat. 10:38). A cross will always be present in your life. The cross may change, but in every season there will be some cost in following Jesus. 2. Count the cost of not following Jesus “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father... but whoever denies me... I also will deny” (Mat. 10:32). One day, Jesus will return as Judge on the Day of the Lord. To some He will say, “Enter into the joy of your master” (25:23). To others He will say, “I never knew you; depart from me” (7:23). When you make your decision, make it in the light of the day of Christ’s return. When you ask, “Am I going to confess Him before men?” You must also ask, “Do I want Him to confess me before the Father?” If you follow Him, He will say of you on that day, “He’s Mine! She’s Mine!” And you, by His grace, will enter into the world of peace and love that God has prepared for all who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? And of not following Him?
