“So therefore whoever he be of you who does not renounce all that he has, he cannot be my disciple.”

Looking back therefore at the two examples of what discipleship will cost in terms of loss of family and of all their past life, and in terms of the possible hardness of the way (Luke 14:26), each one must now choose whether he will renounce all and follow Jesus, or whether he will not, for if he will not he cannot be Jesus' disciple.

The choice is given to us too. In some ways it is not as stark. Most of us are not called on to leave everything (although for some it may happen). Yet in other ways it is more difficult, for hourly, daily, weekly and monthly we have to renew our surrender and recommit our lives and all our time and all our possessions to Him, so that we might be good stewards, not counting anything that we have and are as our own. It is a daily ‘crucifixion' that is required of us.

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