We’ve asked from time to time in this blog, what happened to the “massive crowds” that followed Jesus? There were only 120 in the Upper Room in Acts 1. Here’s one answer:

As massive crowds followed Jesus, he turned to them and said, “When you follow me as my disciple, you must put aside your father, your mother, your wife, your sisters, your brothers—yes, you will even seem as though you hate your own life. This is the price you’ll pay to be considered one of my followers. And anyone who comes to me must be willing to share my cross and experience it as his own, or he cannot be considered to be my disciple. So don’t follow me without considering what it will cost you. For who would construct a house before first sitting down to estimate the cost to complete it? Otherwise he may lay the foundation and not be able to finish. The neighbors will ridicule him, saying,  Look at him! He started to build but was unable to finish. (Luke 14.25 – 29, Passion Translation NT)

The answer? “Don’t follow me without considering what it will cost you.” Compare my career in the Air Force. My life certainly was not my own. I did put aside father, mother, wife (of only two years!)…and went to Turkey for a year by myself back in 1970. You can’t join the Air Force casually. Or the Clemson football team. Or Microsoft, for that matter.  Jesus can’t be an add-on.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9.23, NIV)