Luke 14:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

NIV: In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

NASB: So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.

CSB: In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

NLT: So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

KJV: So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

NKJV: So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Jesus is explaining to a crowd what will be required for His disciples. Jesus-followers must love Him more than their own families and even more than their own lives. They must carefully consider whether they are willing to make that sacrifice (Luke 14:25–32).

Now, Jesus tacks on one last, all-encompassing requirement: Jesus-followers must be willing to give up all they have.

The parable of the great feast touched on this. A man invited many people to a banquet. When the day of the feast came, everyone declined. One said he had just bought a field; another said he had to inspect his new oxen; a third had recently married. The point of the parable is that those who over-value what they have on earth will not take the time to consider the earthly sacrifices life in the kingdom of God entail (Luke 14:15–24).

This is not the first time Jesus has touched on this theme. He's talked about how His disciples need to be willing to do without wealth (Luke 12:13–21), food and clothing necessary to live (Luke 12:22–30), and money and possessions (Luke 12:33).

This verse doesn't mean we have to sell everything we own and give the money to the poor. It means we need to release our love of our possessions in our hearts, recognizing that what we own has always belonged to God. We must agree that we are stewards commissioned to use all our resources and abilities as God wishes us to. That may mean to give it all away, to use it for ministry, or to meet others' needs.

Next, Luke includes a curious comment about salt. The gist is this: we need to count the cost of following Jesus. Those who start strong but do not continue a life of submission to Him aren't useful citizens in the kingdom of God.

Luke 14:25–33 continues Jesus' lessons on who will experience the kingdom of God. Humble, generous, and responsive people will receive God's blessings (Luke 14:1–24). Those who would be Jesus' disciples must count the cost of dedicating their lives to Him and make sure they're willing to pay it. Entering God's kingdom is free, but being a useful citizen takes sacrifice. This section on the cost of discipleship resembles Matthew 10:37–38.

A Pharisee invites Jesus to a formal dinner. There, Jesus teaches lessons using invitations and feasts as a theme. These emphasize humility and the importance of not making excuses. After the dinner, Jesus warns that those who seek to follow Him will experience hardship. Believers should "count the cost" and understand what aspects of this world they may have to give up.

Luke 14 continues Jesus' doctrinal march to Jerusalem and the cross. Luke 14 and 15 contain the second grouping of one miracle and a series of discussions about the kingdom of God and salvation; Luke 13:10–35 is the first. Next will be a collection of warnings about rejecting God's kingdom (Luke 16:1—17:10) and two more sets of lessons about the kingdom and salvation, each beginning with a single miracle (Luke 17:11—18:34; 18:35—19:27). After this comes Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.