The cost of following Jesus

The Christmas story tells us of the worship, love and adoration shown to the baby Jesus by the shepherds and later the wise men, but what is our response? 

My mind immediately goes to Christina Rossetti’s carol In the bleak midwinter: 

What can I give Him, 

Poor as I am? 

If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb, 

If I were a wise man I would do my part, 

Yet what I can I give Him, 

Give my heart. 

Or more recently Chris Tomlin’s beautiful modern carol Adore: 

Wise men bring their treasures,

Shepherds bow low, 

Angel voices sing of peace on earth, 

What have I to offer To heaven’s king? 

I’ll bring my life, my love, my all. 

We’ve known from childhood that there is nothing we can give to Jesus that is of greater worth than ourselves, our hearts, our lives. It’s a sobering thought that even all the treasure in the world counts for nothing compared to our lives. That is the greatest treasure because that’s why Jesus came - to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19: 10). That was his commission and that was me until Jesus pursued and won me with his love. I was lost. 

The reality though is that to give Jesus our love, our life, our heart is incredibly costly to us because it means giving up everything – my time, my emotions, my money, my possessions, my thoughts, my words, my preferences, my opinions, my choices – everything has to be laid on the altar and for sinful people like you and me that is hard – very hard. 

Jesus gave it all up for us – glory, majesty, power and he calls us to the same path – following in his footsteps or discipleship. Jesus said, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me'. Like everything of the Christian faith that is hard, it is also worth it. 

It’s fairly easy to put our hands in our pockets with our tithes and offerings, do works of service (and I am not knocking these) but a life of yieldedness to Jesus means giving up a lot more than money and time. It’s all in. 

But the result is the greatest love affair of all time. It means walking in love with Almighty God, knowing his abundant life poured into our lives as we yield and give way to him. It’s the adventure of a lifetime. Mary, Jesus’s mother walked this path; the highest privilege and the greatest pain but when we get to see her in eternity, I am sure she will say something along the lines of 'It was worth it but don’t worry about me, worship my Son, give him your all, – he is worth everything'.