Paying the Price

Looking through some old photos recently reminded me of a grand adventure several years ago exploring some of the Ohio Amish country. That adventure included a buggy ride. I copied this photo from the Yoder Amish Home web site to show where we rode.

The area where we rode was surrounded by ragweed. Lots of ragweed. And being highly allergic to ragweed, I paid a price for that buggy ride. Drippy nose. Swollen eyes. Lots of tissues. Feeling - and looking - pretty miserable.

That's the price of a buggy ride.

For the nine years we lived in the mountains of western North Carolina, we lived in the log home at the top of a mountain, and we had amazing views.

We enjoyed some spectacular sunsets when we lived there.

There was a downside to all that beauty. The only access to our mountain home was a very steep gravel road, and going up and down that road in winter could be treacherous.

That was the price we had to pay for those beautiful views.

We all understand the concept of paying the price, at least in theory. When we go to the supermarket or the department store, and find an item we want, we check the price of the item, and then must decide if we are willing to pay that price. Whether it's bananas or steak or coffee or shoes, we check the price and determine if we are willing to pay that price. In every case, there's a price that must be paid.

There is a price to pay for everything.  There are always consequences.

That is true for beautiful mountain views and for buggy rides in fields of ragweed. It is true for the choices we make about how to spend our money and the choices we make concerning food.

Every election season, every candidate who choses to run for office must also face the same reality. Every candidate for President of the United States must be willing to pay the price. The price to be paid for being a candidate is that everything you say or do, and everything you have ever said or done, is open to scrutiny by the press and the public. And whichever of the candidates succeeds in being elected to office will continue to face that kind of scrutiny, whether fairly or unfairly. It's the price of presidential politics in our culture.

Jesus had something to say about counting the cost. He said, "Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost?"  (Luke 14:28 ESV).  In this passage in Luke 14, Jesus was talking about the cost of discipleship. The cost of being a follower of Jesus Christ. Yes, salvation is a free gift.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."  (Ephesians 2:8 ESV)  

Salvation is a free gift, but there is a cost to discipleship. A cost to following Jesus. And we must consider the cost, Jesus said.  

Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.  Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple."  (Luke 14:28-29 ESV)

Jesus said, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."  (John 15:18 ESV)

Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world."  (John 16:33 ESV)

Being a follower of Jesus Christ, especially in our culture, comes with a price tag. There may be ridicule.  You may lose your friends. Or your job. Or, as it is in many parts of the world, you might lose more than that. You might even lose your life.

Jesus paid it all for you.

Salvation is a free gift. Discipleship is a costly pursuit.

Are you willing to pay the price of being His disciple?