Daily Devotional for Sunday, March 22

Jesus’ Illustration of Discipleship

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” Luke 14:28

Aaryan Shukla is a fourteen-year-old from India who holds six Guinness World Records for his exceptional mental calculation abilities. He has been called a “human calculator” or “mental calculator.” Aaryan recently stunned the world by mentally (in his mind only) adding fifty five-digit numbers that were randomly given to him in just 25.19 seconds.

Jesus wants those who would be His disciples to “do the math.” When someone says, “Do the math,” he is encouraging others to carefully examine any available evidence and think about what the most logical conclusion is. The math Jesus asks us to do does not require being a mathematical genius. Jesus wants you to ask yourself if you are willing to give up everything. Jesus knew that those who chose to follow him would suffer tribulation, persecution and even death. The teachings of Jesus Christ were not palatable to most in His day and not much has changed in our time.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

If you stand for God’s Word, you will not be able to always please men and God simultaneously. Have you counted that cost? Take the time to “do the math” of truly following Jesus in your life today.

Jonathon D. Smith