Luke 14 shows us God’s salvation, which brings us the enjoyment of the jubilee in this age. Then this chapter goes on to reveal the requirements for the enjoyment of the jubilee in the coming age, that is, the requirements for entering into the kingdom during the millennium. As we shall see, the Lord’s word concerning this in 14:25-35 is strong.
Luke 14:25 and 26 say, “Now great crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and moreover, his own soul life also, he cannot be My disciple.” In verses 26 through 33 the Lord unveils to the crowds going along with Him the cost of following Him. To receive salvation is to be saved (13:23); to follow the Lord is to enjoy Him as the blessing of God’s salvation. This requires us to renounce all, even our life, and to carry our own cross (vv. 27, 33).
We may think that the Lord Jesus teaches us only to love. But in verse 26 He teaches us to hate. This is not religion; this is a matter in God’s economy. According to the Lord’s word here, we should hate those we love, not those we do not love. Especially we need to hate ourselves, even our own soul life.
What we love in ourselves is not mainly our spirit or body but our soul. For example, you may go to a restaurant not because you love your body, but because you love your soul and want to enjoy life, which is to enjoy your soul. Actually, all forms of amusement, entertainment, and pleasures are for the enjoyment of the soul. In 14:26 the Lord clearly says that if we do not hate our own soul life, we cannot be His disciples. We have received God’s salvation, but we must fulfill the requirement in verse 26 in order to receive the reward.
In verse 27 the Lord goes on to say, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.” The aim of the cross is not suffering; it is the termination of the person. The believers in Christ have been crucified (terminated) with Him (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:6). After being organically united with Him through faith, they should remain on the cross, keeping their old man in the termination of the cross (Rom. 6:3; Col. 2:20). This is to carry their own cross. Christ carried the cross first and then was crucified (John 19:17-18). But the believers in Him have been crucified first and then carry the cross so that they may remain in the termination of their old man. In this way the believers experience and enjoy Christ as their life and life supply.
We need to be impressed with the fact that to carry our own cross means that we remain on the cross and keep our old man in the termination of the cross. Christ has already crucified us. As believers, we have received Christ and have been organically united with Him. Since we are organically united with Christ, we certainly can participate in His crucifixion. As we remain in this crucifixion, this termination, we carry our own cross and experience and enjoy Christ as our jubilee.