Jesus had something to say to the large crowds following him. They needed to know that following him came at a high price. Tolls did not exist on Roman roads. Jesus did not charge a fee to listen to him. No record exists showing he took an offering from anyone. However, there was a price to be paid to follow Jesus. They needed to be prepared. The price was full dedication and allegiance.
According to Matthew 10:37, Jesus said almost the same words when he sent the twelve out. “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me…” To the large crowd, he used hyperbole, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters- yes, even his own life- he cannot be my disciple…” (26) Jesus is to be our first love.
Jesus continues, “…and anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Jesus said this before, when Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ of God (9:23). The cross was an instrument of death and torture. Here, it symbolizes the necessity of total commitment -even unto death- on the part of Jesus’s disciples. These dramatic words coincide well with 13:24, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to,” except here Jesus says all his disciples have hard and dangerous kingdom work assigned to them. Following Jesus sometimes is not light and easy labor.
