27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.” Matthew 16:24-27.
Two insights came to me. The first insight is based on the context. Notice the context. This passage of Scripture is immediately below verses 21-23: “… Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. … But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” Matthew 16:23. Jesus showed how He was denying Himself and taking up His cross. In other words, according to this first insight, Jesus was thus calling His disciples to costly discipleship only by first showing His example from which His disciples could follow His example.
The second insight is based on the parallel account and section of Scripture which is Mark 8:34-38. In these verses, we first see Mark 8:35 which adds the important phrase “and the gospel’s” to read: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mark 8:35. We then come to verse 38 which is an entirely new and different verse than what we read in our Scripture for today which was Matthew 16:24-27. Here is that verse 38. “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38.
In other words, according to this second insight, Jesus was not just calling His disciples to a life of self-deprivation and hardship to live a life like an ascetic monk who practices “strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline” ( Click here: ascetic – Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary ), Jesus was calling His disciples to make service to Christ and the Gospel their number one goal in life.
In conclusion, yes, discipleship is costly. But, first, we should fix our eyes on Jesus as the example whom we should follow. We also should not view discipleship just as a religious practice of strict self-denial. But, second, we should deny ourselves and carry our cross toward the goal of discipleship which is service to Christ and the Gospel.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 