From Bob Goff’s “Live In Grace, Walk In Love: A 365-Day Journey”
“Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples,” (Luke 14:33).
The Bible tells us about an extraordinary practice in ancient Israel called the Year of Jubilee. This came around once every fifty years, and it was a time when all slaves and prisoners were set free and every debt was forgiven. God set it up for the people of Israel because He wanted to communicate in a human way what His mercy was like, and it looked like freedom for everyone no matter their burden or debt.
Everyone’s debts were different. I bet some were only short fifty dollars and some owed what would be millions. The point of the celebration was to say God’s mercy wipes all our debts clean, whether we’ve blown it in big ways or just failed to show up when it mattered. It’s all the same in God’s economy.
Each of us starts in a different place when we choose to follow Jesus. The debts we owe reflect the different lives we’ve lived. The cost of discipleship looks different from person to person. Some of us have to give up our need to be the center of attention, and some of us need the courage to find our voices. What feels like a sacrifice to you might come naturally to your neighbor. They’re just facing a different kind of battle.
Following Jesus costs each of us something different, but mercy looks the same for all of us. It looks like God letting us off the hook for the ways we’ve fallen short and celebration for all of us because Jesus covered the cost.—