Eyes Wide Open: 41-Day Lenten Devotional Sample

Eyes Open to Relational Sacrifice

“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.  And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.’” - Luke 14:25-27

When we look at the cross we think of the piercing physical agony. This is proper and we meditated on this in yesterday’s devotion. However, we often fail to open our eyes to the profound relational pain Jesus willingly underwent. As Jesus went through his passion, he knew the sorrow of rejection, betrayal, and relational loss. 

Judas, the treasurer of his small band of followers, traded Jesus’ life for a handful of silver. Peter assured Jesus that he would die before denying him, and then swore with an oath, “I don’t know the man” (Matt. 26:74). Jesus was right there, watching and listening as his friend repeatedly disowned him. In shocking faithlessness, every one of Jesus’ closest friends abandoned him in his greatest moment of need (Mark 14:50). 

To accomplish the work of salvation, Jesus underwent relational rejection and torment. We should not find it shocking that those who seek to share his good news will also face relational sacrifice. To bear the name Christian means to walk the road of our Savior. Meditate on these words of Luke 14:25-27 above.

There is a hyperbolic aspect to this passage, but let’s not pass over these words too quickly.  When my friend Nabeel Qureshi followed Jesus and left Islam, the relational cost on his family relationships was staggering. I grew up in an atheistic home, and when I became a follower of Jesus and felt called to be a pastor (my conversion and call to ministry came within the same hour), my father said, somewhat tongue in cheek yet seriously, “I did my best to raise my kids right, but some of them go astray!”  

Open eyes will see a Savior who accepted relational pain for the sake of reaching the lost. Open ears will hear the call to count the relational costs of following Jesus on mission.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for willingly sacrificing the pain of relational rejection for my sake. Give me boldness and confidence to do the same as I shine your light in this dark and broken world. Amen.

- Written by Kevin Harney