Luke 14.  Genuine discipleship is free to all by God’s grace.  It is bought by the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, and offered freely to all by those who proclaim the gospel of the kingdom (24).  But we must accept the invitation.  If anything else about our lives is more important than the eternal destiny that the Holy Spirit offers, we are not there yet.  We have only room in our treasure houses for resources to support one project.  It will cost all we have to build the tower of God’s kingdom in our lives (28).  So, anyone who does not renounce all cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

The lawyers and Pharisees of Jesus’ day would not surrender their religious traditions or their social position (1-11).  Others had business or personal goals that they would not give up (18-20).  The Holy Spirit will not live in a house dedicated to another besides Christ. 

LORD, cleanse the temples of our lives so that they can be dedicated completely to you.