Luke 14:33
So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The word for "renounce" here is the same word used for "bidding farewell," implying a conscious, active goodbye to everything that isn't Christ. This isn't just about giving things up; it's about a deliberate turning away from earthly possessions and affections so that your entire life can face Jesus.
Jesus is addressing large crowds following Him to Jerusalem, and He doesn't pull any punches about what it truly means to be His disciple. He's just spoken parables about counting the cost of building a tower and waging war, emphasizing that commitment requires careful planning and total dedication. This verse directly follows those examples, stating that renouncing everything you own is a non-negotiable requirement for genuine discipleship.
Jesus didn't just ask for a little bit of our time or attention. He demands a complete reorientation of our lives.
The word Jesus uses for 'renounce' isn't just a casual goodbye; it's a decisive act of bidding farewell. It implies a complete detachment, a 'signing off' from our former loyalties and possessions. This isn't about literally giving away everything you own in a single day, but about severing the hold things have on your heart. Your affections, your plans, your security – they all need to be placed under Christ's lordship. It means being willing to let go of anything and everything when Jesus calls you to.
Think of it like this:
Following Jesus isn't a side hustle; it's the main event, requiring a willingness to give up the familiar for the unfathomable.
This isn't just a call for traveling preachers; it’s a universal principle for anyone who claims to follow Jesus. The context shows Jesus talking to large crowds, but He singles out this radical requirement. Discipleship means your entire life – your family, your security, your dreams, even your own life – must be subordinate to Christ's call.
It’s about an internal reordering, a willingness to say goodbye to the comfort of the familiar when Jesus calls you into the unknown. This 'farewell' isn't just about physical possessions; it extends to our deepest affections and our sense of self-reliance.
Understand the original words
apotassomai · Greek Verb
To give up, forsake, or separate oneself from something. In a biblical context, it implies a total surrender of ownership, priority, or allegiance to follow Christ, recognizing Him as the supreme authority.
mathētēs · Greek Noun
A student, follower, or apprentice. Biblically, it denotes one who is committed to learning from, imitating, and obeying a master or teacher, particularly Jesus Christ, involving total dedication of life.
Jesus' teaching on renouncing all is set against the backdrop of his imminent suffering and death, underscoring that following him means embracing a path radically different from worldly expectations, even if it means giving up everything.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Final Journey to Jerusalem
Jesus begins his final journey towards Jerusalem, knowing it will lead to his crucifixion. Large crowds join him along the way, many out of curiosity or expectation of a political messiah.
c. AD 30— this verse
Teaching on Costly Discipleship
During this journey, Jesus delivers challenging teachings about the true cost of following him, using parables about building a tower and waging war.
c. AD 30
Renouncing Possessions and Ties
Jesus explicitly states that potential disciples must 'renounce all that he has,' a concept illustrated by the parables and implying a willingness to leave behind family, wealth, and even one's own life.
c. AD 30
The Nature of True Discipleship
The core message is that genuine discipleship requires a radical reorientation of one's entire life, prioritizing Jesus above all else, even to the point of self-renunciation.
This passage directly echoes the theme of renouncing family and possessions for Christ, emphasizing that loving anything more than Him makes one unworthy of Him.
Matthew 6:24Jesus highlights the impossibility of serving two masters, God and money. Luke 14:33 expands this, showing that true discipleship requires a radical detachment from all possessions if they compete with loyalty to God.
Acts 4:32-37The early church demonstrated a spirit of radical generosity, selling possessions and sharing them. This passage shows a practical outworking of the principle of renouncing one's 'all' for the community and the Gospel.
Philippians 3:7-9Paul counts all his former privileges and achievements as loss and rubbish compared to knowing Christ. This illustrates the internal mindset of renunciation required for true discipleship.
vincentLuke 14:33: "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."
Forsaketh (ἀποτάσσεται)Bids good-by to. Rev., renounceth. See on Luke 9:61. "In that forsaketh lies the key to the whole passage" (Trench). Christian discipleship is founded in self-renunciation.
clarkeLuke 14:33: "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."
Whosoever he be of you - This seems to be addressed particularly to those who were then, and who were to be, preachers of his Gospel; and who were to travel over all countries, publishing salvation to a lost world.
The word for "renounce" here is the same word used for "bidding farewell," implying a conscious, active goodbye to everything that isn't Christ. This isn't just about giving things up; it's about a deliberate turning away from earthly possessions and affections so that your entire life can face Jesus.
Jesus is addressing large crowds following Him to Jerusalem, and He doesn't pull any punches about what it truly means to be His disciple. He's just spoken parables about counting the cost of building a tower and waging war, emphasizing that commitment requires careful planning and total dedication. This verse directly follows those examples, stating that renouncing everything you own is a non-negotiable requirement for genuine discipleship.
Jesus is addressing large crowds following Him to Jerusalem, and He doesn't pull any punches about what it truly means to be His disciple. He's just spoken parables about counting the cost of building a tower and waging war, emphasizing that commitment requires careful planning and total dedication. This verse directly follows those examples, stating that renouncing everything you own is a non-negotiable requirement for genuine discipleship.
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"So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." — The word for "renounce" here is the same word used for "bidding farewell," implying a conscious, active goodbye to everything that isn't Christ. This isn't just about giving things up; it's about a d…
