If you love me, you will
obey what I command.
—John 14:15
Our Lord doesn’t demand obedience. He tells us what he wants us to do, but doesn’t force us to do it. The cost of discipleship is prefaced with “If”—meaning we don’t have to buy it if we don’t want to: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself . . . and follow me” (Lk 9:23). To the rich young ruler, Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect,” here’s what you must do (Mt 19:21).
The price of discipleship? Love the Lord above all else. There are no Sales, no markdowns.
If we turn thumbs down on obedience, it’s because we love something or someone more than him. He won’t compel us to love or obey him—but we need to be very clear about the cost.
If he is not “Lord of all,”
he is not “Lord at all.”