If you lived during Jesus time and saw him perform ‘miracles” and proclaim himself to be the Messiah and the King of the Jews, and God’s son, would you follow him and go out and spread the word like the 12 disciples (only 12?) did?

NOT SO FAST: There are some pre-requisities you  have to get through.

Here they are:

1. Hate your family

   “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple“
   Luke 14.26

2. Be at variance with your family

   Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
   For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
   He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” – Matthew 10.35,36

    

3.  Sell everything you own and give it to the poor

   sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.–   Luke 18:18-22

4. Kill your family

   And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.”
   Matthew 10.21.

5. Forsake everything

   And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. Matthew 19:29

AND…..

YOU SHALL RECEIVE AN HUNDREDFOLD AND SHALL INHERIT EVERLASTING LIFE!

WELL, WHAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK?

Summary

Do you see the sequence here?

Start off by hating and being at varience with your family, then realizing that you have no need for earthly goods, sell all you have and kill your family. Now, and only now, after following steps 1-4, are you ready to follow Jesus. No wonder only 12 people chose to follow him.