Hasty Disciples

"And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Luke 9 57, 58)

Jesus perceived that the prospective disciple who hastily said to him - "I will follow you anywhere," was lacking sufficient time to consider all that was involved in such a momentous decision. He was being rash and precipitate.

This "would be disciple" of Jesus was "quick to jump at the chance" to follow Jesus and join his society, and he is often called the "hasty" or "rash" disciple, in contrast to others who were rather "procrastinating" disciples, those who were finding reasons to postpone following Christ.

The hasty disciple is a careless individual. Many become professing Christians for the wrong reasons, entering the visible church from a carnal and ambitious spirit, being naturally venturous, audacious, bold, brash, and breakneck.

Some do become Christians out of a devil-may-care attitude, being foolhardy and doing things headlong, being headstrong, immature and impetuous, habitually acting impulsively, as a madcap, being precipitate, and reckless, and thoughtless.

Such hasty and impetuous disciples make ill-advised and ill-considered decisions. Is it an ill advised decision to follow Jesus? No, if you are informed as to what it means to follow him, and knowing this, still desire to do so; Yes, if you are being hasty of spirit, rash, and therefore not properly understanding "what you are getting yourself into."

"Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth." (Proverbs 19: 2)

"He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly." (Proverbs 14: 29)

"Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him." (Proverbs 29: 20)

"Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few." (Ecclesiastes 5: 2)

"For I said in my haste" (Psalm 31: 22; 116: 11).

The hasty and precipitate disciple was also described by Jesus in the parable of the sower and the seed.

"Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow...The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away." (Matthew 13: 3-6, 20, 21 NIV)

Those who are often the quickest to jump at the chance to follow Jesus are the ones who are quickest also to "fall away." Any time one sees a professing Christian thus fall away, you can label him as a "shallow ground hearer," or as a "hasty" or "precipitate" disciple. Such individuals have really not weighed all that is involved in the decision to follow Jesus, have not properly "counted the cost."

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. " (Luke 14: 27-33)

The Lord Jesus Christ does not want precipitate disciples who will soon fall away, but he wants those who, having been shown what it means to truly follow Jesus, and what hardships and trials it entails, in this life, yet opt to do so anyway. These have "counted the cost" and have seen that eternal blessing is far greater than any earthly loss. They have judged rightly, and not hastily or rashly.