Qualifying Qualifications

In monarchial cultures, approaching a king required proper preparations. When King Xerxes disposed of his wife, Vashti, Esther was taken to the king’s palaces and entrusted to Hegai (a eunuch) to prepare her to meet the king. He provided her with daily beauty treatment and special food, even assigning seven maids to serve her (Esth 2:8–9). When she completed six months of oil of myrrh treatment and another six months of perfumes and cosmetics treatment, she was qualified to approach the king (Esth 2:12). Similarly, when King Nebuchadnezzar wanted some royal Hebrews to serve him, Ashpenaz, chief in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court, selected young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for learning every subject, well informed, quick to learn the language and literature of the Babylonians. These young men included Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, whose names were changed to Babylonian names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were given royal food and wine from the king’s table and were trained for three years before they could serve the king (Dan 1:4–7). Serving a monarchy was a privileged task, but it required difficult decisions and training.

Jesus had plenty of followers, but he knew very few, if any, would go with him all the way to the cross and die with him. True to his guess, only a few ladies stood beside the cross and wept. All the disciples (except for John) ran away and hid themselves. None took their cross and died with him.

Years earlier, Jesus gave them a speech to see if they would qualify to serve a king. He said,

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters – even if his/her soul – that one cannot be my disciple. Whoever cannot carry his/her cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:25–27).

This king had a rough road ahead of him – before his coronation (i.e., resurrection), he must endure the cross. He knew that and broadcasted it three times to his disciples. But then, he wanted to know if they were willing to follow him and be crucified along with him on their respective crosses. Only then would they be his true disciples. Sadly, none of them did.

Before any glory – whether being the queen of Xerxes or being royal wise people of Nebuchadnezzar – those in training needed to go through rigorous training, whether beauty treatments, eating special food, being fit, or training hard. The same was true of Jesus’s disciples.

We live after the king had been crucified and coronated. We don’t have the same call to deny our families and go to the cross with him. Yet, we can ask ourselves how committed we are to this king and his calling in our lives. Each of us will have a different calling and training. Only when we endure that training well will we be qualified to serve the king.