Nothing that is really very big or very significant is ever accomplished without some cost. Why should we expect that the great and good new possibility that God offers to each of us and to our world, the one that Jesus called "the kingdom of heaven," should come without cost? It is costly to God. Why should we not expect that it will be costly to us? But once we recognize how great and good that possibility is, we will know that it is worth the cost.

An interesting interchange took place between Jesus and his disciples on that subject. It happened at a turning point in the ministry of Jesus. He was moving from a fairly popular ministry as a teacher and healer in Galilee to traveling toward Jerusalem where his work would be brought to a costly conclusion (Matthew 16:13--17:13). Jesus asked…