Giving up all to follow Jesus today is a time-locked fantasy.
See my related note on “The Power of Reenactments”.
Based on the facts set forth in that note, a further word needs to be said about giving up everything to follow Jesus. This is a noble endeavor, and is usually an innocent and determined focus on submitting to the straight up facts that are revealed in the “synoptic gospels”. In this case the sincerity of one seeking to follow Jesus according to the statements of the Bible is to be admired in and of itself. However, the sincerity of the situation is juxtaposed to the reality that this sincerity is sincerely wrong.
It is wrong on two points. The first one is that this was a unique demand of Jesus towards a sizable number of His disciples in the land of Israel who heard Him teach. This fact has never properly been discerned.
The second point of error is that those who gave up all or who forsook all to physically follow Jesus in Israel in the first half of the first century, in actuality did not really do that permanently, or even realistically in a complete way.
These issues can be understood through a true evaluation of the historical situation. Consider first, two of Jesus’ leading apostles, Peter and John. Initially in becoming disciples of Jesus, they left their lucrative fishing profession, both regarding authority, functionality, and equipment and became traveling disciples of Jesus. At one point Peter himself stated that they had left everything to follow Jesus. However, when you realistically look at the situation, this giving up all was temporary. Two issues declare this loudly and clearly. At the resurrection of Jesus, Peter and John were at their house in Jerusalem when Mary came to them to tell them that Jesus was not in the tomb. They owned a house in Jerusalem. Previously they dwelt in their respective houses in Galilee. It was in Galilee, where their fishing business was based, that they left behind their profession to follow Jesus. And yet, and this leads naturally to the second consideration, after Jesus was resurrected Peter resumed his profession in Galilee, accompanied by John. This shows that his profession, his authority as fisherman, and his equipment to fish were all still intact in Galilee. In fact, his former giving up all or forsaking all was temporary. The fact that Peter and John were lucrative in their authority in the fishing profession was the reason why they had a domicile in Jerusalem and in Galilee. In that time in that culture, the fishing profession was at the top of professions, higher than agriculture and higher than mercantile operations. Accordingly, the high priest controlled the transactions and profits of fishing in Jerusalem. Hence, John knew the high priest and thereby gained entry into his courtyard after the crucifixion of Jesus.
Other things can be considered which show that the demand of Jesus on certain of His followers was local, select, and temporary. The family that was very dear to Jesus did not receive the same commands to follow Him, although clearly they were His disciples. Lazarus, Martha, and Mary all remained in their home and served as hosts to Jesus and others. Zaccheus, a former chief tax collector, repented and became a disciple of Jesus. He held a banquet of honor for Jesus in his house and declared that he would give half (not all) of his possessions to the poor and that he would return in four-fold what he had gained through fraud. This was his declaration of dedication, not the command of Jesus. What was the response of Jesus to this? “Today salvation has come to this house, for he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Jesus declared Zaccheus was saved. He saw what was in his heart. In the same way He saw what was in the heart of the so-called, rich young ruler. When this man tried to attach himself to the traveling band of Jesus, He told him that he lacked one key attribute. He told him to sell his possessions and give to the poor and then to come and follow Him. The rich man “could not” do it because his material wealth held his allegiance.
Furthermore, when the traveling band of dedicated disciples followed Jesus, they were actually taken care of physically and materially by a group of benefactresses. A group of women-of-means were part of the group, and with their material wealth – that they had not left behind – they met the material needs of those original disciples.
Even when monks and nuns declare to the world that they have given up everything, that is only partially or measurably accurate. The Catholic Churches, both Eastern and Western, take physical care of their monks and nuns so that the forsaking may be personal, to a degree, but it is not absolute like one would put forth or expect from the interpretations of the commands of Jesus.
Giving up all to follow Jesus today is a time-locked fantasy based on an improper interpretation of Jesus and His times. Notably, even those who make these demands on others do not in reality put themselves under this demand.