Count The Cost

Luke 14:25-35 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life--such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.' "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won't he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."

Keywords: hate, cross, cost to build, war, terms of peace, salt

Hate in the reading should not be interpreted as a strong dislike for an individual. Instead, the word should be viewed as our love for Jesus is so strong that to the outside world, it appears that we hate family and ourselves.[1]

The cross represents one of the most brutal, painful, and degrading punishments.[2] Jesus made references to the cross as a complete surrender to God.[3]

Salt is used to season food. Salt is used as a symbol of covenant and desolation.[4]

Martin explains that hatred toward one’s family violates the Mosaic Law.[5] The terms were used to explain to the crowd the dedication required to follow him as disciples. Carrying the cross was part of the punishment of the criminal facing crucifixion. Following Jesus has to be a public display of loyalty.

The crowd is given two examples to assist in their understanding of the statement regarding hatred toward family. Examples are building a tower and going to war. These two references would be understood by the crowd. It would be an embarrassment to start building a tower or go to war to be defeated because the planning was not complete.

The message is not to discourage anyone from following Jesus. It is Jesus preparing the crowd for hardship and death.

Most readers are not in charge of large building projects or war planning. Do you have a budget? A budget is a way to plan for unexpected mishaps. A good budget offers some savings at the end of each month. If a major appliance cannot be repaired, this is the time to look at the budget and decide about buying a replacement appliance, how much can be spent, or alternatives to work life without the appliance.

As followers of Jesus, there are many obstacles to be faced. The only answer to the obstacles is to pray. Our Heavenly Father hears our prayers. On the cross, Jesus was not killed; he gave up his life for our salvation.

Bibliography

Browning, Jr., Daniel C. “Minerals and Metal” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1104-1109. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, 199-265. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 1984.

Osborne, Grant and S. Cameron Coyle. “Cross” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 368-371. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

McWilliams, Warren. “Hate” in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 712. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015.

[1] Warren McWilliams, “Hate”, in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 712.

[2] Grant Osborne and S. Cameron Coyle, “Cross”, in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 368. [3] Ibid., 371. [4] Daniel C. Browning, Jr., “Minerals and Metals”, in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 1106. [5] John A. Martin, “Luke”, in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 1984), 243.