The Tower Builder and the Warring King

Introduction

Large crowds were following Jesus on his final journey to Jerusalem. Some were perhaps thrill seekers, hoping for an entertaining miracle. Others expected Jesus to overthrow the Romans and become king.

This parables is to counter those in the crowd

He wanted to make sure that those who wanted to follow him knew how much it was going to cost

Luke 14:25–35 NIV

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “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. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “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? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ 31 “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? 32 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. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. 34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

The cost of following Jesus

The Family and the Cross

The Jews that were listening would have understood the metaphors

The family

There was nothing was more valued the family relationships

It would have been shocking when Jesus said that unless you hate your father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters you could not be his disciple.

The term hate is relative, not absolute.

The requirement for following Jesus is to love him more than anything, even one’s family.

The Cross

The cross was a symbol of suffering and death

Condemned criminals were forced to carry the cross beam to the place of execution

Dead people can’t follow Jesus, so his challenge was to die to self

A Foolish and Dumb Builder

A tower wasn’t like the giant skyscrapers for our modern cities; it was a watchtower for alerting a city of an approaching enemy or thieves coming to raid a vineyard

He started building but hadn’t thought about cost

People were mocking him

We don’t pay much attention to people who go bankrupt today. If anything, we feel sorry for them. But in an “honor/shame” culture, this would have been disastrous. The man would have been broke and shamed. Jesus’ point is obvious.

People need to carefully consider the cost before following Jesus.

A Wise and Smart King

Jesus says that before a king declares war on another king, he will consider his chance of winning.

If he has only ten thousand troops and the other king has twenty thousand—a two to one advantage—the first king will seek peace rather than defeat.

The point is similar to the parable of the foolish builder but does not include the demand for radical discipleship.

The point is best understood in relation to the tower builder.

He was foolish; the king was wise.

Those who want to follow Jesus should thoughtfully consider what that means so that their decision does not end in a humiliating defeat.

A Realistic Warning

Jesus isn’t trying to discourage people from becoming disciples, but he is realistic and honest.

Jesus is fully aware of his destiny. In the upper room on the night he was betrayed, Jesus warned the Twelve: “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20).

Here he tells the large crowd what is ultimately required of a Jesus follower: “Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:33)

Saltless Salt

Jesus uses salt as an illustration in two other contexts

Jesus says that like salt, believers should have a preserving impact in a decaying world

Matthew 5:13 “13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

Jesus warns about causing others to stumble, and urges his followers to be peacemakers. If they can’t do that, how will they be salt in the world

Mark 9:50 NIV

50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

If salt is separated from the impurities in it, the residue is useless and can only be thrown away; it can’t be used as fertilizer for the land or as compost in the dunghill.

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Luke 14:35).

Those who reject Jesus and his teaching will be cast away. They are as useless as “unsalty” salt.

When you became a believer, did you realize the high cost of following Jesus? How has your understanding of what it means to be a Christian changed since you first trusted Christ as Savior?

Read Luke 14:25–27 “25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “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. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” . The term hate is obviously relative and not absolute. How does the term reflect priorities in one’s devotion to Christ?

What does cross-bearing mean for you?

Read Luke 9:57–62 “57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”” Do you think that in the passage and in this passage Jesus is discouraging people from following him? Why or why not?

What is the difference in how these two parables emphasize thoughtful consideration of a commitment to follow Christ?

How would you use these two parables to explain to a prospective believer the importance of “counting the cost” before trusting Christ as Savior

Read Revelation 2:1–7 “1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” What happened to the church at Ephesus? What are some of the worldly ambitions and/or possessions that distract us from becoming fully devoted followers of Christ? How do you nurture your love and devotion to Christ?

How have these passages changed your understanding of what it means to be a fully devoted follower of Christ?