If Anyone Would Follow Me, Part 2

 Greetings everyone.

Today, I am going to continue my exegesis of Luke 14.  We will finish looking at Jesus' call to discipleship, by examining verses 28-35.  Here is my translation:

28 Whoever among you who wants to build a tower, would you not first, sit down and calculate the cost, to see if you have enough to complete it? 29 Because, if you lay the foundation, but then are not able to finish, all who see it will begin making fun of you, 30 saying, “This person began building, but did not have the ability to finish the job.” 31 Or what king goes off to war against another king without first sitting down and considering whether he is able to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is unable, he would send representatives, while still far away, to ask for peace. 33 So, any among you who do not give up everything they have, are not able to be my disciple. 

34 Salt is good. But if salt becomes tasteless, how does it get its flavor back? 35 It is neither fit for soil or even the manure pile.  It is just thrown out. Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.” 

Jesus is making very clear.  He wants his followers to take his call to follow him seriously.  It is not a decision to be made lightly.  He has just spelled out some pretty serious challenges for the would-be disciple.  The disciple has been challenged to place Jesus first in their priorities.  Now, he tells them that they will need to count the cost. Jesus is essentially saying, ‘Don’t follow me if you are unwilling to pay the price that I laid out for you.” 

Jesus paints two pictures about counting the cost. He uses the example of man building a tower. This tower is likely a watchtower built as extra security for the man’s property, like his vineyard and home.  The first thing he would do is figure out the cost, to see if he is able to pay it.  If he is not able to pay, he will not waste the time or the money of even breaking the ground for it.  He will move on to something else. (Counting the cost of something is a wise thing to do, no matter what we might be contemplating.) If we choose to follow Jesus, it is a lifetime decision.  We remain devoted to him for life.  If we quit, we become an object of ridicule. 

His second example is of a king that is preparing to go to battle against a more powerful king.  Can he, with a much smaller army, defeat the one coming against him?  The king with the smaller army will surely be defeated.  Here, Jesus is calling upon them to count the cost of not following him as well. Each of us are the king with the smaller army, while God is the king with the larger army.  We will lose that battle. Since we cannot defeat God, we are wise to submit to Him. Either way, to follow or to not follow, we must count the cost. 

In Jesus' two analogies, we see two ways of looking at the same thing.  One is a call to count the cost of following Jesus, and the other we are called to count the cost of not following Jesus.  In one, we are told that we are foolish to start following him, then stop.  In the other, we see that we are foolish if we refuse to submit to him.  King Jesus is going to be king, no matter what.  We have no shot at defeating him. 

There really is only one path that makes sense to follow.  It is full submission to King Jesus. 

In verse 33, Jesus gives us a third cost to count.  There is another cost beyond Family “hating” and cross bearing.  We must be willing to give up everything. Darrell Bock says, “The will to renounce all possessions and to ally oneself totally to Jesus is the essence of discipleship.  Jesus is first.” (Bock, 1290.) There is no possession greater than following Him. 

Jesus finishes this passage by talking about salt. Salt is useful.  It seasons foods and can act as a preservative.  When it stops doing those things, it really has no value.  Jesus has said that his disciples are salt of the Earth. (Matt. 5:13) We season, and influence, because we are like Jesus and not like the world.  If we become just like the world, we lose our saltiness.  What value do we have? 

So, Jesus has laid out what it means to follow him.  He is our priority.  He is our king.  Jesus understands that he is putting forward a very challenging demand.  He urges his would-be followers to consider it very carefully, but also to understand that it is the best way forward. 

Tom 

     Darrell L. Bock, Luke - Volume 2 - 9:51-24:53, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 1996.