THE PARABLES | The Tower Builder (Luke 14:25-33)
THE PARABLES | The Tower Builder (Luke 14:25-33)
For which one of you who wants to build a [lookout] tower will not first sit down and calculate its cost, to see whether he has enough [money and materiel] to complete it?
Luke 14:28, An Understandable Version
Luke 14:28, An Understandable Version
Context: Crowds were following Jesus who were only interested in seeing miracles or liberation from Rome. Jesus describes discipleship in terms of carrying a cross, and then tells two mini parables: building a tower when you cannot complete it and a king engaged upon a war campaign who upon calculating the odds came to terms rather than risk annihilation.
Meaning: Who would carry a cross? A condemned man on his way to execution. It is not referring to suffering hardships but the termination of the old life! Christ took our old life, which was filled with self-righteousness religious performance and instead of reforming it, killed it and then raised us to a new life in him (Gal 2:20; Rom 6:1-4). We take up this cross because when we counted the cost - we realised we can’t build the tower, we can’t do the Christian life, only He can. Even 10,000 religious’ bricks of good work will not give us victory over sin, Satan and religion - we simply surrender to King Jesus.
Application: Abraham Lincoln saw a black girl for sale in a slave market; bought her and handed over to her the papers of her freedom, saying, “You are free now.” She, full of gratitude, responded: “I will follow you forever.” Legally she was free but had become the slave of love to him who had given her so much. What should you do? Surrender! Seek terms of peace. Bow your knee to Jesus and say, “Lord, it’s all yours” because it actually is. He only can build the tower and bring perfect reconciliation.
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Jesus doesn’t want us determined; he wants us dead!
Jesus doesn’t want us determined; he wants us dead!
