Counting the Cost...the Wayfarer 8/8/14
Counting the Cost (1 Of 2)
8/8/14
8/8/14
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not
down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
(Luke 14:28)
Today we begin our message from the
Gospel of Luke, where we find Jesus addressing a great multitude that followed
him after His previous address to the Pharisees and the parable of the great
feast.
This is another topic that will, I
promise be addressed in the future!
We may cover a great deal of
scripture today, as Jesus was paraphrasing a passage from proverbs, but first
let us look to this passage in Luke:
“And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and
said unto them,
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and
mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own
life also, he cannot be my disciple.
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me,
cannot be my disciple.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not
down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
(Luke 14 25-28)
Christ was addressing a large group
of people, who, after hearing him speak with such authority to the Pharisees,
decided to see where he was going, and followed.
This was done partially out of sheer
curiosity, some following only to see how far he would go in opposition to the
authorities of the time, and what would befall him.
Others sincerely listened to what he
had taught and wanted only to hear more.
All had one thing in common, they had
not, any of them, and taken into consideration what it truly meant to be one of
his disciples or what effect it would have on their lives.
Christ tells them the cost of
following him would mean being in contention with the beliefs of all those that
they held dear, questioning if the belief was sincere enough to be maintained
in the face of their skepticism.
He went on to tell them that to
follow him entailed a complete life change, a change in the way one thought
about their own lives and what was important to them to let them know of the
sacrifices required to truly follow him.
He foreshadowed his own crucifixion
with the comment about having to bear a cross. This was intended to convey the
extent to which they must go, even in opposition to the Roman laws of the time
to be a true disciple.
He continued on:
Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not
able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth
not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him
that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
Or else while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an
ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all
that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Salt is good: but if salt have lost his savor, wherewith
shall it be seasoned?
It is fit neither for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but
men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
(Luke14 29-35)
Jesus was pretty harsh in his
comments to this multitude!
This is because the way to becoming a
true Christian is also pretty harsh!
Jesus covered a large number of
pitfalls that would, of a necessity befall those who wish to follow him.
The first of these mentioned was the opinion
of others who would see that they had started to “build” by following Christ,
but didn’t follow through with the required change.
It is too easy to let the opinions of your
peers take control of your actions, and, instead of following the teachings of
Jesus, do the things that make you more popular with them. This of itself
negates discipleship!
The example of the king counting the
expenditure of human life is a great example of, “counting the cost.”
If you truly follow Christ, you will
quickly find yourself in a minority with forces arrayed against you that seem
overwhelming, unless you remember the power of His grace!
Unlike that king mentioned, we cannot
send an ambassador to make peace with the enemy.
There are no acceptable conditions of
peace.
The last three verses of this passage
remind us that we either are, or are not Christians. There is no middle ground.
We are either fit to be followers, or
we are not. This is something determined, not by our words, but by our lives!
I will conclude here with the promise of covering the
passage in proverbs at our next meeting. This scripture defines even more
concisely the requirements of discipleship and is why Jesus chose it to quote
from.
For now, I salute you with the love
of this sinner, saved by the grace of God through the blood sacrifice of his
Son Jesus.
the Wayfarer
2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)
12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
AMEN and AMENthe Wayfarer
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