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25Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 31Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions."

In the mid-1960s President Lyndon Johnson introduced a so- called war on poverty. At about the same time he got involved in escalating the American participation in the Vietnam war. It soon began to cost about two billion dollars per month. He was unwilling to raise taxes. The attempt to wage the wars on two fronts, domestic and international, soon affected the economy adversely.

Through the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations the effects of deficits sent inflation rates up drastically. The Reagan administration managed to dampen the inflation but it also greatly increased the national debt so that by the '90s economists and politicians became alarmed. Even the Gramm-Rudman Bill, which was to reduce the deficit and lead to a balanced budget, did little to move in that direction. It became increasingly popular to advocate a balanced budget and eventually a debt reduction.

The advocates of high military expenditures and sustained social programs find it hard to count the costs and to determine priorities in expenditures. The parables for consideration here are about counting costs and setting priorities. They are not so much dealing with budgets as they are the priorities given to various loyalties.

Context

Context of Luke 14

Jesus has been talking about various feasts. He urged a Pharisee who was hosting him at a meal to invite the poor to his feasts. It would be clear to his hearers that he was talking about participation in the great feast that was symbolic of the heavenly blessing. It could sound like cheap grace that was offered to any who wanted to accept the invitation. Jesus recognized the enthusiasm of the crowd that gathered to hear him. They had high expectations that he would lead them on a triumphant parade into Jerusalem and set up a grand kingdom.

Jesus realized that they are anticipating an easy road to divine blessings. The people are unaware of the struggle and suffering that lies ahead for those who follow him. He has to try to bring them to a more realistic understanding of what it means to be his disciple. That is the setting for two brief parables that call his followers to count the costs of living in the kingdom in a world still filled with evil.

Context of the Lectionary

The First Lesson. (Jeremiah 18:1-11) The passage is the familiar analogy that Jeremiah uses of the potter and the clay. If a potter finds his pot to be imperfect, he can shatter it, grind up the clay and rework it into a more satisfactory vessel. Jeremiah warns the people that in like manner the Lord can shatter and rework his people if they do not shape up according to the Lord's will. If they continue to do evil, they will have to be ground up by suffering until they are restored to a more perfect vessel for God's purposes.

The Second Lesson. (Philemon 1-21) Paul writes to a rich Christian whom he had brought into the church. He writes on behalf of a slave who apparently ran away to Rome but then became an assistant to Paul there. Paul wants Philemon to accept Onesimus back, not as a slave to be punished for his disobedience, but as a brother in Christ. Paul implies that Philemon is indebted to him for his Christian faith. Therefore, if Philemon thinks he is owed something for the loss of his slave as property, charge it to Paul's account and thereby cancel both debts.

Gospel. (Luke 14:25-33) The first lesson deals with the cost to the potter of making an acceptable pot. The second treats the question of costs for a slave becoming a Christian brother and by that costing the owner loss of his property. This lesson is about the cost of following Jesus. It uses two images, that of the cost of building a house and of fighting a battle.

Psalm. (Psalm 139:1-16, 13-18) The psalmist sings the praises of God, who knows him more intimately than he knows himself. God knows the psalmist with such full detail because God is the creator who formed and shaped the psalmist into a living human being. This lesson is connected directly to the first lesson about the potter and the clay, but without the cost of reshaping the imperfect being.

Context of Related Scripture

Deuteronomy 33:9 -- Levi ignored his kin, including mother and father.
Matthew 10:34-38 -- A parallel teaching about hating family and cross bearing, but without the parables.
Matthew 16:24 -- A disciple must take up the cross and follow Jesus.
Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26 -- Simon the Cyrene is impressed to help Jesus carry the cross.
John 12:25 -- Those who love their life will lose it; those who hate it in this world find it for eternal life.

Other Towers in Scripture:
Genesis 11:4 ff. -- The tower of Babel.
Judges 8:9 -- Gideon and the tower of the people of Penuel.
2 Kings 9:17 -- Jezreel standing in the tower spies Jehu.
2 Chronicles 26:9 -- Uzziah builds towers in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 3:11 -- Malchijah and Hasshub repaired the tower of Ovens.
Matthew 21:33 -- The landowner builds a watchtower in a vineyard.
Luke 13:4 -- The collapse of the tower of Siloam.
Matthew 26:53 -- Jesus can call down 12 legions of angels to fight his battles.

Content

Precis of the Parable

Jesus addresses the crowd. He says that if they want to follow him they must have less love for family and kin than for him. Only those who are willing to bear the cross with him can be his disciples. He proceeds to tell two brief parables about considering cost before undertaking a project to illustrate his message. The first is positive. It is a builder who has to calculate the cost before starting the construction. Otherwise he will run out of money and not be able to finish it. People will then make fun of his lack of foresight. The other is more negative. It is of a king who is going into battle. He must consider how many men he needs in order to have a chance to gain the victory. If he sees he is going to lose, he sues for peace before he meets the foe. The conclusion is that you must calculate the cost of giving up your possessions if you want to be Jesus' disciple.

Thesis: Do not take the decision to follow Jesus lightly.

Theme: Consider the costs of becoming a disciple of Jesus.

Key Words in the Passage

1. "Large Crowds." (v. 25) Jesus had attracted a large and enthusiastic following. They had hopes that he would be the Messiah who was predicted earlier. He was a very popular preacher.

2. "Traveling with Him." (v. 25) The crowd was not just local people who turned out to see the spectacle of an itinerating preacher. The people who traveled with him were probably Galilean. They were a volatile people from whom had come at an earlier time those who figured in an attempted insurrection against the Romans.

3. "Hate Father and Mother..." (v. 26) Hyperbole was typical of the language of the time and area. It was a way of attracting attention and making a point. It was not the kind of love-hate relationship which psychologists and psychiatrists speak of today. It indicated a second place of love, a lesser loyalty. Perhaps it was more like the kid who loves apple pie and ice cream but hates broccoli and beets.

4. "Even Life Itself." (v. 26) This is not a death wish or a desire for martyrdom. It is a willingness to give up attachment to anything that would deter a person from making a total commitment, including family ties, possessions, and risk of death.

5. "Cannot be My Disciple." (vv. 26, 27, 33) Though a disciple might be a learner and a follower of a teacher, Jesus expected more. He wanted those who identified with him to live fully the kind of life he had dedicated himself to follow.

6. "Carry the Cross." (v. 27) Crucifixion was a cruel and shameful punishment. It not only was a lingering death, it exposed the person to full view as he lost control of all the bodily functions. On the way to the site of the crucifixion the victim was made to carry the crosspiece of the means of his execution. That attracted a crowd and added to the shame. The Galileans who were probably the major part of the crowd accompanying Jesus at this time were quite familiar with crucifixion.

7. "Build a Tower." (v. 28) It is not clear whether Jesus was referring to the familiar use of a watchtower in a vineyard or if he had some particular half-finished tower that was notorious and the laughingstock of everyone.

8. "Going Out to Wage War." (v. 31) Jesus does not endorse warfare or a particular strategy for engaging in battle by using as an illustration a king going into battle. Jesus indicated the kind of warfare he could engage in and sufficient troops for the battle when he told Peter to put up his sword since Jesus could call down twelve legions of angels if that were the kind of warfare he wanted to fight (see Matthew 26:53).

9. "Give up All Your Possessions." (v. 33) Jesus did not require that all his followers dispose completely of their possessions. He did expect them to dedicate all that they had to the cause of the kingdom and his mission. They had to have the attitude of readiness to surrender them. That he did not require everyone to give up everything is found in the following that provided for him and his disciples as he traveled through the country (see Luke 8:1-4).

Contemplation

Issues and Insights

1. Not a Spectator Sport. Jesus saw the large crowd. He knew the mood of such a multitude. They followed because they were curious about the popular preacher. They looked for something sensational. They would be happy to enjoy the outcome of an easy victory where they would have part of the action. But they only wanted to be spectators, not participants, in the hard struggles which Jesus knew were ahead.

Many people still want to be spectators in the church. They do not expect to engage in the hard struggles of trying to realize the kingdom of God on earth. They are not ready to dedicate their fortunes to the work of the kingdom. They are not interested in seeking justice when it means confronting the powers and forces of evil that oppose such activity. They do not want to be involved in ministries to the poor, the sick (especially if it means contact with people with AIDS or other life-threatening diseases) and others suffering from misfortunes.

Such people do not come to be true and full disciples of Jesus. Christianity is not a spectator sport. It requires engagement and dedication. It can be costly in terms of the usual worldly standards of security, comfort, and success. It also misses the fullness of blessing that comes from fulfilling purposes larger than oneself.

2. Family Ties. In a mobile society, family ties become weak. It is not easy to maintain close personal relations when families are scattered over vast geographic spaces. It is not uncommon to have children, brothers, and sisters in several states and perhaps even some in other countries. That is different from the close-knit and stable families of first century Palestine. It probably means that the impact of Jesus' statement about hating members of the family would not be as strong for many today as it would have been for the people to whom he spoke.

Corporate assignments often mean that families have to relocate several times in the course of a career if they want to advance up the ladder of the hierarchy. Even the church expects that pastors will move after a few years. A minister wanted to remain in a local congregation where he had been for eight years. He was much liked in the community. He was told, however, that if he did not accept reassignment, he was dead-ended at that location. So he broke ties, uprooted his family, and went to another, larger church and community.

Family often takes second place to corporations and careers. Indications are, however, that the so-called "Baby Boomers" are having second thoughts about family values. Wives and husbands are ready to forego career advancement so they can have more time with their children. Women are not as ready to be "supermoms" who try to juggle a full-time career, childbearing, and parenting with the help of a nanny or a daycare facility. Men, too, are wanting to be more involved in parenting than their fathers were.

Is it "hating your children" when they are put in second place to careers? Is it right to give first priority to the church or the Christian values? How do persons properly balance the priorities of family and possessions with spiritual life and values? Are these necessarily antithetical?

3. Top Priority. Because Jesus gave a lesser rank in priorities to family, some think that he was anti-family. That does not seem to be the case if one looks at his examples and other teachings.

Jesus participated in a wedding at Cana and assured the host that he would not be embarrassed by a lack of good wine for the celebration (John 2:1-10). He expected that people would marry and establish their independence from their parents. He thought such marriages ought to be permanent. (Matthew 5:31; 19:7-9; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18.)

Jesus used family terms when describing the nature of God. He referred to God as Father. Even though he would not let family ties detract him from his higher calling as the agent of God (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21), he was concerned for the care of his mother even while suffering on the cross (John 19:26-27).

Jesus did not see family values or marriage to be contrary to the kingdom of God. Indeed, does he not see family and marriage in their proper perspective when commitment to the kingdom is given top priority and family is subordinated to its values?

4. Can Be My Disciples. Jesus was not so much concerned with the size of his following as he was with the degree of their commitment. He seemed to be more concerned for one sinner who repented than for the numbers who did not go astray (Matthew 18:10-14). He saw special blessing in the one leper who returned to give thanks rather than for the nine who did not (Luke 17:12- 19).

Two or three issues may be involved in the call to discipleship. One is the preoccupation with numbers in looking at congregations. Would Jesus look first at the number or would he look first at the level of commitment? How long would he keep persons on the membership roll when they give little evidence of participation or commitment? What standards of membership should a church maintain? Is membership based on participation in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, or is it based on a subscription to a creed or set of beliefs, or is it dependent on the evidence in the life of the person by the values exhibited in relation to family, to marriage, to ethical issues such as honesty, humility, justice, and peace? Does the church ever tell persons, "You cannot be disciples of Jesus"?

Does the church have different standards for some than for others? Should the church expect that some will be more committed to discipleship than others? Did Jesus only accept the twelve disciples? Did he reject the ninety and nine because they live a humdrum life of mediocrity? Can one distinguish between who is saved and those who dedicate themselves as disciples, willing to give second or third place to family, to possessions, to life itself?

5. The Reality of Opposition. Jesus apparently wanted to bring a large dose of reality to those who joined the crowd without weighing the real price of discipleship. He was fully aware of the nature of sin and evil. He did not underestimate the persistence and power of sin and evil in human life and the world. He wanted people to know the hard realities of engaging in the struggle to overcome evil.

When does the church downplay the difficulties and price of battling against evil? Do people sentimentalize Jesus as a person who never had to struggle with personal sin? Is a "sweet Jesus" presented that is not true to the kind of bitter struggle he had to go through against his own temptations and against the pressures from his enemies and even from his closest associates who tried to dissuade him from direct confrontation with the powers that controlled religion and the state?

Should the church make people aware of the price they will need to pay if they are serious about discipleship? Does the church make it too easy, too comfortable, for people to identify with Christ and then have them become disillusioned when they bump up against the harshness of a world in opposition to the Christian faith and its values?

Homily Hints

1. Large Crowds. (v. 25) Deal with the issue of church growth.
A. Quality and Quantity. The church is not a social club where numbers are of first importance. Quality supersedes quantity.
B. Quality Attracts. A dedicated people invites others to join.
C. Size is Secondary. Persons who have found a meaningful and blessed life in Christ are primary. They do have an obligation to share that life with others.

2. Cross Bearing. (v. 27)
A. The Sign of the Cross. Christians adopted the cross as a sign that God ultimately overcomes evil, even death.
B. Christ's Cross. Christ bore the cross to demonstrate the victory of the love of God and neighbors as the highest good.
C. Our Cross. If we would be disciples, we must readily undertake to become as Christ in meeting and gaining victory over the sin and evil in the world. Only then are we fit to be disciples of Jesus.

3. Estimating Cost. (v. 28)
A. Lose Everything. Family and possessions.
B. Lose Life. Submerge self in Christ.
C. Gain Eternal Life. Readiness to lose frees one for real life. Having lost, no fear of what evil may assail you remains.

4. Building and Destroying. (vv. 28-33) Where the Christian should put creative energies.
A. Building Tower. This activity is constructing, but it should serve kingdom ends, not vanity or self-glorification.
B. War. It is destructive. In war everyone loses. Jesus rejected war as an unacceptable means of kingdom building.
C. Death and Life. Affirm and act for that which enhances life. Reject those acts that lead to death.

5. An Unfinished Life. (vv. 28-33) Too many persons start out with high ideals, but have not reckoned on the cost of realizing them. They end up with many high ends never reached.
A. Starting With High Purpose
B. Abandoning Purposes Midway
C. Settling for Low Achievement

Contact

Points to Ponder

1. Family Values. "Family values" has become a political slogan. It is used as a shibboleth to determine whether a person is correct on a variety of issues. People on both sides of issues, such as abortion, planned parenthood, single parenthood, and welfare, claim they are for family values.

What really serves family values is not a simple or easy thing to determine. Jesus puts family as of lesser value than Christian discipleship. That confronts people with hard choices. Is it fair for missionaries to raise children in places where education and health care are inadequate? Should one undertake risky assignments that may jeopardize the family or the parent of a family? When is serving the family contrary to the common good?

Is it more important to provide well for the family in terms of food, clothing, housing, education, and health care at the expense of absence from children during their formative years? Should a family stay in a deteriorating urban center to witness and minister to needs or should families flee to the security and comfort of the suburbs? Should a church move when the racial composition of a community changes and few traditional members of the church now live in the area?

How does counting the cost of discipleship help persons in their decisions among the hard choices of jobs, location, and time available to be with the family?

2. Goals and Marriage. Does the cost of discipleship mean that some people should forego the fulfillment of marriage to serve Christ unfettered by family responsibilities? Should some couples choose not to have children in order to serve the church without imposing their costs of discipleship on another generation?

To what degree should the costs of discipleship enter into the decisions about marriage partners? Should the cost of discipleship be an important consideration in choice of a partner? Will the partner accept the sacrifices required for costly discipleship?

Marriages that last share common goals and values. A couple self-absorbed in their own needs and pleasures does not have a good base for building a lasting relationship and taking on family responsibilities.

How important is it for a deeply committed Christian to share life with someone who is not a Christian? When are interreligious marriages a good choice for Christians?

Points of Contact

1. Serving the Highest Purpose. The most fulfilling life is found in the sense that a person is serving a high purpose. People are not completely fulfilled in a life dedicated only to the pursuit of money, food, drink, and shelter. Persons move toward fulfillment when they transcend their own life span and serve more enduring ends and purposes.

People seek fulfillment in various ways. They may do it through their posterity, through children and their children to carry on "the family names." Others seek it by identifying with an ethnic group. They are "my people." Still others seek it through a national identity. They are willing to die for their country.

God's kingdom is the highest good that persons can serve. Christians believe that the world was created for that purpose. Christ points to the reality that endures beyond the changes and vicissitudes of the world as we know it. Committing oneself to serve that enduring purpose is the most self-transcending and gives a satisfying sense of fulfillment.

2. Serious Demands. Following Jesus is more than listening to a beloved teacher. It is a challenge to be transformed into his likeness. That does not mean being a male, a Semitic type, even an itinerant preacher.

Entering into discipleship means an abandoning of self completely to his kind of life wherever that leads and whatever that may require. It is the kind of self-surrender that is the loss of all things an ego holds as supreme for the meaning of life. It usually means a radical change of lifestyle.

It is not something to which one commits on the basis of an emotional high or an impulse of the moment. Such a commitment requires a mature decision. It requires a dedication of reason, emotion, and will to a sustained endeavor to submerge oneself in the life of Christ, whatever that requires or means. Jesus wanted his followers in the days of his flesh to consider carefully what discipleship meant. Christ asks no less today.

3. Fighting Life's Battles. Jesus rejected the fighting of battles in the way of the king whom he used to illustrate the parable. He calls his disciples to a different style of fighting. It is no less important to consider what resources are needed for the battle or for undertaking any major project on behalf of Christ.

As persons join the army of the lamb, they should consider what resources they have for the battle. They need to garner all the spiritual resources available to engage the powers of evil. They need the life of prayer to keep them on course. They need the study of scriptures to know the strategies Jesus would use. They need the fellowship of other believers as troops to oppose the forces that oppose God's kingdom.

Above all, warriors for Christ against sin and evil need the love that God bestows. They need the love which enables them to sacrifice even life itself if necessary to witness to and serve God's love that extends even to the enemy. Only the power of this love conquers fear and hate and grants the eternal victory.

Illustrative Materials

1. False Priorities. A recent proposal brought forward in Congress was to require children to use their resources to support parents who need to be in a nursing home and have already exhausted their resources. The proposal does not serve family values. Will it not bankrupt three generations: the parents, their children, and the children of their children?

2. Hating Life. Discipleship frees one from the commitment to those false ends which have no ultimate value. It would keep persons from the kind of fanatic ethnic or patriotic loyalty that leads to suicide bombers such as in Lebanon and Israel, kamikaze pilots from Japan in World War II, and young boys who are recruited for tribal warfare in Africa. None of these is of ultimate value and worthy of the final sacrifice. Only the kingdom of God will exist when all ethnic groups, countries, and tribes have passed away.

3. Counting the Cost. Credit card debt in this country has reached record levels. People are unwilling to postpone gratification and thereby get themselves caught in paying exorbitant interest rates. They dig themselves deeper and deeper into debt since they so often cannot afford the interest rates if they could not afford the original expense that leads to the debt.

In the same way, escalating expenses for military security are leading to a bankruptcy of the country as interest on the national debt becomes the largest expense in the budget.

4. Figuring the Costs in Advance. A farmer wanted to shift into the business of raising chickens since it would bring in more cash than general farming. He spent hours figuring the costs of the buildings. He got down to figuring how many nails it would take to put up the buildings. He talked to all the people he could contact about how best to construct the needed facilities both to save costs and to have quality buildings. He looked at what all it would take to feed the chickens, take care of possible diseases, and maximize the possibility for profit from his investment. Only then did he commit himself to go into the business.

Should Christians do less in considering the cost of discipleship?

5. Failure to Count Costs. In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a four-lane highway leads nowhere. It dead ends in the middle of farm country with no connection to anything. A bypass around Ft. Wayne, Indiana, was held up for a number of months because a connecting road could not be made. It was finally opened with an interchange at the location, but the exit ramps go nowhere except into a field. No one had calculated the costs for these roads and so they sit idle and unfinished.