Resolute Response to Counting the Cost

Luke 14:15-35

The Parable of the Great Supper

15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

16 Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.' 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' 20 Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.' 22 And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.' 23 Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'"

Leaving All to Follow Christ

25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish'? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Tasteless Salt Is Worthless

34 "Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Devotion to God is the goal and direction of the life for everyone who desires to follow Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord.  The parables of the invitation to the great supper of the Master and the salt keeping its intended flavor and purpose are sandwiched around the call to follow Jesus at all costs.  The supper Jesus spoke of was one where the Master invited many to come and dine with Him as if to point to Psalm 34:8 as a picture of being invited to eat with the Lord Himself.  Unfortunately, these in the picture painted by the Lord all turned Him down with lame excuses out of a probable fear of committing to devotion to the one inviting them.  When the sent servant returned alone to the one who sent him with the disappointing news that all refused the free offer of tasting and seeing how good the Master was, the Master then was wrathful on their rejection of Him and His offer of grace to the people of the realm.  He therefore sent the faithful servant back out to bring the message to those outcasts (a picture of the Gentiles) not of the chosen people (a picture of Israel who rejected the Lord) to invite them to engage in His grace of the presence and provision of the Master to them as they were acutely aware of their need of this dinner at the Master’s table.  Since there were still places available after these were invited in, the servant was sent to compel others to come and dine with Him, those who were along the roadside and seemingly homeless who knew their need and were exceedingly grateful for that goodn offered them, just as we who know Christ acknowledge our need of Him and desire to taste and see that the Lord is good.  The original invitees were rejected from ever coming back to partake of that goodness because they had rejected the Master.  It will be this way in the end at the judgment for all who have rejected the Son and therefore the Lord and Master (Luke 10:16, John 5:23) of all who calls people of every nation (Acts 13:46-47) who He has invited and not rejected Him.  The call to all was to follow unreservedly and without excuse in clinging to the world and not dying to self on the cross with Him (Galatians 2:20) that they may follow wherever He leads.  This means that we who are called in the gospel to Christ cannot even put our own families above Him and the gospel as we bear the cross of death to self and life in and to Him.  Bearing our cross does not mean we suffer the problems of life and just have to endure them, it means a total rejection of living for our interests over His desires for our lives, a sacrifice on the cross alongside and with Jesus who emptied His rights (Philippians 2:7-8) to do His Father’s will to lead the way for us to do likewise.  Jesus further illustrated this commitment by counting the cost to finish a building before beginning and determining the probability of winning a battle before rushing into the fray and losing all along in defeat along the way.  He said these things to impress upon us the necessity of counting the cost of being a true follower of Him by being willing to forsake everything we have and hold dear if necessary that we might go with Him wherever He leads, even to suffering and death if it lies along that path.  Are we committed with devotion to the Lord to follow while nailed to the cross with Him in humility and willing obedience?  We must be resolute to season the world with this new life (Matthew 28:19-20) in the message we hold to and hold out for others (Philippians 2:16, Titus 1:9) that they may also hear (2 Timothy 2:2) and count the cost to follow Him along with us.