Luke 14:28-30

Rachel Workman: ²⁸ “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? ²⁹ Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. ³⁰ They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

I can't imagine the cost being too much. Not when the reward is salvation.

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John Burnett:  ²⁸ For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’  The cost of being a Disciple was to give all.  They had to decide if the cost was prohibitive to them finishing the race.  This was hard because we cannot fathom how great the reward we will receive for finishing the race and overcoming the world.  The lowest position in heaven is exponentially better than anything here on earth so it really should be an easy decision.  Unfortunately, we love our things, family, and ourselves more than we love God but in His mercy and grace, He overlooks these sins when we repent and put our trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

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Mike Grimm:  Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

When a builder doesn’t count the cost or estimates it inaccurately, his building may be left half completed. Will our life be only half built and then abandoned because we did not count the cost of commitment to Jesus? What are those costs? As Christians, we may face loss of social status or wealth. We may have to give up control of our money, our time, or our career. We may be hated, separated from our family, and even put to death. Following Christ does not mean a trouble-free life. We must carefully count the cost of becoming Christ’s disciples so that we will know what we are getting into and won’t be tempted later to turn back.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Luke 14:31-33

³¹ “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? ³² And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. ³³ So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.