Inherent Suffering
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 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.” ~ Luke 14:28-30
A thorough reading and examination of the four gospels reveals a truth about the teachings of Jesus Christ. During his incarnation, he spoke core words of truth to set our foundation for understanding eternal salvation. Those words were vital to the early disciples and continue to be of great importance today. Yet, the vast majority of the ministry of Jesus Christ focused on practical living. His teachings provided a guidebook for disciples in any age for day-to-day living.
Luke chapter fourteen includes a miracle and two lessons that take place at a Sabbath Day feast in the house of one of the chief Pharisees. The events recorded by Luke are examples of Christ teaching the congregation about mercy and empathy. They are reminders of how Jesus showed us that obeying him means taking care of the poor and less fortunate. These are beautiful lessons that establish the context for our study verses.
As Jesus departs from the house of the chief of the Pharisees a large congregation follows him. Based on the text, they are professing to be disciples and to follow after him. As they journey, Jesus stops the crowd and begins to teach another lesson. In this lesson he emphasizes the necessity of disciples being ready to sacrifice, possibly everything, to follow after Christ. The lesson is taught using a parable of a man building a tower. In the natural sense, Jesus highlights that a person planning to build something would first estimate the costs. They would ensure there are enough funds available to finish the tower. If the person neglected to do so and was left to abandon the tower half built they would be the mockery of the entire community.
This lesson was particularly important for 1st and 2nd generation disciples of Jesus Christ. The tower in the parable signifies following Jesus Christ as a disciple. The lesson being taught is that being a disciple of Christ has costs and sacrifices. For those early disciples, it was a promise that they were going to suffer persecution, loss, and maybe even death. The persecution would come at the hands of their fellow citizens, neighbors, friends, and possibly even family. Because of this, Jesus tells these disciples they must count the cost of discipleship. They should do this before they start on that journey. Failure to do so could cause them to quit along the way which would be worse than not starting at all. This teaching of Jesus was not meant to frighten them or to discourage discipleship. Rather, it was meant to speak with honesty and empathy to those following him.
The power of this lesson is often lost with the modern believer, especially in America. Disciples in America have not experienced large-scale tribulation resulting from belief in and following Jesus Christ. This has been true for generations. Certainly, some fearmongers have tried to portray that it is happening or is likely to happen, but disciples in America do not have a concept of persecution or tribulation on a large scale. As a result, the concept of making sacrifices as a disciple has become lost. All too often, sacrifices or dedication to God take the form of setting aside time for bible reading or attending church on Sunday mornings. Those are important activities, but they are a minimal reasonable service, not sacrifices.
The fallout is truly dangerous when Americans lose touch with the costs of discipleship. This leads to the adoption of another view. Directly or indirectly, it is common today to hear disciples speak in a way that equates faithfulness to a lack of tribulation. This view of life and faith is not meant to be destructive, but it erodes real faith nonetheless. Take a few examples: with a natural disaster, it is common to hear people praying that God will stop it from happening. When people are sick, the prayer is almost always for healing. If someone is hurting emotionally or physiologically, the prayer is for their recovery. All of these prayers are offered genuinely, but in their own way, they deny that tribulation is a constant in life. Certainly, God can answer those prayers and perform those miracles. But God’s care and providence are no less wonderful if he calms during the storm. His care is evident when he provides mercy to deal with sickness. Compassion is shown when God provides comfort to the one hurting.
Ultimately, Jesus, through this lesson, was warning his disciples to avoid a transactional approach to faith. A transactional approach to faith can flow in one of two directions. First, the disciple senses a blessing from God and, therefore, increases their actions in discipleship. Second, the disciple increases their actions in discipleship to elicit a blessing from God. Either way, this transactional view of faith makes blessings dependent on good works and good works dependent on blessings. The message from Christ is that sometimes life will be filled with tribulation. This happens no matter the amount of spiritual work you do. The message is a reminder that suffering in this life is inherent and the blessings of God are not removing that suffering. Rather, they are the mercy, compassion, love, and hope necessary to live through the suffering and continue loving one another.
In the parable, Jesus says a wise man, before he starts to build a tower, would do the necessary work to estimate the costs. In application, a wise disciple would prepare themselves for the suffering, loss, and sacrifice necessary to follow Christ. In the days, weeks, or months where the path is smoother, the disciple should rejoice. However, they must keep in mind that their faith and God’s providence are not diminished when that smooth path ends. Let us remember as disciples that suffering is an inherent aspect of life and, thus, our love for one another is all the more important.
(Biographical: Elder Jeremiah Cunningham is Pastor of the Amarillo Primitive Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas. He is also the author of a series of commentaries on the book of Luke which are available through Amazon. You can find more of his writings on www.amarillopbc.org)
