Luke 14:28

Analysis & Commentary

Jesus illustrates with a parable: 'For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?' The example of building a 'tower' (πύργον, pyrgon)—likely an agricultural watchtower for guarding crops—requires planning. The phrase 'sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost' (καθίσας πρῶτον ψηφίζει τὴν δαπάνην, kathisas prōton psēphizei tēn dapanēn) describes careful calculation before commencing. The question 'whether he have sufficient to finish it' (εἰ ἔχει εἰς ἀπαρτισμόν, ei echei eis apartismon) indicates the project requires full resources for completion. Jesus applies this to discipleship: count the cost before committing, because halfway commitment leaves you worse than if you'd never started.

Historical Context

Ancient building projects required significant planning and resources. Incomplete towers became monuments to foolish presumption. Similarly, professed Christians who start but don't finish become spectacles of failed faith, discrediting the gospel. Jesus warns against impulsive emotional commitment without understanding discipleship's demands. This teaching challenges superficial evangelism that rushes people into 'decisions' without explaining the gospel's cost. True conversion involves understanding and accepting that following Christ means losing your life to gain it (Luke 9:23-24). The parable encourages honest assessment: am I willing to pay the price of genuine discipleship?

Questions for Reflection

• How does this parable challenge evangelistic methods that emphasize easy-believism without explaining discipleship's cost?
• What does it mean to 'count the cost' before becoming a Christian?
• How can churches balance making the gospel accessible while honestly presenting its demands?