Luke 14:30
Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
Incomplete building projects were common enough in the ancient world to serve as proverbial examples of poor planning. Roman satirists like Juvenal mocked wealthy patrons whose grandiose building schemes exceeded their resources. Jewish wisdom literature emphasized the importance of finishing what one starts (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5).
Jesus' use of this everyday image makes His point accessible to all hearers, from peasant to Pharisee. The shame of public mockery in an honor/shame culture cannot be overstated—reputation was everything. An unfinished tower stood as permanent testimony to the builder's folly. Jesus teaches that incomplete discipleship results in similar permanent shame, though of infinitely greater consequence—eternal exclusion from God's kingdom for those who professed but did not persevere.
Questions for Reflection
- How does this warning challenge the modern evangelical tendency to emphasize initial decisions for Christ without equal emphasis on perseverance?
- What resources has Christ provided to ensure His true disciples have power to finish what the Spirit began (Philippians 1:6)?
- In what ways might you be building a Christian life on outward appearance rather than the hidden foundation of genuine faith that endures?
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Analysis & Commentary
Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. The mockers' taunt houtos ho anthrōpos ērxato oikodomein kai ouk ischysen ektelesai (οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἤρξατο οἰκοδομεῖν καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἐκτελέσαι, "this man began to build and was not strong to finish") captures the essence of failed discipleship. The demonstrative houtos (οὗτος, "this") points derisively; the contrast between ērxato (ἤρξατο, "began") and ouk ischysen ektelesai (οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἐκτελέσαι, "was not able to finish") emphasizes incompletion.
The verb ischuō (ἰσχύω, "to be strong, to have power") appears in its negative form—the builder lacked strength to complete what he started. This is precisely what happens to disciples who begin without counting the cost: initial enthusiasm wanes when trials come (Luke 8:13). The aorist tense of 'began' contrasts with the ongoing inability to finish—a moment's decision without sustained power leads to permanent shame.
This brief statement encapsulates the tragedy of incomplete discipleship. Jesus warns that the world will mock those who profess Christ but abandon Him when the cost becomes clear. Better to never profess than to profess and apostatize. The Puritan phrase 'temporary faith' describes this—a spurious belief that produces visible fruit for a season but lacks root to endure (Hebrews 6:4-6). Christ's true sheep persevere to the end (John 10:28-29); those who fall away prove they were never truly His (1 John 2:19).