Luke the beloved physician wrote about Jesus, “there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he has 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. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sits not down first, and consults whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?”, and in chapter fourteen and verse thirty-two of his book Luke shared how Jesus declared how the king, “sends an ambassage, and desires conditions of peace” where we read:
Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an ambassage, and desires conditions of peace.
The verse reads, “Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, ...” Luke began with the words, “or else” or “unless, whether and if”, “while the other” which means “during the time when the other king” “is yet a great way off” or “is still a far and long distance away”. Luke shared how Jesus said when the “king” who considers his ability with ten thousand troops to battle a king with twenty thousand troops will begin to do the following while that “king” is a great distance away.
The verse goes on to say, “... he sends an ambassage, and desires conditions of peace.” Luke continued with the words, “he sends an ambassage” or “the king with ten thousand troops dismisses, appoints and sends away an ambassador or eldership”, “and desires” which means “and wants, requests, begs, entreats and beseeches” “conditions of peace” or “the advantage, regard and positions belonging to calm and tranquility”. Luke shared how the “king” with the fewer “troops” will send an “ambassador” to negotiate a “peace treaty” with the “king” with more troops.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn what Jesus said the “king” with “ten thousand” troops would do when he determined he would not be able to defeat the “king” with “twenty thousand” troops. The “king” would send an ambassador to negotiate a “peace treaty” with the other “king” so they would not have to go to battle. God wants people to live at “peace” with Him through a relationship with His Son Jesus Christ, and those who yield to Him have counted the cost and align with His purpose for their life.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “so likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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