Unable to Finish the Tower - Luke 14:29

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?”, and in chapter fourteen and verse twenty-seven of his book Luke shared how Jesus says, “after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it” where we read:

Lest haply, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it,

all that behold it begin to mock him,

The verse reads, “Lest haply, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, ...” Luke began with the words, “Lest haply” or “in order that or perhaps”, “he has laid the foundation” which means “the person intended to build a tower has set in place and put down the first substructure of a building”, “and is not able to finish it” or “and is unable and is incapable of completing the tower”. Luke shared how Jesus referred to the builder who does not “count the cost” and discovers he cannot complete his tower after finishing it's “foundation”.

The verse continues, “... all that behold it begin to mock him,” Luke added words, “all that behold it” or “each, every, the whole and everyone who looks upon and observes the unfinished tower” “began to mock him” which means “starts to play with, trifle with and delude the man who was building the tower”. Luke shared how Jesus said everyone who observes the unfinished tower would “trifle” the man who desired to build it.

When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn what would happen with the man who only completes the “foundation” of a “tower” and does not count the cost of building all of it. People who look upon the incomplete construction will begin to “mock” the builder because he did not appraise the “cost” of it. God desires to have a relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and when they yield their lives to Him, there is a “cost” for doing so. Those who do not “count the costs” are subject to have “incomplete” relationships with God, and because Jesus gave this parable to His disciples, He demonstrated His desire for people to be “complete” in their relationship with Him.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus declares people will say, “this man began to build, and was not able to finish” Jesus, 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".