“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?” – Luke 14:28

 

In Luke 14:26–33, Jesus isn’t talking about a cost we need to plan for; he’s talking about a cost he planned for, for our sake. What did it cost Jesus to save the world? Thirty years in Nazareth; three years of fame, scandal, and hatred; the deep, unimaginable agony in Gethsemane; and, finally, the suffering at Calvary—the turning point of all time and eternity. Jesus Christ planned for this cost, so no one could say of him, “This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish” (v. 30).

 

Have you considered the cost of following Jesus? He makes it clear: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother … such a person cannot be my disciple” (v. 26). The only people Jesus will use in his great building projects are those who have been completely transformed by him: men and women who love him more than any of their closest family or friends. His conditions are tough, but they are wonderful.

 

Everything we build will be inspected by God. Will he find that we have built something of our own on the foundation of Jesus, something for our own benefit? These are times of great projects, times when many people are working hard for God—and that’s where the danger lies. We can never work for God. We can only give ourselves to Jesus and let him take control for his work. We have no right to tell our Lord where we will be or what we will do.

 

Pastor Chance