Or
what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy, and asks for conditions of peace. So therefore whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple. Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Luke 14:31-35
Luke 14 [25.] Now great multitudes were going with him. He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple. Whoever doesn’t bear his own cross, and come after me, can’t be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him,
Luke 14 [30.] saying, ‘This man began to build, and wasn’t able to finish.’ Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy, and asks for conditions of peace. So therefore whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple. Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Luke 15 [1.] Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him. The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them.”
Meaning:
Jesus was speaking to the great crowds that followed him on the way to Jerusalem. He had told them that a disciple must put him before family and even his own life (Luke 14:25-26) and must carry his cross. Then he gave the picture of a man who started a tower and could not finish it (Luke 14:27-30). Here he adds a second picture, a king facing war, and ends with a warning about salt. Together they teach that following Jesus is a serious decision to be made with open eyes.
- “will not sit down first and consider”
A king with ten thousand soldiers facing an army of twenty thousand must think carefully before marching out. Scripture praises such wisdom: “Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war!” (Proverbs 20:18). If he cannot win, the wise course is to send an envoy “and asks for conditions of peace” while the other army is still far away. The tower builder counts his money; the king counts his strength. Both must face reality before they begin.
- “whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has”
This is the application of both pictures. Some see in the stronger king a picture of God, against whom no one can stand: the wise response is to seek peace with him on his terms. The terms are total: a disciple gives up the claim to own anything apart from Christ. This does not always mean selling every possession, though Jesus asked that of a rich ruler (Luke 18:22). It means everything is placed at his disposal. Paul described it this way: “I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).
- “Salt is good”
Salt was used to preserve food, to season it and even, in small amounts, to fertilize soil. The salt of that region was often mixed with other minerals, and if the real salt was washed out, what remained was “flat and tasteless.” Such salt was useless, “fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile,” and was thrown out. Jesus used the same image in Matthew: “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted?” (Matthew 5:13). A disciple who loses his devotion to Christ loses the very thing that made him useful.
- “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Jesus often ended with this call, as after the parable of the sower (Luke 8:8). It invites the crowd to stop merely listening and to respond.
The Significance of Luke 14:31-35
- Count the cost, and the gain
Jesus never hid the cost of following him. Yet the one who gives up all gains Christ himself, and with him a life that is preserved and useful.
- Faithful to the end
The danger in these sayings is not only failing to begin but beginning and then losing heart. Jesus calls for a commitment that lasts, like salt that keeps its flavor.
Cross-References:
Mark 9:50: “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it?” Mark’s saying on salt.
Matthew 5:13: “You are the salt of the earth,” The disciple’s calling in the world.
Philippians 3:7: “I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ.” Renouncing all for Christ.
Luke 18:22: “Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor.” A disciple’s test for one rich man.
Conclusion: With the picture of a king who weighs his strength before battle, Jesus taught that anyone who wants to follow him must count the cost and be ready to renounce all that he has. A disciple who loses his devotion is like salt that has lost its taste and is thrown out. Those with ears to hear should give Christ everything and keep their saltiness to the end.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible