Devotional activity for children, with one card/story a day.
Life of Jesus Cards, Part 8
Category: English
Stories Jesus Told: Counting the Cost
The Stories Jesus Told: Counting the Cost
Jesus told two short but powerful back-to-back parables regarding discipleship and the need to think carefully about the cost of following Him.
The first parable says:
“Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’’’ (Luke 14:28-30)
The phrasing beginning with “which of you” is a rhetorical question, which expects the response to be “no one.” The unspoken understanding is that no one with any sense would build a building without first estimating the cost and determining whether they had enough money to complete it.
Throughout Scripture we read of various towers. Some seemed to be built for military purposes:
I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower. (Habakkuk 2:1)
For the Lord of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up … against every high tower, and against every fortified wall. (Isaiah 2:12-15)
You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. (Psalm 61:3)
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10)
Sometimes towers were used for agricultural purposes:
He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it. (Isaiah 5:2)
He began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country.” (Mark 12:1)
In the context of this parable, Jesus was most likely referring to a tower that would be used for agricultural purposes. The landowner has good intentions. Building a tower will be beneficial to him. In addition to being able to better protect his crops or animals from thieves and predators, he will also gain respect from his neighbors for improving his property. However, if such a man is foolish enough to not estimate the costs and calculate whether he has sufficient resources to complete his tower, he will be seen as foolish and suffer ridicule.
In the culture of that time, being held in honor was very important, while shame was to be avoided at all costs. The consequence of such poor planning would be that everyone who saw the uncompleted building would mock the man by pointing out his failure and foolishness.
When Jesus said that the man who didn’t count the cost of constructing his building would be mocked, the inference was that he would lose his prestige, be the town’s laughingstock, and be ridiculed. Jesus was challenging those He was calling to follow Him to consider the commitment they were going to make, and what it actually entailed—to weigh up the cost of discipleship, and to make a wise and well-thought-out decision, rather than a commitment they wouldn’t be able to keep.
The twin to this parable says:
Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. (Luke 14:31-32)
While this second parable makes the same point as the first, the decision of the king risks the lives of ten thousand soldiers, and his own as well, so the stakes are much higher. The man who doesn’t count the cost of the tower only faces shame and ridicule, whereas the king faces the possibility of losing his life, the lives of many soldiers, and his kingdom.
Although the risks are greater in the second parable, the same point is made. The king must wisely assess the situation. He has only half the number of troops as his adversary. In order to win, his troops would need to be much more skilled than the soldiers they would face. They would also have to be extraordinarily brave to confidently face an army twice their size. In addition, he’d also need to consider whether it’s possible that they could have some other kind of advantage—familiarity with the terrain and weather conditions, better supply lines, a more friendly civilian population, etc.—to compensate for the disparity in numbers. The king must decide whether the conditions exist for his soldiers to win the day, and whether this is a battle worth fighting.
The king would need to sit down first and deliberate before making such a decision. The Greek word translated as deliberate in this version of the Bible is translated in other versions as consulteth, decide, take counsel, and sit down with his counselors to discuss. A wise leader would both ponder the matter himself and listen to the counsel of others. If it becomes clear that the risk is too great and the likelihood of defeat is high, then he would be wise to de-escalate the situation while the superior army is still a great distance away. In such a case, the king would send a delegation to the superior army to request terms of peace.
The first parable makes the point that someone considering being a disciple of Jesus should count the cost, to see if they have what it takes to be a disciple. This second parable advises one to consider the chances of success before deciding to make an important decision such as committing to discipleship. These parables both challenge a person who is contemplating discipleship to assess their situation, so that when they make the decision to follow Jesus, they do so having carefully thought it through.
When we read about Jesus calling His first disciples, we are impressed by how they dropped everything and followed Him.
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-22)
While they did immediately follow when He called, this call wasn’t necessarily their first encounter with Him. In the Gospel of John we read that Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, met Jesus and spent the day with Him. The next morning he found his brother Peter, and told him “We have found the Messiah.” (John 1:38-42) There is no Indication that Peter or Andrew followed Jesus at that time. In Luke, we read that Jesus was teaching on the shore of the Lake of Gennesaret when He noticed two boats close to the shore and the fishermen on the shore cleaning their nets. Jesus got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon (Peter). When He was finished teaching, He told Simon to go out to where the water was deeper and cast his net. When he did, he caught a large number of fish and Asked James and John, his partners, to come into their boat and help. It is at this time that we’re told that Peter left everything and followed Jesus. (Luke 5:1-11)
Elsewhere in the Gospels, we see examples of how Jesus cautioned those who wanted to follow Him by pointing out the cost of discipleship:
A scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:19-22)
Jesus was not seeking for masses to follow Him. He was searching for those who would follow Him, not because of His popularity, feeding the hungry, and doing miracles, but because they deeply believed in who He was. He warned them to face the potential consequences of discipleship, to think about the demands it would make, and to make sure they understood what it required. Then, having considered all the potential challenges, hardships, and sacrifices, He called them to make the informed decision to follow. He wasn’t trying to discourage people from choosing discipleship, but He was encouraging them to thoughtfully consider what it means.
Making the choice to follow Jesus is a choice to restructure our lives in conjunction with His teachings. It means changing the way we think, prioritizing what we give our time, energy, and money to. It changes our relationships and how we interact with others, as we are called to become less self-centered. It’s a call to radically reorder our lives, so much so that we are willing to die for Him if need be. It’s a lifelong commitment, and one that shouldn’t be made lightly. As Jesus illustrated in these parables, anyone making the decision to be a disciple should take a hard look at what it means, assess the potential impact on their life and the lives of their loved ones, recognize the challenges, and then, if they are up for it, wholeheartedly make the decision to follow Him.
The Parables of Jesus for Children: Coloring Book
Updated to include new stories! Click here to read/download this children’s book in color.
Stories Jesus Told: The Great Banquet
The Great Banquet
The setting in which Jesus told the parable of the great banquet was a Sabbath meal that He was eating at the house of a prominent Pharisee. During the meal, He gave some instruction about invitations to banquets, noting that one shouldn’t limit one’s guests to only those who could reciprocate by later inviting the host to a meal. He said:
When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. (Luke 14:13-14)
Upon hearing this, someone at the table responded:
“Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” (Luke 14:15)
In saying this, the person at the table was opening the door for Jesus to explain His views about what was known as the “messianic banquet”— the Jewish understanding of what would occur at the end of time.
The book of Isaiah speaks about this banquet:
On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 25:6-8)
While this passage refers to all people being at the feast and all people having their tears wiped away, by Jesus’ time the common understanding among the Jewish people was that these verses excluded Gentiles (non-Jews). Jesus, however, had a different view of who would sit at the “messianic table.” Rather than responding as would have been expected, by saying something about keeping the Mosaic law and how the law keepers would sit with the Messiah at the banquet, Jesus told them a story.
“A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses.
The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ (Luke 14:16-20)
In those days, when someone was hosting a banquet, an initial invitation would be given informing those invited as to the day of the feast. At the time of this initial invitation, those invited would say whether they could come or not, and when agreeing to come they were making a commitment.
Everyone listening to the story understood that the refusal to come was a deliberate insult to the host. He was being publicly shamed in the eyes of his village. The excuses given for not honoring their commitment are lame and unacceptable.
The first guest’s excuse is ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it.’ Those listening to the parable know that this is a bold-faced lie. Buying property sight unseen was unheard of.
Another guest gives the excuse that he has bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. This is another lame excuse. Before purchasing a team of oxen, the buyer would go to the seller’s land, yoke the oxen together, and do some plowing. He would need to test their strength and see if they will plow together, and if not, he wouldn’t buy them.
The third guest says he has married a wife and therefore he can’t come. He’s telling the host that even though the meal is in the late afternoon and he will only be away from home for a few hours and will be back in the arms of his new bride that evening, he won’t come, as other activities have priority to him. He doesn’t even bother to ask to be excused; he simply states that he can’t come. This is extremely rude and offensive.
The beginning of the parable tells us that many were invited to the banquet, and also that they all alike began to make excuses. The three who refused to attend the banquet are representative, and the original listeners would have understood that others who originally committed to coming also made excuses in order to not attend.
When the master of the house recognizes that the guests’ intent is to shame and humiliate him, he justifiably becomes angry. Under the circumstances, he could respond with verbal insults or even threaten some action which would punish those who have attacked his personal honor in public. However, though he is angry, he responds with grace instead of vengeance.
So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” (Luke 14:22-24)
The host decides to invite those who could never reciprocate—the poor, maimed, blind, and lame. In framing the parable in this way, Jesus makes reference to the outcasts within Israel, the common people who were gladly receiving His message.
The banquet is not yet full; there is still room for others. The master then instructs him to go beyond the town to find outsiders, those not members of the community, and to compel them to come to the feast.
The idea of “compelling” these folks doesn’t mean that they are being forced to attend. Because of social customs, these outsiders must refuse the unexpected invitation, especially if they are of lower social status than the host. They are not relatives or even neighbors of the host; they are outsiders, and there is no way they can reciprocate, so according to society’s rules, they must refuse. Knowing this, the servant must take each one by the arm and gently guide him along, in order to demonstrate that the invitation is genuine.
The last phrase of the parable, For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet, may have been addressed to the Pharisees Jesus was dining with, rather than being part of the parable. The “you” in “for I tell you” is plural. In the parable, the master of the house was previously speaking to the servant, so if this last line was part of the parable directed to the servant, the “you” would have been singular. Therefore, many commentators agree that Jesus addressed this last line to those He was eating with.
The question put forth in the parable is: who will be present at the banquet? Jesus’ answer was unexpected. The common Jewish belief was that anyone born of a Jewish mother was automatically going to be attending the “messianic banquet” by right of being Jewish. Jesus was making the point that those who assume they will be present at the endtime banquet may very well not be. In reality, attendance at the banquet is based on one’s response to God’s invitation.
Jesus taught this concept throughout the Gospels. He said:
I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. (Matthew 8:11-12)
Many throughout the world take it for granted that they will be in attendance at the banquet, thinking that they have the right beliefs, belong to the right group, do charitable works, are favorably looked upon by others, etc. However, Jesus’ teaching in this parable and elsewhere points out that those who expect to be there aren’t necessarily included, and many who don’t expect it are. We don’t attend the banquet on our terms. The invitation is to all, including the social outcasts and those we may be uncomfortable with.
The message of the kingdom is grace. There is nothing anyone can do to merit the invitation to the banquet. We are simply invited, and must only accept. It is through grace that we are saved. But each one must make the decision of whether to receive grace; of whether they will come to the party or not.
The Last Day
The Last Day
Jesus was aware that His time on earth was coming to a close. His mission on earth was nearly complete and He knew that He would soon be betrayed and executed. So how did He live during His last 24 hours?
He was humble. He set aside time with His disciples where He shared a meal with them. First, though, He welcomed each of them by washing their feet. Foot washing was a job generally given to the lowest servant. People walked around in sandals on dusty, muddy roads, so most feet were pretty grungy. But Jesus showed His disciples great love and humility by stooping to wash their feet. He made Himself a servant (John 13:5).
He was yielded and obedient. He faced the prospect of torture and death. It was so difficult and He prayed so desperately that He was sweating drops of blood. But He trusted that His Father knew best, and said, ”Not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:41–44).
He was unconditionally loving. He was betrayed, but He didn’t retaliate. He was mistreated, yet He didn’t lose His temper. Those closest to Him turned their backs on Him, but He didn’t react in anger. He was wrongfully accused and humiliated, but He held His tongue (Luke 22:45–71).
He was honest. When He was brought before His judges—first the Sanhedrin and then Pilate—they asked Him straight out, “Are you the Son of God?” He could have saved Himself a lot of pain and anguish by simply skirting the truth. But He upheld the truth, no matter what the cost (Luke 22:66–71; Luke 23:1–3).
He was forgiving. After being whipped, mocked, spit on, and dragged through the streets to hang on a cross, He said, “Father, forgive them.” He could have called down fire and lightning on His tormentors and cursed them for hurting the Son of God. But instead, He forgave them even as they mocked and insulted Him (Luke 23:34).
He was unselfish. Despite the agony of hanging on the cross, He took time to make sure His mother would be cared for. He took time to listen to the thief dying beside Him, and to reassure him as he died. Instead of thinking about Himself and the pain He was in, He thought of others and their well-being (Luke 23:39–43; John 19:25–27).
The way Jesus spent His last day was no different from the way He lived His whole life. That day, like every day, He found opportunities to love, to give, to forgive, and to share His Father’s love with others.
Adapted from Activated Magazine.
The Parables of Jesus for Children
Updated book of the Parables of Jesus for children. This book includes the following stories:
• The Parable of the Lost Sheep
• The Parable of the Prodigal Son
• The Parable of the Good Samaritan
• The Parable of the Rich Fool
• The Rich Man and Lazarus
• The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
• The Friend at Midnight
• The Parable of the Unjust Judge
• The Parable of the Mustard Seed
• The Parable of the Yeast
• The Parable of the Growing Seed
• The Unforgiving Servant
• The Wise Man and the Foolish Man
• The Parable of the Talents
• The Parable of the Sower
• The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
• The Parable of the Fishing Net
• The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Jesus Messiah
A free comic book of the life of Jesus for children, with easy-to-understand text and explanations of basic terms for new believers. Written and illustrated by Willem de Vink.
12 Foundation Stones Classes for Younger Children
The 12 Foundation Stones course will give your child a solid basis upon which to build his or her life. Wherever life leads in the future and whatever happens, your child will know Jesus as a close personal friend and have His promises to stand upon and His Word to light the way!
These classes are ideal for children ages 6 to 9 years old. Click here to download the “12 Foundation Stones” classes for older children (ages 9 an up)
Temptation in the Wilderness
Bible story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.
A Spiritual Exercise: Renewal of Spirit
“If anyone is in Christ,” the Bible tells us, “he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
That transformation begins the moment we invite Jesus into our hearts and lives, but it takes considerably longer for us to get into Jesus—to get completely immersed in Him and grounded in faith (Colossians 2:6-7). The more we do that, the more of our old thoughts and habits pass away, and the more “all things become new.”
What better time than Lent and Easter, the celebration of the ultimate rebirth, to get renewed in spirit?
Ask God to show you one or two ways in which you need to change or grow as a person. For example:
- Do you generally have a thankful, positive attitude, or do you tend to grumble about life’s difficulties?
- Do you set aside time to read God’s Word and think about how it applies to you, or do you fill your spare moments with TV or other entertainment?
- Do you pray for others who are experiencing hardships, or merely think about them sympathetically?
- Do you cheerfully give of yourself, or resent the sacrifices you sometimes need to make for the sake of others?
- Or is there some other area in which you need to change?
Now take a few minutes to commit these issues to Jesus in prayer. “Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
It takes time and consistent effort to break old habits, but once you acknowledge the need to change and ask Jesus to help, this promise is yours: “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it” (Philippians 1:6). As you do your part, He will do His.
Text adapted from Activated magazine. Art © TFI; background courtesy of Pixabay.