The tower

This week is on Luke 14:25-30:

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

These verses remind me of the ill-fated mall expansion project in my city. A famous mall developer made a bunch of promises to double the size of the mall and turn it into some multi-billion dollar worldwide tourist attraction. I know, it sounds completely nuts, but the local politicians fell for his pitch and gave him a thirty year tax break in anticipation of the wheelbarrows of money the guy would be bringing in. Needless to say, things didn't play out like that, and so every time people go to the mall, they see a giant empty shell and realize what idiots this guy and the local leaders were. His legacy is foolishness. Nobody looks at an abandoned, half-built tower and thinks words of praise for its builder.

Saying something isn't the same as doing it. Popeye's friend Wimpy would always say "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." It sounds like a fair deal, until you take into account that Wimpy is never able to pay his bills. We can end up doing the same thing when we don't count the costs of what we agree to. "I'll gladly do the work Tuesday, for the thing I'm being praised for agreeing to today."

Jesus had churchy people following him around and being all like "Yes Lord! Yes Lord!" but without actually finding out what they were agreeing to. They wanted to look holy, and to be seen as following Christ, but they hadn't counted the costs of what they were signing up for. They just wanted the attention and the feelings of grandeur that come with agreeing to a big task. The word 'politician' comes to mind. "Sure, I'll end all wars, bring prosperity and unite the people! Absolutely! Just vote for me (and once I'm in office, then I'll try to figure out if it's possible.)"

The problem is that being a Christian is hard. Jesus mentions the tower story right after talking about having to bear a cross in order to follow him. A cross is the manifestation of being prosecuted as a hated criminal. If you're looking to be popular, or prosperous, or free, you may be disappointed in the Christian life. Jesus was none of those things. Before you say "Yes Lord!" take a moment and think about what it is you're signing up for.

In order to study, follow, and imitate Christ, you've got to be willing to go where he went and endure the sorts of things he endured. Don't sign up to be a blacksmith if you don't like heat. Don't agree to become a doctor if you hate blood. Don't quit your job to become a landscaper if you've got bad hay fever. These are all common sense decisions, but people throw it away when it comes to religion. People who would never go around telling people they're going to be an astronaut will go around telling people they're going to be a missionary to African warlords, before they've even considered the fact that it could cost them their life. Then when it comes down to actually going, they freak out, backpedal, and end up like the guy who made all of the big promises to build the three hundred acre megaplex and instead delivered an ugly fenced-in warehouse.

Before you agree to something in God's kingdom, ask yourself if you are really willing to go all the way. It's better to say no, and then reconsider than it is to promise you'll do it and never deliver. Jesus himself says to count the cost. He doesn't want blind obedience. He wants willing, informed, mature obedience. He wants people who know what it could cost them and who are willing to do it anyway. Are you that person?