Luke 14:28 Meaning and Explanation
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus compares discipleship to building a tower: the wise builder first sits down and counts the cost to see whether he can finish.
What Does Luke 14:28 Mean?
Jesus gives the crowd the first of two pictures of deliberation. A man intends to build a tower — a vineyard watchtower or farm building. Before one stone is laid he sits down, reckons the expense, and asks the sober question: is there enough to finish?
Jesus asks for considered commitment, not a burst of feeling. He wants followers who have weighed him against everything else and still said yes — for that yes survives weather that enthusiasm does not. Counting the cost is not doubt; it is the honesty that makes finishing possible. He invites the calculation because he intends to be chosen with open eyes.
Luke 14:28 in the Original Language
psephizo (ψηφίζω), 'counteth' -- to calculate or reckon up, originally by counting with pebbles.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 14:28
What does Luke 14:28 mean?
Jesus compares discipleship to building a tower: the wise builder first sits down and counts the cost to see whether he can finish.