For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it… Luke 14:28
When I was about ten years old I asked my dad in the middle of the day for a bowl of ice cream. He agreed I could have it IF I first ate one of his oysters packed in mustard oil sauce. To this day I’ve never asked him why that was the trade-off, but I suspect he wanted to say no to my request, but as a parent he wanted ME to make the decision so he didn’t have to be the bad guy; or, perhaps he just wanted to see how much I *REALLY* wanted that ice cream, as he knew whatever was in that can was G-R-O-S-S! Nevertheless, I had a choice to make…did I ingest one of those slimy sea creatures for the sweet, sweet taste of delicious tin roof sundae ice cream (my favorite!) or did I cease to persist in my request? It was a no-brainer for me…I LOVE ice cream! Sometimes you have to choke down a few oysters to get your prize!
I didn’t realize I was learning a valuable, biblical lesson that Jesus is trying to teach His disciples here; that whether you realize it or not, everything has a cost. It may not be as ridiculous or apparent as my dad’s oysters-for-ice cream deal, but for every yes you are saying, there is a price.
Next week, I’ll share a few of the costs of being a disciple of Jesus.