31 “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? 32 And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. 33So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.Leading up to this point in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus had been doing pretty much what he always did during his earthly ministry... teaching and preaching about the kingdom of God... and healing people from their infirmities. As a bonus to the common people, Jesus was also taking on the time-honored, yet misguided (i.e., misinterpreted) teachings of the Pharisees in regard to what it means to worship God the Father. Just a few paragraphs before the above text, Jesus healed a man with swelling in his legs. OMG... Jesus "worked" on the Sabbath... what a heretic!
Well, anyway... let's get back to his rather cryptic teaching about negotiating the terms of surrender to a more powerful king. Here's a question: What the heck is Jesus talking about in this passage? I tell you... this guy makes no sense sometimes. He gets a crowd of people following him around the countryside, hanging on his every word... then he goes and starts talking about the need to carry a cross if they want to be a disciple of this particular rabbi. Carry a cross? Really? That would be something like me standing in the pulpit at The River and telling people that if they want to be members of this church, they'll have to carry around a 12-foot length of rope with a noose wherever they go. That ought to bring people in to our church by the busload, huh?
But Jesus isn't in the church marketing business. He constantly warns us of what it means to follow Him. Count the cost. Following the Lord may lead to your death. You may be persecuted. You may be mocked. You may be teased and laughed at. You may be left out of social circles. You may be criticized, or shouted down, or be made the brunt of cruel jokes... or... or... or...
And that's just what the world will hand you. You'll also find the same kinds of enemies of the cross in your own family... and even in the church body. No matter who they are... the people who hate Jesus will hate you if you take up your cross and follow Him, pure and simple. You will be the stench of death to them. On the other hand, the people who are drawn to Jesus will be drawn to you if you take up your cross and follow Him. Your life and witness will be the beautiful aroma of abundant life to them.
But once again... I digress. The king with a small army. The king with a large army. The terms of surrender. The negotiation. The peace treaty. What's Jesus getting at... and how in the world does it relate to discipleship?
Are you a king? Do you reign over your own life? Are you the ultimate power in your existence on earth? Are you a nation of one? If so, are you powerful and effective? Is your kingdom a safe place? Are you at peace? Here's a deeper question: Deep down, are you satisfied with the way your life is going? Are you happy? Does your life mean anything, o king?
Here's the good news or bad news... depending on your heart's response. There's another king in a nearby land. He's a powerful king. He has a vast army of powerful warriors that dwarf yours. He is good, but nevertheless, he is dangerous and somewhat unpredictable. To this point, he has made himself known to you, but pretty much left you alone. He could at any time utterly and completely destroy you without warning. But he's a patient king... and frankly, he would prefer that you came to him to discuss a peaceful resolution, rather than engaging you in warfare. He doesn't take pleasure in lopsided victories. But please, o king... do not for a moment take his patience and mercy as some form of weakness. If you desire peace, he will grant it - on his terms, and his terms only. You will need to become completely subjected to him... and he will demand that give you allegiance to his kingdom, and his alone. If you negotiate peace with him, he will eventually put you in his army and put you to work for his cause. Life won't be easy if you join him... but nevertheless, it will be great.
On the other hand, o king, if you choose to go up against him and try to defeat him... you will be destroyed. Oh, You might win a skirmish or two... but trust me, he'll only be playing with you. He's far and away more powerful and more strategic than you could ever hope to be. He's in no hurry to overtake you... but once he does decide to move in to your territory, he will overwhelm you and make you forever regret your decision to fight him.
So do yourself a favor, o king. Surrender to him. He's too powerful, too brilliant, too much for you. Don't wait for him to come to you with violent abandon... instead, assess your situation... weigh the odds... negotiate a treaty of peace with him, and allow him to be your king while there is still time. Stop fighting to maintain your own kingdom... it's barren and dry... and whether you know it or not, you're bankrupt. What kind of kingdom is that? He's so much better at it than you are.
What are you waiting for? Death?
