Parable of building the tower and waging war
The parable of building towers and waging war is a parable of Jesus , which is a special asset in the Gospel according to Luke .
text
The parable in the Luther translation (revised version from 1984):
"Because who is among you who wants to build a tower and does not sit down first and estimate the costs, whether he has enough to carry it out - so not when he has laid the foundation and cannot do it, all who see it, start scoffing at him, and say: This person has started building and can't do it? Or which king wants to get involved in a war against another king and does not sit down beforehand and hold advice, whether he can meet with ten thousand that who comes over him with twenty thousand? If not, he sends an embassy while the other is still away and asks for peace. So does everyone among you who do not renounce everything that you have, cannot be my disciple. "
interpretation
The parable emphasizes the difficulties and challenges of succession and at the same time challenges those who are willing to follow to examine whether they are ready for it. If they succeeded, but then had to give up again, they would make a fool of themselves and make Jesus and his preaching unbelievable. The last verse emphasizes that the disciples must also be willing to give up their own earthly possessions.
context
The parable is embedded in a speech Jesus gave about the price of discipleship. Immediately ahead of the parable is Jesus' proclamation that discipleship presupposes the readiness to radically turn away from everything that is important to one ( “But a great crowd went with him; and he turned around and said to them: If someone comes to me come and do not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters and in addition himself, he cannot be my disciple. ” Luke 14 : 25-26 Lu ). In addition, a disciple of Jesus must also be ready to share the suffering of Christ ( "And whoever does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." Lk 14:27 Lu ).
Immediately after the parable follows the comparison of the disciples with the vital but perishable salt. When the salt is no longer salted it will be thrown away. On the one hand, this emphasizes the importance of the disciples, on the other hand, it also underlines the high demands placed on them, which do not allow turning away from following Jesus ( Lk 14.34-35 EU ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Stuttgart Explanatory Bible. ISBN 3-438-01121-2 , 2nd edition 1992, German Bible Society Stuttgart , p. 1298