Luke 14:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

NIV: "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

NASB: Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

CSB: "Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?

NLT: 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?

KJV: Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

NKJV: Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Jesus provides another metaphor for a lifetime of following Him. He is teaching a crowd about the sacrifices they must make if they are to call themselves His disciples. They must be so faithful to Him that their love of family looks like hate in comparison. They must be willing to lay down their lives in humiliation. And they must be willing to give up everything they have: possessions, reputation, power, and position (Luke 14:25–27, 33).

In the first example, Jesus talked about the public shame a man will receive if he starts to build a tower without first considering if he has enough money to finish it (Luke 14:28–30). Now, He talks about a king who is faced with war against a force twice his size. He is a fool to barge forward without analyzing the situation and determining if he has any chance of winning. If his army can't survive, he should seek terms of peace (Luke 14:32).

The Old Testament provides two different examples of this situation.

As the Israelites entered the Promised Land and began their attacks against the Canaanites, the Gibeonites compared the size and power of the Israelite army to their own and realized they were about to face extinction. Straightforward terms of peace seemed impossible, so they resorted to deceit. They approached Joshua as if they were travelers from beyond Canaan and asked for peace. Joshua agreed, not knowing until after that their city was in the middle of the territory God gave the Israelites. The cleverness of the Gibeonites saved their people, although they had to provide servants for the tabernacle in perpetuity (Joshua 9).

A counter example is that of Josiah and Pharaoh Neco. King Josiah of Judah was generally a godly king, but he had a moment of foolishness. Pharaoh Neco was leading his army through Judah to attack the Assyrians in the north. For some unknown reason, Josiah challenged Neco to a battle. Neco tried to decline, telling him that the Jewish God had ordered him against Assyria and he had nothing against the Jews. Josiah persisted. Not only did Judah lose, but Josiah was killed in battle (2 Chronicles 35:20–27).

Luke 14:25–33 continues Jesus' lessons on who will experience the kingdom of God. Humble, generous, and responsive people will receive God's blessings (Luke 14:1–24). Those who would be Jesus' disciples must count the cost of dedicating their lives to Him and make sure they're willing to pay it. Entering God's kingdom is free, but being a useful citizen takes sacrifice. This section on the cost of discipleship resembles Matthew 10:37–38.

Luke 14 continues Jesus' doctrinal march to Jerusalem and the cross. Luke 14 and 15 contain the second grouping of one miracle and a series of discussions about the kingdom of God and salvation; Luke 13:10–35 is the first. Next will be a collection of warnings about rejecting God's kingdom (Luke 16:1—17:10) and two more sets of lessons about the kingdom and salvation, each beginning with a single miracle (Luke 17:11—18:34; 18:35—19:27). After this comes Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.