Reflection - Discipleship and Planning

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/110817.cfm
Romans 13:8-10
Luke 14:25-33

Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?

I have not found the comparison implied by the parable of the tower to be among the more obvious of Jesus’ teachings.

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells the story in the context of comments about discipleship and I would suppose that the parable is intended to elucidate the previous statements about commitment to Jesus even over family or the willingness to carry one’s cross in spite of hardships. Yet, these statements have more to do with potential trials and difficulties while the two parables address the issue of planning ahead or bringing things to a successful completion. Further thought suggests that there is more to both matters than the stories would immediately suggest.

Sure, there is the initial decision: I will build. Or I will go into battle. And hopefully that decision has been given careful thought and was made with reasoned judgement. Jesus makes the point that a person should be equally thoughtful and likewise attend to careful judgement when deciding to become a disciple. My current life experience, however, makes me unusually sensitive to the fact that the initial commitment may weigh far more heavily and have greater impact than one might anticipate. I say this because my wife and I are currently building a new house.

Like the man considering a new tower or the king anticipating a military battle, my wife and I weighed the cost of embarking on such an endeavor. And, even though the bank had a lot to say about whether or not the project would proceed, there were still many factors that we had to consider before engaging in such an undertaking. The anticipated issues, however, were somewhat straightforward: 

• Could we afford the price tag of this project? 
  
• Could we financially endure if our current home did not readily sell? 
  
• Could we persist through both the hassles of house showings and the demands of selecting the myriad of things a new place would require?
  

It is in the aftermath of that inaugural resolution that the real issues become troublesome. As tough as the decision might be, the man constructing the tower would be foolish to switch from sound stone to second rate stone because he got a good deal. Similarly, the king, presuming he decides to go into battle, would be foolish to leave half of his army at home just “to be on the safe side.” And someone building a home would be irrational if they decided to skip the plumbing fixtures because they were too expensive.

From the very beginning, the choices made are choices for the whole whether they are foreseen or unforeseen. If your foundation isn’t firm your tower may eventually look like the one in Pisa. If your stone is second rate you may find it crumbling as moisture penetrates. If you leave half your army in the barracks you may find yourself fighting two battles— one with the five thousand that marched with you into war and one with the five thousand playing cards at home—and both battles would be losers. If you decide to skip the plumbing, your new home may be a comfortable place to sleep but other normal lifestyle events may be awkward.

Inevitably, the unforeseen and the unexpected always seem to delight in making an appearance.

So the problem with the two parables takes on a deeper meaning; and I wonder why. Why does the determination of the tower builder guide him to choose the superior stone for construction and thus carry him through to its successful completion? Why does the king keep his army intact, going all out for success? Why does the new home get its plumbing fixtures in spite of the unexpected expense? 

Why do these decisions become realities and I still find myself holding back, gritting my teeth about going “all in” when it comes to following through on being a Disciple?

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15)