Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G102 The Cost of Becoming a Disciple of the Lord Jesus, Parable of the Salt That Lost Its Saltiness, Parable of the Lost Sheep, Parable of the Lost Coin
Luke 14:25–35; 15:1–10

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All New Testament verses quoted in this article are from the English Majority Text Version, and Old Testament verses are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Luke 14:25-35

25 Now great crowds were traveling with Him. And turning, He said to them,

26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and count up the cost, whether he has the resources to complete it?

29 Lest perhaps after he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all those who see it begin to mock him,

30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

31 Or what king, going to engage another king in battle, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32 Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks the terms for peace.

33 So likewise, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be My disciple.

34 “Salt is good; but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned?

35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men cast it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Luke 15:1-10

1 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to Him to hear Him.

2 And the Pharisees and scribes were grumbling, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

3 And He told them this parable, saying:

4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and loses one of them, does not leave behind the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and goes after the one having been lost until he finds it?

5 And having found it, he puts it on his own shoulders, rejoicing.

6 And coming into the house, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’

7 I say to you that likewise there shall be more joy in heaven over one sinner repenting than over ninety-nine righteous who need no repentance.

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?

9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I lost!’

10 Just so, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

In this lesson, once again we will learn about the cost of becoming a disciple of the Lord Jesus. At the same time, we will also study three short parables of the Lord: the salt that lost its saltiness, the lost sheep, and the lost coin. May the Word of the Lord bring us wisdom.

Luke 14:25-27

25 Now great crowds were traveling with Him. And turning, He said to them,

26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

At the time when the Lord Jesus spoke the teachings recorded by Luke in the two chapters we are studying today, He and His disciples were likely traveling along the western bank of the Jordan River and had entered the territory of Judea. Large crowds of people continued to follow the Lord. The term “great crowds” implies that there were many groups coming from different regions. Among those crowds were many tax collectors and various individuals of ill repute, but also many Pharisees and scribes of Judaism.

Earlier, right after the Lord Jesus had sent out the twelve apostles to the towns and villages of Israel to preach the Gospel, He had already spoken about the conditions required for a person to follow Him. That statement of the Lord is recorded in Matthew 10:37–38, which we have studied:

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:37-38).

Now, at the time when the Lord Jesus was on His way from Galilee back to Jerusalem to suffer and be crucified on the cross, once again He spoke about the cost that must be paid for a person to become His disciple. This time, the Lord Jesus did not use the wording ″loves father or mother more than Me″ and ″loves son or daughter more than Me,″ but instead said, ″hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also.″

The verb “hate” in the original Greek of the Bible is ″μισέω″ (miseō – G3404) /mis-eh’-o/, which literally means ″to hate″ but also has the broader meaning of ″to love less.″ In Romans 9:13, we read, ″Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.″ This simply means that God loved Jacob more than Esau. Similarly, Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Genesis 29:30–31 is a specific case showing that the verb ″hate″ is used in the sense of ″loved less.″

The God’s commandment is that human beings must love their neighbor as themselves, so the verb ″hate″ in the Lord Jesus’ statement in this context cannot be understood in its literal sense but must be understood in its broader meaning.

People must love their father, mother, spouse, children, grandchildren, brothers, and sisters as themselves and fulfill all their duties toward them, but they must not love them more than they love the Lord Jesus if they want to become His disciples. Furthermore, anyone who desires to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus must not love even their own life, including both their physical life and their means of livelihood, more than they love Him. Since the Lord Jesus sacrificed His life to redeem mankind, it is only fitting that those who accept His salvation must also be willing to love Him above all else and be ready to sacrifice their own lives. Only then can they live a life of obedience to Him and serve Him.

The image of the cross represents pain, humiliation, and death. Carrying the cross is an act that symbolizes the willingness to bear these things. The Lord Jesus carried the cross to the place of execution to bear the punishment for sin on behalf of mankind. A disciple of the Lord Jesus carrying his own cross is an act that expresses the willingness to suffer and die for the Lord’s name.

We have studied the Lord Jesus’ words in Luke 9:23: ″If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.″ These words show that suffering for the Lord’s name is something that occurs daily. The act of denying oneself means no longer living for oneself but living for the Lord, being willing to sacrifice everything that belongs to oneself, even the most precious thing, one’s life, in order to live according to God’s Word, glorify the Lord, and live a life of service to Him.

Following the Lord means learning from Him and living as He lived, devoting the rest of one’s life entirely to His service.

The noun “disciple” in the original Greek is ″μαθητής″ (mathētēs – G3102) /math-ay-tes’/, which literally means a student or one who receives instruction from a teacher. In the New Testament, when this word is used to refer to those who accept the teaching of the Lord Jesus and follow Him, it carries the broader meaning of someone who believes in the Lord Jesus, obeys His teaching, lives according to His teaching, and serves Him.

In reality, from the past until now, all who truly believe in the Lord Jesus, obey His teaching, live according to His teaching, and serve Him have had to suffer for His name. The world has always opposed those who belong to the Lord Jesus. He Himself taught His apostles:

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word which I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” (John 15:18-20).

In the last days, before Christ returns to take the Church out of the world and throughout the Great Tribulation, the world will increasingly oppose and persecute God’s people even more.

Luke 14:28-30

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and count up the cost, whether he has the resources to complete it?

29 Lest perhaps after he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all those who see it begin to mock him,

30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

The content of Luke 14:28–33 is not recorded in the other Gospel books. This passage preserves the words of the Lord Jesus, emphasizing that a person must carefully consider before deciding to follow Him and become His disciple.

The Lord Jesus gave the example of someone who wants to build a tower and must sit down and calculate the cost of construction to see whether he has enough resources to complete it.

However, following the Lord Jesus to become His disciple does not require a certain amount of material wealth. It only requires that a person who loves the Lord above all else is willing to give up all that belongs to him, including himself, and is ready each day to suffer and sacrifice his life for the Lord’s name.

Luke 14:31-32

31 Or what king, going to engage another king in battle, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32 Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks the terms for peace.

The Lord Jesus then gave another example: a king, before going to war against another king, must first examine whether his army is strong enough to defeat the opposing forces. If not, the best course of action is to seek peace with the enemy before the battle begins. While it is possible for ten thousand soldiers to defeat twenty thousand, if the king does not feel confident, he must seek peace and accept the terms set by the enemy.

The ″ten thousand″ versus the ″twenty thousand″ symbolizes that following the Lord and becoming His disciple means facing challenges and hardships that may exceed one’s strength. A person may firmly choose to suffer and, by God’s grace, strive to overcome every adversity to become a disciple of the Lord. But if one does not feel confident in their ability to suffer for the Lord and become His disciple, that person may choose simply to accept the Lord’s salvation without taking up the life of discipleship and service to Him.

We believe that such a person still has salvation if they truly repent of their sins, turn away from a sinful lifestyle, and fully believe in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus. For salvation comes by repentance and faith in God’s grace. However, that person will not receive a reward in the life to come. This person falls into the category of those who ″shall be saved, but so as through fire,″ as described in 1 Corinthians 3:15.

Luke 14:33

33 So likewise, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be My disciple.

The Lord Jesus affirmed that unless people give up everything that belongs to them, even their own life, they cannot be His disciple. Everything that belongs to a person includes family members, friends, possessions, education, social status, reputation, power, life itself, and means of livelihood.

The renouncing mentioned here does not mean ceasing to care for or support one’s loved ones and friends or discarding one’s possessions, education, status, reputation, power, life, or means of livelihood. Rather, it means not loving those things more than the Lord. Only when loved ones or friends oppose the Lord must a disciple be willing to forsake them. Only when possessions, education, status, reputation, power, life, or means of livelihood cause a disciple to violate God’s Word or hinder their service to Him must the disciple be willing to give them up.

Everything that belongs to a disciple of the Lord must be used to serve Him and glorify His name. When that happens, those things become instruments in the Lord’s hand, enabling the disciple to do many good works.

Luke 14:34-35

34 “Salt is good; but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned?

35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men cast it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Lord Jesus spoke many times about salt losing its flavor to illustrate how God’s people can lose the quality of love. Matthew 5:13 and Mark 9:50 both record the Lord Jesus’ words concerning salt that has lost its taste. Here, we would like to quote our commentary on Matthew 5:13.

[Excerpt:]

The saltiness of salt is its defining characteristic. Salt’s saltiness helps disinfect and kill bacteria in certain cases, aids wounds in healing quickly, preserves food freshness, and enhances the flavor of food. The Lord Jesus compared His disciples to the salt of the earth, referring to their characteristic of love, a quality derived from the love of God within them. This virtue helps beautify life because God’s people always produce things that benefit the world. The greatest benefit they bring to the world is preaching the Gospel so that many people can be saved.

If God’s people no longer have the love of the God within them, then they are no longer beneficial to the world. The reason they lose the God’s love within them is because they have forsaken their first love for Him. That first love was in them when they gratefully received His salvation. A person’s love for the God causes the God’s love to remain and grow in them, enabling them to love with His own love. When a person no longer loves the God, the God’s love no longer dwells in them.

[End of excerpt.]

In the time of the Lord Jesus, salt in the Middle East was often taken from the Dead Sea or local sources. These salts were not as pure and refined as the table salt we use today, so they could easily lose their saltiness. They could become bland due to mixing with many impurities or when exposed to moisture. Salt that had lost its saltiness no longer had value for seasoning food, preserving food, or use in offerings (Leviticus 2:13). People often threw salt that had lost its saltiness onto the streets.

Luke 15:1-2

1 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to Him to hear Him.

2 And the Pharisees and scribes were grumbling, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

The adjective “all” used in verse 1 implies that all the tax collectors and sinners among the crowds following the Lord had come near Him to hear His teaching.

At the same time, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law present in the crowds saw this and began to mutter, accusing the Lord Jesus. From their perspective, anyone who claimed to be devout to God could not associate with or come near sinners. Tax collectors were viewed by the Jewish people as serious sinners because they served the Roman government, collecting taxes from the people of Israel, and often extorted extra for their own gain.

The ″sinners″ implies the disreputable people in the crowds, recognized by many. They could be prostitutes, thieves, and so on.

From the muttering of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, we understand that not only did they witness the Lord Jesus teaching sinners, but they also saw Him sitting and eating with them.

Luke 15:3-4

3 And He told them this parable, saying:

4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, and loses one of them, does not leave behind the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and goes after the one having been lost until he finds it?

The Lord Jesus responded to the muttering of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law with two parables: the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin. The parable of the lost sheep had previously been taught by Him and recorded in Matthew 18:12-13.

Matthew 18:12-13 compares the sheep to those who have believed in the Lord and the lost sheep to someone who has believed but has returned to live in sin. Luke 15:4-7 compares the sheep to those who need salvation; the 99 sheep who are not lost represent those who have received salvation. The lost sheep represents someone who has not yet received salvation.

Luke 15:5-7

5 And having found it, he puts it on his own shoulders, rejoicing.

6 And coming into the house, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’

7 I say to you that likewise there shall be more joy in heaven over one sinner repenting than over ninety-nine righteous who need no repentance.

The owner of the flock, along with his friends and neighbors, rejoices over finding the lost sheep, which symbolizes the joy in heaven when someone accepts the salvation of the God.

The ninety-nine who remain steadfast in faith, called the righteous, are a cause for joy, but the event of one who was in eternal death accepting salvation is even more joyful.

Luke 15:8-10

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?

9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I lost!’

10 Just so, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The “silver coins” mentioned here refer to Greek silver coins, each of which was equivalent to a Roman denarius, which was the daily wage during the time of the Lord Jesus.

For an ordinary worker, losing one silver coin was a significant loss. Therefore, the woman does “light a lamp and sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it.” This careful search demonstrates the importance of the coin to the woman and her determination to find her lost money.

Similar to the person who found the lost sheep, the woman who found the lost coin also invited her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her. In the culture of the Israelites at that time, sharing joy with neighbors was a natural thing.

The woman represents the God. The ten silver coins represent the complete number of those who will be saved. The lost coin symbolizes the final individuals whom God draws to the Lord Jesus (John 6:44) so that they may enter into salvation, fulfilling the full number of the saved according to the God’s will and foreknowledge. The woman’s joy reflects the joy of the God. The joy of her friends and neighbors reflects the joy of the angels and the saints in heaven.

The God’s will and foreknowledge concerning the number of those who will be saved are recorded in the Bible in the following verses: Acts 13:48; Romans 8:29–30; Ephesians 1:4–5; and 2 Timothy 1:9.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
04/19/2025

Note:

About Using “*God”, “the God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible use a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.