“Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a deputation, and asks for conditions of peace.”
Jesus then gives a second example. We note here that in Chapter s 13-14 He continually reveals His delight in twofold illustrations. Two examples of sudden death (Luke 13:1-5), two visits to seek fruit (Luke 13:6-9), two activities in healing the crooked woman (Luke 13:12-13), two examples of animals led away to water (Luke 13:15), two examples of the expansion of the Kingly Rule of God (Luke 13:18-21), two examples of doors to be entered (Luke 13:24-25), two examples of those who enter the Kingly Rule of God (13, 28, 29), two repetitions of the idea of ‘today and tomorrow and the third day' (Luke 13:32-33), two repetitions of Jerusalem (Luke 13:34), two contrasting visits to Jerusalem (Luke 13:34-35), two examples of those falling in a well (Luke 14:5), two choices of places in which to sit and two examples of consequences (Luke 14:7-11), two choices of invitations to the Supper (Luke 14:12-14), two invitations to the banquet (Luke 14:16-17), two sendings out of the servant to bring in replacement guests (Luke 14:21-24), two examples of the cost of discipleship (Luke 14:26-27), and now two examples of counting the cost (Luke 14:28-32). These twofold examples emphasise choice, witness and certainty.
Here then we have the example of a king who is faced with a choice that he cannot avoid. Unlike the builder he did not choose the situation in which he found himself. And his choice is whether to resist or unconditionally surrender. He must weigh up his own forces, he must weigh up his enemy's forces, and then he must make his decision whether to fight or sue for peace. The impression given is that he has little choice against overwhelming force, although it may be that Jesus expected them to have in mind the many Old Testament situations where God overcame such overwhelming odds. Either way the choice has to be made. In a sense this was the position that the Apostles had found themselves in when Jesus called them by approaching them and saying, ‘follow Me' (Luke 5:27; Mark 1:17; John 1:43). They had not chosen the situation. They had been put on the spot. And they had then had to decide what response they would make.
Various suggestions have been made as to whom the enemy king represents. Are they to weigh up whether they are willing to stand up to Satan and the kings of the world knowing that is spite of their fewness (Luke 12:32; Luke 13:23) they have God on their side? Are they to recognise in the enemy king the total superiority of God, and thus surrender to Him? Are they recognise in the enemy king the total superiority of Jesus which gives them no real choice but to yield and follow Him in unconditional surrender as those whom He has ‘vanquished' by love? As with all Jesus' parables we must apply it to our situation. But the main point of the stories is that they face men up with a decision, and a consideration of the cost and the choice to be made.