ACC ~ Luke 14 v28 - 32

THE PARABLES TEACH FORTITUDE AND ZEAL

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Next he uses two examples to encourage his friends to an unconquerable strength and to establish those who want to attain to honors by patience and endurance in an unwavering zeal. If anyone wants to build a tower, he first counts if he has sufficient means to finish it. Otherwise when he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, people will laugh at him. Those who choose to lead a glorious and blameless life should store up beforehand in their mind a sufficient zeal. They should remember him who says, “My son, if you come close to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for every temptation. Make your heart straight and endure.” [1] How will those who do not have this zeal be able to reach the goal that is set before them?

“Or what king,” he says, “wishing to make war with another king, does not consider with himself, whether with his ten thousand he can prevail over one who is more mighty than himself?” What does this mean? “We do not wrestle against blood and flesh, but against governments, empires, the world rulers of this present darkness, and wicked spirits in the heavenly regions.” [2] We also have a crowd of other enemies. They are the fleshly mind, the law that rages in our members, passions of many kinds, the lust of pleasure, the lust of the flesh, the lust of wealth, and others. We must wrestle with these. This is our savage troop of enemies. How will we conquer? “We will conquer believing that in God we shall do courageously,” as Scripture says, “and he will bring to nothing those that oppress us.” [3] COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 105. [4]

[1] Sir 2:1.

[2] Eph 6:12.

[3] Ps 59:12 LXX.

[4] CGSL 423**.

VIRTUE BUILT ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE TOWER

GREGORY OF NYSSA: The Gospel somewhere says that a person who begins to build a tower but stops with the foundations and never completes it is ridiculous. What do we learn from this parable? We learn that we should work to bring every aspiration to a conclusion, completing the work of God by an elaborate building up of his commandments. One stone does not make a complete tower, nor does one commandment bring the perfection of the soul to its desired measure. It is necessary to both erect the foundation and, as the apostle says, “to lay upon it a foundation of gold and precious stones.” [1] That is what the products of the commandments are called by the prophet when he says, “I have loved your commandment more than gold and much precious stone.” [2] ON VIRGINITY 18. [3]

[1] 1 Cor 3:12.

[2] Ps 118:127 LXX.

[3] FC 58:56*.