There are those who see this as a parable about going to war for the cause of God but being inadequately prepared. For them the parable at this point does not suggest an acceptable solution.
There are those who see this as a parable about going to war for the cause of God but being inadequately prepared. For them the parable at this point does not suggest an acceptable solution. It is not teaching that the right thing to do is to attempt to make peace with the world (cf. Matthew Poole). It simply points out the difficulty we have got ourselves into by engaging in this warfare without due consideration. You cannot persist in this fight, because you are never going to win. You have entered into the Christian life ill-prepared, and not understanding what you are getting yourself into. You are going to be forced to patch up your relationship with your enemies, and cease to fight on the Lord’s side.
If however this is seen as an illustration of war against God, then the advice in the parable has a more obvious application. If he is wise, he comes to deliberation, and that is what we urge ourselves to do. Think about life and its consequences. Think about the goodness of God and the power of God and the justice of God, and about our own sinfulness and inadequacy and need. Make a petition to God. Ask for terms of peace. He has published them in the Scripture. He says, ‘I will give you peace, and I will reconcile you with myself. I will be your God and your guide and your king and your Saviour. But you must repent of your sins, and trust in Christ who came to purchase your salvation. You must yield to him, and hand your life over to him. Then we can be reconciled, and we can be at peace. And what a wonderful peace! The war against God is over. We are made to worship God.
It is often said that human beings are worshiping beings. That is how God has made us. We think we can be atheists without God, but we are made to worship. Everybody worships something. If you don't seek him and love God, you worship this world. You worship all sorts of things. Years ago in the 1970s, while preaching in the USA, I was due to be preaching in Orlando, Florida. Usually there wasn't time for this, but the pastor of the church there was very keen that I should go on a boat trip around a chain of lakes near to the city. Florida has lots of these interconnected lakes. There was one particular string of very big lakes which a tourist boat would go around. There were loudspeakers, and as the vessel glided around each lake in turn, there was a commentary running. But the commentary was all about the people who lived in the houses on the lakeside, the splendid structures and mansions and so on around the lake, and we had to learn about each one in turn, principally how much money they had, how many times they'd been married and divorced, what they were notorious for. It was what nowadays is called celebrity worship syndrome, and everybody on the boat seemed completely fascinated and absorbed. There gasps and expressions of wonder. So if you are cynical and disinclined to believe me that man is created to be a worshipping being, just go on a Florida Lake boat trip. How tragic to be worshipping celebs and money and achievements or notoriety, instead of what we are made to worship: the living God, the eternal God of heaven, the God of kindness.