Luke 14:25-35

Luke 14

The Cost

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned and said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, if he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, everyone who sees it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This fellow began to build, but was not able to finish.’ ³¹ Or what king, as he goes out to confront another king in war, will not first sit down and consider if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² And if he is not able, he sends out a delegation and asks for terms of peace while his opponent is still far away. ³³ So then, any one of you who does not say farewell to all his own possessions cannot be my disciple. ³⁴ Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how will it become salty again? ³⁵ It is not fit for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”