Bible: Luke 14:16-33

14:16 But Jesus 1  said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet 2  and invited 3  many guests. 4  14:17 At 5  the time for the banquet 6  he sent his slave 7  to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 14:18 But one after another they all 8  began to make excuses. 9  The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, 10  and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ 11  14:19 Another 12  said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, 13  and I am going out 14  to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 14:20 Another 15  said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ 16  14:21 So 17  the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious 18  and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly 19  to the streets and alleys of the city, 20  and bring in the poor, 21  the crippled, 22  the blind, and the lame.’ 14:22 Then 23  the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ 24  14:23 So 25  the master said to his 26  slave, ‘Go out to the highways 27  and country roads 28  and urge 29  people 30  to come in, so that my house will be filled. 31  14:24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals 32  who were invited 33  will taste my banquet!’” 34 

Counting the Cost

14:25 Now large crowds 35  were accompanying Jesus, 36  and turning to them he said, 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate 37  his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, 38  he cannot be my disciple. 14:27 Whoever does not carry his own cross 39  and follow 40  me cannot be my disciple. 14:28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down 41  first and compute the cost 42  to see if he has enough money to complete it? 14:29 Otherwise, 43  when he has laid 44  a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, 45  all who see it 46  will begin to make fun of 47  him. 14:30 They will say, 48  ‘This man 49  began to build and was not able to finish!’ 50  14:31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down 51  first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose 52  the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 14:32 If he cannot succeed, 53  he will send a representative 54  while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. 55  14:33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions. 56 

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