Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and doesn’t hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—such a person can’t be my disciple. And whoever doesn’t carry his cross and follow me can’t be my disciple.
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and aren’t able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
“Or suppose a king’s about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he’s able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he isn’t able, he’ll send a delegation while the other’s still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who don’t give up everything you have can’t be my disciples.
“Salt’s good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It’s fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it’s thrown out.
“Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Luke
At Break of Day 