The Cost of Discipleship

25 Now large crowds were going along with him, and he turned around and[fn] said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, he cannot be[fn] my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow[fn] me cannot be[fn] my disciple. 28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, does not first sit down and[fn] calculate the cost to see if he has enough[fn] to complete it?[fn] 29 Otherwise[fn] after[fn] he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it,[fn] all who see it[fn] will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, going out to engage another king in battle, does not sit down first and[fn] deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand. 32 But if not, while[fn] the other is still far away, he sends an ambassador and[fn] asks for terms of[fn] peace. 33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his own possessions cannot be[fn] my disciple.

34 “Now salt is good, but if salt becomes tasteless, with what will it be made salty? 35 It is usable neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it out. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear!”