Luke 14:16-35 ▼

16 Jesus told him, |A man gave a large banquet and invited many people.

17 When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, 'Come! Everything is now ready.'

18 Every single one of them began asking to be excused. The first told him, 'I bought a field, and I need to go out and inspect it. Please excuse me.'

19 Another said, 'I bought five pairs of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'

20 Still another said, 'I recently got married, so I can't come.'

21 |So the servant went back and reported all this to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and told his servant, 'Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.'

22 The servant said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.'

23 Then the master told the servant, 'Go out into the streets and the lanes and make the people come in, so that my house may be full.

24 Because I tell all of you, none of those men who were invited will taste anything at my banquet.'|

25 Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned and told them,

26 |If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as his own life, he can't be my disciple.

27 Whoever doesn't carry his cross and follow me can't be my disciple.

28 |Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. He will first sit down and estimate the cost to see whether he has enough money to finish it, won't he?

29 Otherwise, if he lays a foundation and can't finish the building, everyone who watches will begin to ridicule him

30 and say, 'This person started a building but couldn't finish it.'

31 |Or suppose a king is going to war against another king. He will first sit down and consider whether with 10,000 men he can fight the one coming against him with 20,000 men, won't he?

32 If he can't, he will send a delegation to ask for terms of peace while the other king is still far away.

33 In the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.|

34 |Now, salt is good. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can its flavor be restored?

35 It's suitable neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. People throw it away. Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!|