Counting the Cost

Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned to the people and said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.

 

“Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if you have the resources to complete it? Otherwise, if you lay the foundation and are unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person could not finish what they started to build.’

 

“Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.

 

“In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything they have cannot be My disciple.”

 

Jesus then taught the people about salt and the importance of maintaining its saltiness. This was the same teaching that Jesus spoke on the mountainside by the Sea of Galilee.

See Luke 14:25-33

 

Notes: "hate": scholars have suggested the wording of "love" and "hate" is more comparative than literal. Some have suggested alternatives for "hate" such as "love less," and "disregard." The point is that the others for whom the believer cares should not be an obstacle to the believer following Jesus first and foremost.