Daily Reading for Personal Growth, 40 Days with God
Counting the Cost
25 Now large crowds[a] were accompanying Jesus,[b] and turning to them he said, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate[c] his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life,[d] he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross[e] and follow[f] me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down[g] first and compute the cost[h] to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 Otherwise,[i] when he has laid[j] a foundation and is not able to finish the tower,[k] all who see it[l] will begin to make fun of[m] him. 30 They will say,[n] ‘This man[o] began to build and was not able to finish!’[p] 31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down[q] first and determine whether he is able with 10,000 to oppose[r] the one coming against him with 20,000? 32 If he cannot succeed,[s] he will send a representative[t] while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace.[u] 33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.[v]
34 “Salt[w] is good, but if salt loses its flavor,[x] how can its flavor be restored? 35 It is of no value[y] for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out.[z] The one who has ears to hear had better listen!”[aa]
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