Gospel of the Lord according to Luke
CHAPTER 14 VERSES 25 THROUGH 33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.
How important are you possessions to you? Could you renounce them all? What about your car? What about your house? What about your family heirlooms and things that have been with you all your life?
Do you recognize things as what they are, things, or do you cling to them no matter what God asks you to do with them?