21
“The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
22
After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’
23
So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.
24
For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”
25
A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them,
26
“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.
27
And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
28
“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
29
Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you.
30
They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’
31
“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him?