Luke 14:25-15:10

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Cost of Following Jesus

²⁵ Now^(A) great crowds were traveling with Him. So He turned and said to them: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me^(B) and does not hate^(C) his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not bear his own cross^(D) and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

²⁸ “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost^(E) to see if he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹ “Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one who comes against him with 20,000? ³² If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to^[a] all his possessions^(F) cannot be My disciple.

³⁴ “Now,^(G) salt^(H) is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty? ³⁵ It isn’t fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”^(I)

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 All^(J) the tax collectors^(K) and sinners were approaching to listen to Him. ² And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners^(L) and eats with them!”

³ So He told them this parable:^{(M) 4} “What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them,^(N) does not leave the 99 in the open field^[b] and go after the lost one until he finds it? ⁵ When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, ⁶ and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ ⁷ I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven^(O) over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who don’t need repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸ “Or what woman who has 10 silver coins,^[c] if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ When she finds it, she calls her women friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’ ¹⁰ I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels^(P) over one sinner who repents.”