Discipleship Tested

²⁵ Now ^[a]large crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, ²⁶ “^(A)If anyone comes to Me and does not ^[b]hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not ^(B)carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸ For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ ³¹ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and ^(C)consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and requests terms of peace. ³³ So then, none of you can be My disciple who ^(D)does not ^[c]give up all his own possessions.

²⁰ I have been ^(A)crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but ^(B)Christ lives in me; and ^[a]the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in ^(C)the Son of God, who ^(D)loved me and ^(E)gave Himself up for me.

²⁹ And do not ^[a]seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not ^(A)keep worrying. ³⁰ For ^[b]all these things are what the nations of the world ^[c]eagerly seek; and your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹ But ^[d]seek His kingdom, and ^(B)these things will be ^[e]provided to you. ^32 [f](C)Do not be afraid, ^(D)little flock, because ^(E)your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.

²⁸ Peter said, “Behold, ^(A)we have left ^[a]our own homes and followed You.” ²⁹ And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, ^(B)there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰ who will not receive many times as much at this time, and in ^(C)the age to come, eternal life.”