Luke 14:26-33

The Voice

Jesus: ²⁶ If any of you come to Me without hating your own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and yes, even your own life, you can’t be My disciple. ²⁷ If you don’t carry your own cross as if to your own execution as you follow Me, you can’t be part of My movement. ²⁸ Just imagine that you want to build a tower. Wouldn’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to be sure you have enough to finish what you start? ²⁹ If you lay the foundation but then can’t afford to finish the tower, everyone will mock you: ³⁰ “Look at that guy who started something that he couldn’t finish!”

³¹ Or imagine a king gearing up to go to war. Wouldn’t he begin by sitting down with his advisors to determine whether his 10,000 troops could defeat the opponent’s 20,000 troops? ³² If not, he’ll send a peace delegation quickly and negotiate a peace treaty. ³³ In the same way, if you want to be My disciple, it will cost you everything. Don’t underestimate that cost!