15. Now when one of those reclining at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
16. But he said to him, “A certain man was giving a large banquet and invited many.
17. And he sent his slave at the hour of the banquet to say to those who have been invited, ‘Come, because now it is ready!’
18. And they all alike began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field, and I must go out to look at it. I ask you, consider me excused.’
19. And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you, consider me excused.’
20. And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and for this reason I am not able to come.’
21. And the slave came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame!’
22. And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’
23. And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and press them to come in, so that my house will be filled!
24. For I say to you that none of those persons who were invited will taste my banquet!’ ”
25. Now large crowds were going along with him, and he turned around and said to them,
26. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
27. Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28. For which of you, wanting to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?
29. Otherwise after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all who see it will begin to ridicule him,
30. saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’
31. Or what king, going out to engage another king in battle, does not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand.