NARRATOR: Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned to them.
JESUS 1: Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, spouse and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even life itself, cannot be my follower. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
JESUS 2: For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete the project? Otherwise when you lay the foundation and are not able to complete the work, all who see it will ridicule the builders.
ONLOOKERS: Look who began to build but could not finish.
JESUS 1: Or what king going to wage war with another king will not sit down first and consider whether with ten thousand he can withstand an enemy coming against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, he will send a delegation while the enemy is still at a distance, asking for terms of peace.
JESUS 2: In the same way, none of you can be my disciple if you do not renounce all your possessions.
Luke 14.25-33
Sunday Readings: Wisdom 9.13-18; Philomen 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14.25-33