16. Jesus replied, "A certain man hosted a large dinner and invited many people.
17. When it was time for the dinner to begin, he sent his servant to tell the invited guests, ‘Come! The dinner is now ready.’
18. One by one, they all began to make excuses. The first one told him, ‘I bought a farm and must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19. Another said, ‘I bought five teams of oxen, and I’m going to check on them. Please excuse me.’
20. Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21. When he returned, the servant reported these excuses to his master. The master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go quickly to the city’s streets, the busy ones and the side streets, and bring the poor, crippled, blind, and lame.’
22. The servant said, ‘Master, your instructions have been followed and there is still room.’
23. The master said to the servant, ‘Go to the highways and back alleys and urge people to come in so that my house will be filled.
24. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’"
25. Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. Turning to them, he said,
26. “Whoever comes to me and doesn’t hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even one’s own life—cannot be my disciple.
27. Whoever doesn’t carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28. “If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it?
29. Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn’t finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you.
30. They will say, ‘Here’s the person who began construction and couldn’t complete it!’
31. Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the twenty thousand coming against him?