15. After Jesus had finished speaking, one of the guests said, “The greatest blessing of all is to be at the banquet in God's kingdom!”
16. Jesus told him:A man once gave a great banquet and invited a lot of guests.
17. When the banquet was ready, he sent a servant to tell the guests, “Everything is ready! Please come.”
18. One guest after another started making excuses. The first one said, “I bought some land, and I've got to look it over. Please excuse me.”
19. Another guest said, “I bought five teams of oxen, and I need to try them out. Please excuse me.”
20. Still another guest said, “I have just got married, and I can't be there.”
21. The servant told his master what happened, and the master became so angry that he said, “Go as fast as you can to every street and alley in town! Bring in everyone who is poor or crippled or blind or lame.”
22. When the servant returned, he said, “Master, I've done what you told me, and there is still plenty of room for more people.”
23. His master then told him, “Go out along the back roads and lanes and make people come in, so that my house will be full.
24. Not one of the guests I first invited will get even a bite of my food!”
25. Large crowds were walking along with Jesus, when he turned and said:
26. You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life.
27. You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me.
28. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it?
29. Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you.
30. They will say, “You started building, but could not finish the job.”