Take Up the Cross and Follow Him^(A)

³⁴ When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ^(B)“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ³⁵ For ^(C)whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? ³⁷ Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ^38 (D)For whoever ^(E)is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Leaving All to Follow Christ^(A)

²⁵ Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ^26 (B)“If anyone comes to Me ^(C)and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, ^(D)yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And ^(E)whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸ For ^(F)which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— ²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? ³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. ³³ So likewise, whoever of you ^(G)does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ^(A)“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ^19 (B)Go ^[a]therefore and ^(C)make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ^20 (D)teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am ^(E)with you always, even to the end of the age.” ^[b]Amen.