Parallel Gospels 15 - The cost of Following Jesus

Matthew 8:18-22Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Following Jesus

18 When Jesus saw large crowds[a] around Him, He gave the order to go to the other side of the sea.[b]19 A scribe approached Him and said, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go!”

20 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

21 “Lord,” another of His disciples said, “first let me go bury my father.”[c]

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Luke 9:51-62Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The Journey to Jerusalem

51 When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up,[a] He determined[b] to journey to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead of Him,and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for Him. 53 But they did not welcome Him, because He determined to journey to Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”[c]

55 But He turned and rebuked them,[d] 56 and they went to another village.

Following Jesus

57 As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go!”

58 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky[e] have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” 59 Then He said to another,“Follow Me.”

“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”[f]

60 But He told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.”

61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.”

62 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Luke 14:25-33Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The Cost of Following Jesus

25 Now great crowds were traveling with Him. So He turned and said to them: 26 “If anyone comes to Meand does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

28 “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t 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 cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him,30 saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one who comes against him with 20,000? 32 If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to[a] all his possessions cannot be My disciple.