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Matthew 13:44-46.

⁴⁴The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then ⁴⁵ in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant man looking for fine ⁴⁶pearls. When He found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Luke 14:15-35.

¹⁵ When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." ¹⁶ Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. ¹⁷At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' ¹⁸ But they all 2like began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' ¹⁹Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' ²⁰ Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' ²¹ 'The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.' ^22.Sir', the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' ²³ Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴ 1 tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet."' ²⁵Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? ²⁹For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' ³¹Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³²"If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my ³⁴ disciple . Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? ³⁵ It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Note: There is no distinction in the New Testament between being a Christian and being a disciple. A disciple is not a higher, more dedicated type of Christian as is usually supposed, but simply a Christian. If one is not a disciple, then one is not a Christian; and, of course, if one is not a Christian, one is not saved. Luke 6:13,40; Acts 6:1,2,7; 9:1, 2,19,25,26,36,38; 71:26,29; 14:19,20,22,28; 15:7-11; 16:1; 18:23; 20:1.

Background from Greenfield Graphics.