Everyone<n id="1" /> went to his own town<n id="2" /> to be registered.

When a strong man,<n id="1" /> fully armed, guards his own palace,<n id="2" /> his possessions are safe.<n id="3" />

Whoever does not carry his own cross<n id="1" /> and follow<n id="2" /> me cannot be my disciple.

Then<n id="1" /> beginning with Moses and all the prophets,<n id="2" /> he interpreted to them the things written about<n id="3" /> himself in all the scriptures.p>

In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.<n id="1" />p>

So<n id="1" /> he contacted<n id="2" /> his master&#8217;s debtors one by one. He asked the first, &#8216;How much do you owe my master?&#8217;

And he summoned ten of his slaves,<n id="1" /> gave them ten minas,<n id="2" /> and said to them, &#8216;Do business with these until I come back.&#8217;

&#8220;If anyone comes to me and does not hate<n id="1" /> his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life,<n id="2" /> he cannot be my disciple.

Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so<n id="1" /> the last state of that person<n id="2" /> is worse than the first.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

It is like a mustard seed<n id="1" /> that a man took and sowed<n id="2" /> in his garden. It<n id="3" /> grew and became a tree,<n id="4" /> and the wild birds<n id="5" /> nested in its branches.&#8221;<n id="6" />p>

So<n id="1" /> he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home<n id="2" /> his father saw him, and his heart went out to him;<n id="3" /> he ran and hugged<n id="4" /> his son<n id="5" /> and kissed him.

The tax collector, however, stood<n id="1" /> far off and would not even look up<n id="2" /> to heaven, but beat his breast and said, &#8216;God, be merciful<n id="3" /> to me, sinner that I am!&#8217;<n id="4" />