Therefore he said, &#8220;A nobleman<n id="1" /> went to a distant country to receive<n id="2" /> for himself a kingdom and then return.<n id="3" />

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>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then<n id="1" /> he said to them all,<n id="2" /> &#8220;If anyone wants to become my follower,<n id="3" /> he must deny<n id="4" /> himself, take up his cross daily,<n id="5" /> and follow me.

But Jesus<n id="1" /> said to him, &#8220;Let the dead bury their own dead,<n id="2" /> but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.&#8221;<n id="3" />

But Jesus,<n id="1" /> realizing their thoughts, said to them,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed,<n id="3" /> and a divided household falls.<n id="4" />

So<n id="1" /> if<n id="2" /> Satan too is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? I ask you this because<n id="3" /> you claim that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.

be like people<n id="1" /> waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration,<n id="2" /> so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

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>

But when he came to his senses<n id="1" /> he said, &#8216;How many of my father&#8217;s hired workers have food<n id="2" /> enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger!

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 I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth,<n id="1" /> so that when it runs out you will be welcomed<n id="2" /> into the eternal homes.<n id="3" />p>

When<n id="1" /> he saw them he said, &#8220;Go<n id="2" /> and show yourselves to the priests.&#8221;<n id="3" /> And<n id="4" /> as they went along, they were cleansed.

For<n id="1" /> a while he refused, but later on<n id="2" /> he said to himself, &#8216;Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people,<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Jesus<n id="1" /> also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down<n id="2" /> on everyone else.

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;

So<n id="1" /> they discussed it with one another, saying, &#8220;If we say, &#8216;From heaven,&#8217; he will say, &#8216;Why did you not believe him?&#8217;

<t /><p class="bodytext">&#8220;But be on your guard<n id="1" /> so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day close down upon you suddenly like a trap.<n id="2" />

So<n id="1" /> they began to question one another as to which of them it could possibly be who would do this.p>

But Jesus turned to them and said, &#8220;Daughters of Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves<n id="2" /> and for your children.

&#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.