²⁷ He must live like a person that carries his own cross to go and die. If he is not ready to die for me, he cannot be one of my disciples.^[a]

²⁸ Here is an example. Perhaps one of you wants to build a tall building. Before you start to build, you will sit down. You will decide how much it will cost. Then you need to know if you have enough money to finish the work. ²⁹ If you do not do this, you may not have enough money. You may put the first stones in the ground, but then you cannot finish the building. If you have to stop, other people will laugh at you. They will say to each other,