"Who of you," said Jesus, "when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, and see whether he has enough money to finish it? If he can only lay the foundation, and then must leave the work unfinished, everybody who sees the half-completed wall will laugh at him and say, 'This fellow began to build, but he could not finish!' "Or what king sets out to go to war with another king, and does not first sit down to consider whether with ten thousand soldiers he can fight the king who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he does not dare to meet his enemy, then while his army is still a great way off, he sends an officer to ask for terms of peace. So will it be with every one of you who will not give up all that he has; he cannot be a disciple of mine." What Jesus meant was this, "Think whether you will hold out to the end, if you would be among my followers. And think, too, whether you will dare to meet the hate and opposition that you must overcome in becoming my disciples." He went on with such words as these: "Every true disciple of mine is like salt; and salt is good as long as it has its own salty taste. But if it loses its saltiness and becomes tasteless, is there any way to make it good salt again? It is of no use either for the land, nor even for the manure heap, but people throw it away as useless. So will it be with everyone who loses the salt of my life in himself. Now, do not let these words of mine go into one ear and out from the other. Listen, and think of what I have said!" Seeking the Lost CHAPTER 63 [Illustration: "But one was out on the hills away ... Away on the mountains wild and bare"] THE PHARISEES were very careful to keep all the rules of the Jewish law, and were supposed to be very religious, because they prayed often in public places and went regularly to church. But Jesus saw that their religion was only pretended and not real, and would have nothing to do with them, except rebuke them for their sins. The scribes, who were the teachers of the law in the churches, expected Jesus to give them special honor. But both Pharisees and scribes were very angry when they found that Jesus paid them no attention, and was friendly with the tax-collectors whom all the Jews despised and hated. Jesus even allowed some to come near him who were outcasts, people who did not go to church and did not try to keep the rules of the Jews. The Pharisees and the scribes said in great scorn of Jesus, "This man welcomes sinners, and even sits down at the table to eat with them!" [Illustration: Searching for the lost silver-piece] Jesus heard of their words, and answered them in the parable of "The Lost Sheep." He said: