24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^wdeny himself and ^xtake up his cross and follow me. 25 For ^xwhoever would save his life¹ will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For ^ywhat will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or ^zwhat shall a man give in return for his soul?