Proof that you can tell the truth and lie at the same time

Check that price tag before you buy: 20% off plus an additional 25% does not equal 45% off.   A study by University of Minnesota finds that people will buy more if they think they are getting a "better deal."  That "better deal" is because they cannot correctly calculate multiple percentages.

This "lying truth" is the same way that the Devil we lie to oursevles about the real cost of our actions.  Perhaps that's why we are told to "count the cost," not "calculate the cost" in Luke 14:26-33.

I really like the way that Ron Julian from the McKenzie Study Center paraphrases this passage:

All who follow Jesus will inevitably come into conflict with the world around them. Sometimes following Jesus means losing the love of family and friends. Sometimes following Jesus means losing the approval of our neighbors and our society. Sometimes following Jesus means losing our worldly possessions. Sometimes following Jesus means losing our lives. It is all worth it; the wealth which comes to those who follow Christ is richer than anything the world can offer. We cannot avoid this choice; if we insist on keeping the world's approval and the world's wealth, then we cannot be disciples of Jesus. If we are disciples of Jesus, then we will have to loosen our hold on the world and its riches.