Jesus' statement about bearing one's cross and following Him relates to the cost of discipleship. This teaching is illustrated by the parable of the reckoning of the cost of building a house (Luke 14:27-30). In this parable, Jesus emphasises the importance of considering the cost before embarking on a significant endeavour, such as following Him as a disciple:

27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to finish.’ 

Luke 14:27-30 (RSV)