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Jesus eats with the Pharisee, heals a man with dropsy on the Sabbath, teaches to be lowly, tells of the great supper, and warns people who would follow him to first determine what it will cost them. The salt of the earth.

14 And it happened that he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on a Sabbath day, and they were watching him. And there was before him a man who had the dropsy. And Jesus addressed the wise men of law and the Pharisees, asking, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? But they held their peace. And he took the man and healed him, and let him go. And he spoke to them, saying, Which of you, having a donkey or an ox fallen into a pit, would not straightaway pull him out on the Sabbath day? And they could not answer him in reply to that.

He put forth a similitude to the guests, when he observed how they sought out the seats of honour, and said to them, When you are invited to a wedding by anyone, do not sit down in the highest place, lest a more honourable man than you be bidden by him, and he who invited both him and you come and say to you, Make place for this man – and you then begin with shame to take the lowest seat. 10 But rather, when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest seat, so that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, Friend, sit up higher. Then you will have honour in the presence of those who sit at food with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be brought low, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

12 Then he said also to the man who had asked him to dinner, When you give a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends or your brethren, neither your kinsfolk or rich neighbours, lest they return the invitation and a recompense be made you. 13 But when you put on a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, 14 and you will be happy; for they cannot recompense you, but you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

15 When one of those who sat at food also heard that, he said to Jesus, Happy is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God! 

16 Then Jesus said to him, A certain man prepared a great supper and invited many people. 17 And he sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready. 18 And they all at once began to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a farm, and I need to go and see it; I pray you, have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen and I’m going to inspect them; I pray you, have me excused. 20 The third said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

21 And the servant went and brought his master word of this. Then was the lord of the house displeased, and said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and quarters of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.

22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as you ordered, and still there is room. 23 And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel the people to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper.

25 A great number of people went with Jesus, and he turned and said to them, 26 If a person comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife, and children, and brethren and sisters, and moreover his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 Which of you, thinking of building a tower, would not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has sufficient to complete it?– 29 lest after he has laid the foundation and is not able to complete it, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish it. 31 Or, what king goes to make battle against another king, and does not sit down first and cast in his mind whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against him with 20,000? 32 If not, while the other is yet a great way off, he will send ambassadors and seek peace. 33 So now then, none of you who will not renounce all that he has can be my disciple.

34 Salt is good. But if salt has lost her saltness, what can be seasoned with it? 35 It is neither good for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out at the doors. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Jesus at a Pharisee’s House(A)

14 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee,(B) he was being carefully watched.(C) There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law,(D) “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”(E) But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.

Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child[a] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?”(F) And they had nothing to say.

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table,(G) he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”(H)

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,(I) 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”(J)

The Parable of the Great Banquet(K)

15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast(L) in the kingdom of God.”(M)

16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’(N)

22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”(O)

The Cost of Being a Disciple

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.(P) 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.(Q)

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.(R)

34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?(S) 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.(T)

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(U)

Footnotes

  1. Luke 14:5 Some manuscripts donkey