Luke 14
1 One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely.
Then it happened, when He entered the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they were watching Him closely.
2 Right there before Him was a man with dropsy.
And then, there in front of Him was a man who had dropsy!
3 So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
And Jesus reacted by saying to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
4 But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way.
But they kept silent. So He took hold of him, healed him, and let him go.
5 And He asked them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?”
Then He addressed them saying, “Which of you, if a son or an ox falls into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”
6 And they were unable to answer these questions.
And they could not answer Him regarding these things.
7 When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable:
Then He told a parable to those who were invited, having observed how they kept trying for the best places, saying to them:
8 “When you are invited to a wedding banquet, do not sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited.
“Whenever you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not recline in the place of honor, in case someone more honorable than you has been invited by him;
9 Then the host who invited both of you will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ And in humiliation, you will have to take the last place.
then he who invited you both will come and say, ‘You, give this man place!’ and then, with shame, you start to take the lowest place.
10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you.
Rather, whenever you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will have honor in the presence of your fellow guests.
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return, and you will be repaid.
Then He said directly to His host: “Whenever you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends, nor your brothers, nor your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.
13 But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,
But whenever you make a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
14 and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you—you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
15 When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Well when one of the fellow-recliners heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who will eat dinner in the Kingdom of God!”
16 But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.
So He said to him: “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many.
17 When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
And at meal time he sent his slave to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’
18 But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’
But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him: ‘I bought a field, and I need to go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’
19 Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’
Another said: ‘I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’
20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’
Yet another said, ‘I have married a wife, and so I cannot come.’
21 The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
So that slave came and reported these things to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’
22 ‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’
And the slave said, ‘Master, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’
23 So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
Then the master said to the slave: ‘Go out to the roads and hedges and make people come in, so that my house may be filled.
24 For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”
For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet!’”
25 Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them,
Now large crowds were traveling with Him, and turning He said to them:
26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
And whoever does not carry his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?
“Further, which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and calculate the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
29 Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
This so he does not lay a foundation without being able to finish, and all who see it begin to ridicule him,
30 saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’
saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’
31 Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
“Or what king, going to engage another king in battle, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.
And if not, while the other is still far away he sends a delegation and asks for terms for peace.
33 In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.
“So likewise, any of you who does not renounce all his own possessions cannot be my disciple.
34 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned?
Salt is good; but should the salt become insipid, with what can it be seasoned?
35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
It is fit for neither soil nor fertilizer; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
