Luke 14

1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat at the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees, the people there were watching him closely.

2 And behold, there in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.

3 In response Jesus said to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

4 But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away.

5 Then he said to them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath will not immediately pull him out?”

6 But they could give him no answer about these things.

7 When Jesus noticed how the guests were choosing the places of honor for themselves, he told them a parable:

8 “When yoʋ are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not recline in the place of honor, in case someone more honorable than yoʋ has been invited by yoʋr host.

9 Then the host, who invited you both, will come and say to yoʋ, ‘Give yoʋr place to this person.’ And with shame yoʋ will begin moving to the least important place.

10 But when yoʋ are invited, go recline in the least important place, so that, when yoʋr host comes, he will say to yoʋ, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then yoʋ will be honored in the presence of those who are reclining at the table with yoʋ.

11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

12 Jesus also said to the man who had invited him, “When yoʋ prepare a luncheon or dinner, do not invite yoʋr friends, yoʋr brothers, yoʋr relatives, or yoʋr rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite yoʋ in return, and yoʋ will be repaid.

13 But when yoʋ prepare a banquet, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind.

14 Then yoʋ will be blessed. Since they do not have the means to repay yoʋ, yoʋ will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

15 When one of the men reclining at the table with Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

16 Jesus said to him, “A man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.

17 At the time for 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 one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go out and see it. I ask yoʋ to have me excused.’

19 Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on my way to try them out. I ask yoʋ to have me excused.’

20 Still another said, ‘I have married a woman, and for that reason I cannot come.’

21 So the servant came back and told these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind.’

22 The servant said, ‘Master, it has been done as yoʋ commanded, and there is still room.’

23 So the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled.

24 For I tell you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

25 Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and said to them,

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

27 And whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you who wants to build a tower does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see if he has what he needs to complete it?

29 Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all who are looking on will begin to mock him,

30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

31 Or what king, when he is going out to confront another king in battle, does not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to face the king who is coming against him with twenty thousand men?

32 If he cannot, he sends a delegation while the other is still far away and asks for terms of peace.

33 So then, any one of you who does not give up all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

34 “Salt is good, but if salt loses its flavor, with what shall it be seasoned?

35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”