Luke 14
Healing on the Sabbath
1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to share a meal in the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely.2 A man suffering from an abnormal swelling of the body was there.3 Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, "Does the Law allow healing on the Sabbath or not?"4 But they said nothing. Jesus took hold of the sick man, cured him, and then let him go.5 He said to them, "Suppose your child or ox fell into a ditch on the Sabbath day. Wouldn’t you immediately pull it out?"
6 But they had no response.
Lessons on humility and generosity
7 When Jesus noticed how the guests sought out the best seats at the table, he told them a parable.8 "When someone invites you to a wedding celebration, don’t take your seat in the place of honor. Someone more highly regarded than you could have been invited by your host.9 The host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give your seat to this other person.’ Embarrassed, you will take your seat in the least important place.10 Instead, when you receive an invitation, go and sit in the least important place. When your host approaches you, he will say, ‘Friend, move up here to a better seat.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.
11 All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up."
12 Then Jesus said to the person who had invited him, "When you host a lunch or dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers and sisters, your relatives, or rich neighbors. If you do, they will invite you in return and that will be your reward.13 Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind.
14 And you will be blessed because they can’t repay you. Instead, you will be repaid when the just are resurrected."
15 When one of the dinner guests heard Jesus’ remarks, he said to Jesus, "Happy are those who will feast in God’s kingdom."
16 Jesus replied, "A certain man hosted a large dinner and invited many people.17 When it was time for the dinner to begin, he sent his servant to tell the invited guests, ‘Come! The dinner is now ready.’18 One by one, they all began to make excuses. The first one told him, ‘I bought a farm and must go and see it. Please excuse me.’19 Another said, ‘I bought five teams of oxen, and I’m going to check on them. Please excuse me.’20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’21 When he returned, the servant reported these excuses to his master. The master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go quickly to the city’s streets, the busy ones and the side streets, and bring the poor, crippled, blind, and lame.’22 The servant said, ‘Master, your instructions have been followed and there is still room.’23 The master said to the servant, ‘Go to the highways and back alleys and urge people to come in so that my house will be filled.
24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’"
Discipleship’s demands
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. Turning to them, he said,26 “Whoever comes to me and doesn’t hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even one’s own life—cannot be my disciple.
27 Whoever doesn’t carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it?29 Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn’t finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you.30 They will say, ‘Here’s the person who began construction and couldn’t complete it!’31 Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the twenty thousand coming against him?32 And if he didn’t think he could win, he would send a representative to discuss terms of peace while his enemy was still a long way off.
33 In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple.
34 "Salt is good. But if salt loses its flavor, how will it become salty again?
35 It has no value, neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. People throw it away. Whoever has ears to hear should pay attention."
Luke 14
Healing Again on the Sabbath
1 Nowt one Sabbath when Jesus went to dinet at the house of a leadert of the Pharisees,s they were watchings him closely.2 Theret rightt in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.s3 Sot Jesus askedt the experts in religious lawt and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbaths or not?”4 But they remained silent. Sot Jesust took hold of the man,t healed him, and sent him away.t5 Thent he said to them, “Which of you, if you have a sons or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”
6 Butt they could not replys to this.
On Seeking Seats of Honor
7 Thent when Jesust noticed how the guestst chose the places of honor,t he told them a parable. He said to them,8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast,t do not taket the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host.t9 Sot the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed,t you will begin to move to the least importantt place.10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your hostt approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’t Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you.
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, butt the one who humbless himself will be exalted.”
12 Het said also to the mans who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet,t don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid.13 But when you host an elaborate meal,t invite the poor, the crippled,s the lame, andt the blind.s
14 Thent you will be blessed,s because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaids at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Parable of the Great Banquet
15 Whent one of those at the meal with Jesust heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyonet who will feastt in the kingdom of God!”s16 But Jesust said to him, “A man once gave a great banquett and inviteds many guests.t17 Att the time for the banquett he sent his slavet to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’18 But one after another they allt began to make excuses.s The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field,s and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’s19 Anothert said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen,s and I am going outt to examine them. Please excuse me.’20 Anothert said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’s21 Sot the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furioust and said to his slave, ‘Go out quicklys to the streets and alleys of the city,t and bring in the poor,s the crippled,t the blind, and the lame.’22 Thent the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’s23 Sot the master said to hist slave, ‘Go out to the highwayss and country roadst and urget peoplet to come in, so that my house will be filled.s
24 For I tell you, not one of those individualst who were inviteds will taste my banquet!’”t
Counting the Cost
25 Now large crowdss were accompanying Jesus,t and turning to them he said,26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hatet his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life,t he cannot be my disciple.27 Whoever does not carry his own crosss and followt me cannot be my disciple.28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit downt first and compute the costt to see if he has enough money to complete it?29 Otherwise,t when he has laidt a foundation and is not able to finish the tower,t all who see itt will begin to make fun oft him.30 They will say,t ‘This mans began to build and was not able to finish!’s31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit downt first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to opposet the one coming against him with twenty thousand?32 If he cannot succeed,t he will send a representativet while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace.s
33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.ts
34 “Saltts is good, but if salt loses its flavor,s how can its flavor be restored?
35 It is of no valuet for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out.t The one who has ears to hear had better listen!”t