Luke 14
Healing Again on the Sabbath
14:1 Now1 one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine2 at the house of a leader3 of the Pharisees,4 they were watching5 him closely. 14:2 There6 right7 in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.8 14:3 So9 Jesus asked10 the experts in religious law11 and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath12 or not?” 14:4 But they remained silent. So13 Jesus14 took hold of the man,15 healed him, and sent him away.16 14:5 Then17 he said to them, “Which of you, if you have a son18 or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 14:6 But19 they could not reply20 to this.
On Seeking Seats of Honor
14:7 Then21 when Jesus22 noticed how the guests23 chose the places of honor,24 he told them a parable. He said to them, 14:8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast,25 do not take26 the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host.27 14:9 So28 the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed,29 you will begin to move to the least important30 place. 14:10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host31 approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’32 Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you. 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but33 the one who humbles34 himself will be exalted.”
14:12 He35 said also to the man36 who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet,37 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. 14:13 But when you host an elaborate meal,38 invite the poor, the crippled,39 the lame, and40 the blind.41 14:14 Then42 you will be blessed,43 because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid44 at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Parable of the Great Banquet
14:15 When45 one of those at the meal with Jesus46 heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone47 who will feast48 in the kingdom of God!”49 14:16 But Jesus50 said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet51 and invited52 many guests.53 14:17 At54 the time for the banquet55 he sent his slave56 to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 14:18 But one after another they all57 began to make excuses.58 The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field,59 and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’60 14:19 Another61 said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen,62 and I am going out63 to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 14:20 Another64 said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’65 14:21 So66 the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious67 and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly68 to the streets and alleys of the city,69 and bring in the poor,70 the crippled,71 the blind, and the lame.’ 14:22 Then72 the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’73 14:23 So74 the master said to his75 slave, ‘Go out to the highways76 and country roads77 and urge78 people79 to come in, so that my house will be filled.80 14:24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals81 who were invited82 will taste my banquet!’”83
Counting the Cost
14:25 Now large crowds84 were accompanying Jesus,85 and turning to them he said, 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate86 his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life,87 he cannot be my disciple. 14:27 Whoever does not carry his own cross88 and follow89 me cannot be my disciple. 14:28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down90 first and compute the cost91 to see if he has enough money to complete it? 14:29 Otherwise,92 when he has laid93 a foundation and is not able to finish the tower,94 all who see it95 will begin to make fun of96 him. 14:30 They will say,97 ‘This man98 began to build and was not able to finish!’99 14:31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down100 first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose101 the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 14:32 If he cannot succeed,102 he will send a representative103 while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace.104 14:33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.105
14:34 “Salt106 is good, but if salt loses its flavor,107 how can its flavor be restored? 14:35 It is of no value108 for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out.109 The one who has ears to hear had better listen!”110