Luke 14
1 On one occasion, as Jesus was going, on a Sabbath into the house of one of the leading Pharisees to dine, they 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 There he saw before him a man who was suffering from dropsy.
And then, there in front of Him was a man who had dropsy!
3 “Is it allowable,” said Jesus, addressing the students of the Law and the Pharisees, “to work a cure on the Sabbath, or is it not?”
And Jesus reacted by saying to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
4 They remained silent. Jesus took hold of the man and cured him, and sent him away.
But they kept silent. So He took hold of him, healed him, and let him go.
5 And he said to them, “Which of you, finding that your son or your ox has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull them out on the Sabbath day?”
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 could not make any answer to that.
And they could not answer Him regarding these things.
7 Observing that the guests were choosing the best places for themselves, Jesus told them this 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 by anyone to a wedding banquet, do not seat yourself in the best place. Someone of higher rank might have been invited by your host;
“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 and the host who invited you both will come and say to you ‘Make room for this person,’ and then you will begin in confusion to take the lowest 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 No, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place, so that, when the host who has invited you comes, he may say to you ‘Friend, come higher up’; and then you will be honored in the eyes of all your fellow guests.
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 themselves will be humbled, and everyone who humbles themselves will be exalted.”
Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
12 Then Jesus went on to say to the man who had invited him, “When you give a breakfast or a dinner, do not ask your friends, or your brothers or sisters, or your relatives, or rich neighbors, because they might invite you in return, and so you should 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 No, when you entertain, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
But whenever you make a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
14 and then you will be happy indeed, since they cannot reward you; for you will be rewarded at the resurrection of the just.”
and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you—you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
15 One of the guests heard what he said and exclaimed, “Happy will be the person who will eat bread 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 said to him, “A man was once giving a great dinner. He invited many people,
So He said to him: “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many.
17 and sent his servant, when it was time for the dinner, to say to 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 They all with one accord began to ask to be excused. The first said to the servant ‘I have bought a field and am obliged to go and look at it. I must ask you to consider me excused.’
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 The next said ‘I have bought five pairs of bullocks, and I am on my way to try them. I must ask you to consider me excused’;
Another said: ‘I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’
20 while the next said ‘I am just married, and for that reason I am unable to come.’
Yet another said, ‘I have married a wife, and so I cannot come.’
21 On his return the servant told his master all these answers. Then in anger the owner of the house said to his servant ‘Go out at once into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in here the poor, and the crippled, and 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 Presently the servant said ‘Sir, your order has been carried out, and still there is room.’
And the slave said, ‘Master, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’
23 ‘Go out,’ the master said, ‘into the roads and hedgerows, and make people come in, so that my house may be filled;
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 all that not one of those people who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet!’”
25 One day, when great crowds of people were walking with Jesus, he turned and said to them,
Now large crowds were traveling with Him, and turning He said to them:
26 “If any one comes to me and does not hate their father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes and even their life, he can be no disciple of mine.
“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 Whoever does not carry their own cross, and walk in my steps, can be no disciple of mine.
And whoever does not carry his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 Why, which of you, when you want to build a tower, does not first sit down and reckon the cost, to see if you have enough 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 you have laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will laugh at you,
This so he does not lay a foundation without being able to finish, and all who see it begin to ridicule him,
30 and say ‘Here is a person who began to build and was not able to finish!’
saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’
31 Or what king, when he is setting out to fight another king, does not first sit down and consider if with ten thousand men he is able to meet one who is 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 cannot, then, while the other is still at a distance, he sends envoys and asks 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 And so with everyone of you who does not bid farewell to all you have – you cannot be a disciple of mine.
“So likewise, any of you who does not renounce all his own possessions cannot be my disciple.
34 Yes, salt is good; but, if the salt itself should lose its strength, what will be used to season it?
Salt is good; but should the salt become insipid, with what can it be seasoned?
35 It is not fit either for the land or for the manure heap. People throw it away. Let those who have ears to hear with hear!”
It is fit for neither soil nor fertilizer; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
