Chapter 14
1 When he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching him .
2 Behold , a certain man who had dropsy was in front of him .
3 Jesus , answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees , saying , " Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath ?"
4 But they were silent . He took him , and healed him , and let him go .
5 He answered them , " Which of you , if your son or an ox fell into a well , wouldn’ t immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day ?"
6 They couldn’t answer him regarding these things .
7 He spoke a parable to those who were invited , when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them ,
8 " When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast , don’ t sit in the best seat, since perhaps someone more honourable than you might be invited by him ,
9 and he who invited both of you would come and tell you , ‘ Make room for this person .’ Then you would begin, with shame, to take the lowest place .
10 But when you are invited , go and sit in the lowest place , so that when he who invited you comes , he may tell you , ‘ Friend , move up higher.’ Then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you .
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled , and whoever humbles himself will be exalted ."
12 He also said to the one who had invited him , " When you make a dinner or a supper , don’ t call your friends , nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen , nor rich neighbours , or perhaps they might also return the favour, and pay you back.
13 But when you make a feast , ask the poor , the maimed, the lame , or the blind ;
14 and you will be blessed , because they don’ t have the resources to repay you . For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous ."
15 When one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things , he said to him , " Blessed is he who will feast in God ’s Kingdom!"
16 But he said to him , " A certain man made a great supper , and he invited many people .
17 He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited , ‘ Come , for everything is ready now .’
18 They all as one began to make excuses . " The first said to him , ‘ I have bought a field, and I must go and see it . Please have me excused .’
19 " Another said , ‘ I have bought five yoke of oxen , and I must go try them out . Please have me excused .’
20 " Another said , ‘ I have married a wife , and therefore I can ’t come .’
21 " That servant came , and told his lord these things . Then the master of the house , being angry , said to his servant , ‘ Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city , and bring in the poor , maimed, blind , and lame .’
22 " The servant said , ‘ Lord , it is done as you commanded , and there is still room .’
23 " The lord said to the servant , ‘ Go out into the highways and hedges , and compel them to come in , that my house may be filled .
24 For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper . For many are called , but few are chosen. ’"
25 Now great multitudes were going with him . He turned and said to them ,
26 " If anyone comes to me , and doesn’ t disregard his own father , mother , wife , children , brothers, and sisters, yes , and his own life also , he can ’ t be my disciple .
27 Whoever doesn’ t bear his own cross and come after me , can ’ t be my disciple .
28 For which of you , desiring to build a tower , doesn’ t first sit down and count the cost , to see if he has enough to complete it ?
29 Or perhaps , when he has laid a foundation and isn’ t able to finish , everyone who sees begins to mock him ,
30 saying , ‘ This man began to build and wasn’ t able to finish .’
31 Or what king , as he goes to encounter another king in war , will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand ?
32 Or else , while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks for conditions of peace .
33 So therefore , whoever of you who doesn’ t renounce all that he has , he can ’ t be my disciple .
34 "Salt is good , but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless , with what do you season it ?
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."