Luke 14

1One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, He was being carefully watched.

2There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body.

3Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?

4But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, Jesus healed him and sent him on his way.

5Then He asked them: If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?

6And they had nothing to say.

7When Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, He told them this teaching story:

8When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.

9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you: Give this person your seat. Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.

10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you: Friend, move up to a better place. Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.

11For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

12Then Jesus said to His host: When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, in case they invite you back and so you are repaid.

13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

14And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

15When one of those at the table with Him heard this, he said to Jesus: Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.

16Jesus replied: A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.

17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited: Come, for everything is now ready.

18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said: I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.

19Another said: I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.

20Still another said: I just got married, so I cannot come.

21The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant: Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.

22The servant said: Sir, what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.

23Then the master told his servant: Go out to the roads and country lanes and make people come in, so that my house will be full.

24I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them He said:

26If anyone comes to me and does not hate their father and mother, their spouse and children, their brothers and sisters, and even their own life, such a person cannot be my disciple.

27And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will not you first sit down and estimate the cost, to see if you have enough money to complete it?

29For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you,

30Saying: This person began to build and was not able to finish.

31Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will not he first sit down and consider whether he is able, with ten thousand troops, to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.

33In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

34Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?

35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. People throw it out. Whoever has ears to hear should listen.