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The Gospel According to St. Luke

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- Chapter 14 -

1
One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely.
2
Right there before Him was a man with dropsy.
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So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
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But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way.
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And He asked them, “Which of you whose son (a) or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?”
6
And they were unable to answer these questions.

The Parable of the Guests

7
When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable:
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“When you are invited to a wedding banquet, do not sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited.
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Then the host who invited both of you will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ And in humiliation, you will have to take the last place.
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But when you are invited, go and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’(b) Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you.
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For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
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Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return, and you will be repaid.
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But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,
14
and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

The Parable of the Banquet

(Matthew 22:1–14)
15
When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast (c) in the kingdom of God.”
16
But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.
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When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
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But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’
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Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20
Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’
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The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
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‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’
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So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
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For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”

The Cost of Discipleship

(Matthew 8:18–22; Luke 9:57–62; John 6:59–66)
25
Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them,
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“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
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And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
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Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?
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Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
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saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’
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Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
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And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.
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In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.

Good Salt

(Matthew 5:13–16; Mark 9:49–50)
34
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned?
35
It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Footnotes

(a)14:5 TR donkey
(b)14:10 See Proverbs 25:7.
(c)14:15 Literally who will eat bread
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 (a) 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.

The Parable of the Guests

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 honorable 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 honored 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 neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, 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.”

The Parable of the Banquet

(Matthew 22:1–14)
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.’”

The Cost of Discipleship

(Matthew 8:18–22; Luke 9:57–62; John 6:59–66)
25
Now great multitudes were going with him. He turned and said to them,
26
“If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard (b) 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.

Good Salt

(Matthew 5:13–16; Mark 9:49–50)
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.”

Footnotes

(a)14:5 TR reads “donkey” instead of “son”
(b)14:26 or, hate
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