Luke - Chapter 14

Passage

And it happened, when Jesus went into the house of one of the Pharisees on the sabbath day, that they were watching him. And behold, there was a certain man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? But they kept silent. And he, taking hold of him, healed him and sent him away. And he answered them and said: Which of you, if his donkey or his ox falls into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him about these things. And he also told a parable to those who were invited, noticing how they chose the first seats at the table, saying to them: When you are invited to a wedding, do not sit down in the first place, in case someone more honorable than you has been invited by him, And he who invited you both comes and says to you: Give this man your place. And then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place; so that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you: Friend, go up higher. Then you shall have glory before those who sit at table with you. Because everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled: and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. And he also said to him who had invited him: When you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors; or else they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind. And you shall be blessed, because they have nothing with which to repay you: for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just. When one of those who sat at table with him heard these things, he said to him: Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. But he said to him: A certain man made a great supper and invited many. And at the hour of supper he sent his servant to say to those who were invited that they should come: for now all things are ready. And they all began at once to make excuses. The first said to him: I have bought a farm and I must go out and see it. I beg you, hold me excused. And another said: I have bought five yoke of oxen and I am going to try them. I beg you, hold me excused. And another said: I have married a wife; and therefore I cannot come. And the servant returned and told these things to his lord. 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 here the poor and the feeble and the blind and the lame. And the servant said: Lord, it is done as you have commanded; and still there is room. And the lord said to the servant: Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. But I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper. And great crowds went along with him. And turning, he said to them: If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, wanting to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it, So that, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all who see it do not begin to mock him, Saying: This man began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king, about to go to make war against another king, does not first sit down and consider whether he is able, with ten thousand, to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends messengers and asks for terms of peace. So likewise, every one of you who does not renounce all that he possesses cannot be my disciple. Salt is good. But if the salt loses its taste, with what shall it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill: but it shall be thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.