The Parable of the Great Banquet

¹² He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give ^(A)a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers^[a] or your relatives or rich neighbors, ^(B)lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.

^46 (A)For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

The Sin of Partiality

2 My brothers,^{[a] (A)}show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(B)the Lord of glory. ² For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, ³ and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” ^(C)while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” ⁴ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become ^(D)judges with evil thoughts? ⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers, ^(E)has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be ^(F)rich in faith and heirs of ^(G)the kingdom, ^(H)which he has promised to those who love him? ⁶ But you ^(I)have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who ^(J)drag you ^(K)into court?

^32 (A)“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ And ^(B)if you ^(C)lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. ³⁵ But ^(D)love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and ^(E)you will be sons of ^(F)the Most High, for ^(G)he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ^36 (H)Be merciful, even as ^(I)your Father is merciful.