A Sabbath Controversy

14 One Sabbath, when he went in to eat[a] at the house of one of the leading Pharisees,(A) they were watching him closely.(B) There in front of him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid. In response, Jesus asked the law experts(C) and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”(D) But they kept silent. He took the man, healed him, and sent him away. And to them, he said, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a well, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”(E) They could find no answer to these things.

Teachings on Humility

He told a parable(F) to those who were invited, when he noticed how they would choose the best places(G) for themselves: “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t sit in the place of honor, because a more distinguished person(H) than you may have been invited by your host. The one who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in humiliation, you will proceed to take the lowest place.

10 “But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ You will then be honored(I) in the presence of all the other guests.(J) 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”(K)

12 He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid. 13 On the contrary, when you host a banquet,(L) invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind.(M) 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid(N) at the resurrection of the righteous.”(O)

The Parable of the Large Banquet

15 When(P) one of those who reclined at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is the one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” (Q)

16 Then he told him, “A man was giving a large banquet and invited many. 17 At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’

18 “But without exception[b] they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’

19 “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m going to try them out. I ask you to excuse me.’

20 “And another said, ‘I just got married,(R) and therefore I’m unable to come.’

21 “So the servant came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’(S)

22 “‘Master,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.’

23 “Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, not one of those people who were invited will enjoy my banquet.’”

The Cost of Following Jesus

25 Now(T) great crowds were traveling with him. So he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me(U) and does not hate(V) his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross(W) and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost(X) to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce[c] all his possessions(Y) cannot be my disciple.

34 “Now,(Z) salt(AA) is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty? 35 It isn’t fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”(AB)

Footnotes

  1. 14:1 Lit eat bread
  2. 14:18 Lit “And from one (voice)
  3. 14:33 Or leave

A Man Suffering from Edema Healed

14 And it happened that when he came to the house of a certain one of the leaders of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat a meal,[a] they were watching him closely. And behold, a certain man was in front of him, suffering from edema. And Jesus answered and[b] said to the legal experts and Pharisees, saying, “Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they remained silent. And he took hold of him[c] and[d] healed him, and sent him[e] away. And he said to them, “Who among you, if your[f] son or your ox falls into a well[g] on the day of the Sabbath, will not immediately pull him out?” And they were not able to make a reply to these things.

The Parable of the Guests at the Wedding Feast

Now he told a parable to those who had been invited when he[h] noticed how they were choosing for themselves the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast,[i] do not recline at the table in the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you has been invited by him, and the one who invited you both[j] will come and[k] say to you, ‘Give the place to this person,’ and then with shame you will begin to take the last place. 10 But when you are invited, go and[l] recline at the table in the last place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then it will be an honor to you in the presence of all those who are reclining at the table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet

12 And he also said to the one who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or wealthy neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. 13 But whenever you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they are not able to repay you. For it will be paid back to you at the resurrection of the righteous.”

15 Now when[m] one of those reclining at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who[n] will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A certain man was giving a large banquet and invited many. 17 And he sent his slave at the hour of the banquet to say to those who have been invited, ‘Come, because now it is ready!’ 18 And they all alike[o] began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field, and I must[p] go out to look at it. I ask you, consider me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you, consider me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and for this reason I am not able to come.’ 21 And the slave came and[q] reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and[r] said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame!’ 22 And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ 23 And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and press them[s] to come in, so that my house will be filled! 24 For I say to you that none of those persons who were invited will taste my banquet!’”

The Cost of Discipleship

25 Now large crowds were going along with him, and he turned around and[t] said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and furthermore, even his own life, he cannot be[u] my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow[v] me cannot be[w] my disciple. 28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, does not first sit down and[x] calculate the cost to see if he has enough[y] to complete it?[z] 29 Otherwise[aa] after[ab] he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it,[ac] all who see it[ad] will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, going out to engage another king in battle, does not sit down first and[ae] deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand. 32 But if not, while[af] the other is still far away, he sends an ambassador and[ag] asks for terms of[ah] peace. 33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his own possessions cannot be[ai] my disciple.

34 “Now salt is good, but if salt becomes tasteless, with what will it be made salty? 35 It is usable neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it out. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 14:1 Literally “bread”
  2. Luke 14:3 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  3. Luke 14:4 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  4. Luke 14:4 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“took hold of”) has been translated as a finite verb
  5. Luke 14:4 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  6. Luke 14:5 The words “if your” are not in the Greek text but are implied
  7. Luke 14:5 Or “cistern”
  8. Luke 14:7 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“noticed”) which is understood as temporal
  9. Luke 14:8 Or perhaps simply “a feast”
  10. Luke 14:9 Literally “and him”
  11. Luke 14:9 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“will come”) has been translated as a finite verb
  12. Luke 14:10 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“go”) has been translated as a finite verb
  13. Luke 14:15 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
  14. Luke 14:15 Literally “whoever”
  15. Luke 14:18 Literally “by one”
  16. Luke 14:18 Literally “I have necessity”
  17. Luke 14:21 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
  18. Luke 14:21 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“became angry”) has been translated as a finite verb
  19. Luke 14:23 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  20. Luke 14:25 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“turned around”) has been translated as a finite verb
  21. Luke 14:26 Literally “he is not able to be”
  22. Luke 14:27 Literally “come after”
  23. Luke 14:27 Literally “is not able to be”
  24. Luke 14:28 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sit down”) has been translated as a finite verb
  25. Luke 14:28 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  26. Luke 14:28 Literally “for completion”
  27. Luke 14:29 Literally “so that lest”
  28. Luke 14:29 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“has laid”)
  29. Luke 14:29 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  30. Luke 14:29 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  31. Luke 14:31 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sit down”) has been translated as a finite verb
  32. Luke 14:32 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“is”)
  33. Luke 14:32 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“asks”) has been translated as a finite verb
  34. Luke 14:32 Literally “the things with reference to”
  35. Luke 14:33 Literally “is not able to be”