Luke, 14

1. Now it happened that on a Sabbath day he had gone to share a meal in the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely.

2. Now there in front of him was a man with dropsy,

3. and Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees with the words, 'Is it against the law to cure someone on the Sabbath, or not?'

4. But they remained silent, so he took the man and cured him and sent him away.

5. Then he said to them, 'Which of you here, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on a Sabbath day without any hesitation?'

6. And to this they could find no answer.

7. He then told the guests a parable, because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour. He said this,

8. 'When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited,

9. and the person who invited you both may come and say, "Give up your place to this man." And then, to your embarrassment, you will have to go and take the lowest place.

10. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, "My friend, move up higher." Then, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured.

11. For everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be raised up.'

12. Then he said to his host, 'When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbours, in case they invite you back and so repay you.

13. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;

14. then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again.'

15. On hearing this, one of those gathered round the table said to him, 'Blessed is anyone who will share the meal in the kingdom of God!'

16. But he said to him, 'There was a man who gave a great banquet, and he invited a large number of people.

17. When the time for the banquet came, he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, "Come along: everything is ready now."

18. But all alike started to make excuses. The first said, "I have bought a piece of land and must go and see it. Please accept my apologies."

19. Another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen and am on my way to try them out. Please accept my apologies."

20. Yet another said, "I have just got married and so am unable to come."

21. 'The servant returned and reported this to his master. Then the householder, in a rage, said to his servant, "Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame."

22. "Sir," said the servant, "your orders have been carried out and there is still room."

23. Then the master said to his servant, "Go to the open roads and the hedgerows and press people to come in, to make sure my house is full;

24. because, I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall have a taste of my banquet." '

25. Great crowds accompanied him on his way and he turned and spoke to them.

26. 'Anyone who comes to me without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, cannot be my disciple.

27. No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple.

28. 'And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it?

29. Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying,

30. "Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish."

31. Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who was advancing against him with twenty thousand?

32. If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace.

33. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple without giving up all that he owns.

34. 'Salt is a good thing. But if salt itself loses its taste, what can make it salty again?

35. It is good for neither soil nor manure heap. People throw it away. Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'