Jesus dines with a Pharisee
1 One day on a Sabbath, he went to have lunch in the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees, where he was closely watched. 2 Suddenly, there before him was someone whose body was very swollen. 3 And Jesus challenged the lawyers and Pharisees by saying, “Is it permissible to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they said nothing. So he took hold of the person, healed them, and sent them on their way. 5 Then he turned toward the others and said, “Which of you would not immediately help your child or even an ox if they fell into a well on the Sabbath Day?” 6 But they were unable to refute what he was saying.
7 Then Jesus noticed that the other guests all selected the best seats possible, so he turned to them and gave them a parable: 8 “Whenever you happen to be invited to weddings, don’t take the most prominent seats for yourselves. What if someone more important than you has been invited, 9 and you are asked to give up your seat for them? Then, in humiliation, you will have to take the worst seat. 10 Instead, when you’re invited, take the seat farthest back. Then the one who invited you may say to you, ‘Friend, come and sit farther up’, and you will be honored in front of everyone else. 11 For all who promote themselves will be humiliated, but all who humble themselves will be promoted.”
12 Then he said to the host, “Whenever you host a luncheon or dinner, don’t invite your friends, siblings, relatives, and rich neighbors, because they may invite you to theirs and pay you back. 13 Instead, invite the destitute, the disabled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed, because though they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The parable of the banquet
15 Upon hearing this, one of the guests said to him, “Blessed is the one who eats at the luncheon in the kingdom of God!” 16 Then Jesus said this:
“A certain person prepared a lavish banquet and invited many guests. 17 So when dinner time came, a slave was sent to all the invited guests to say, ‘Come! The banquet is ready.’ 18 But one after another began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I’m sorry, but I just bought a field and must go to inspect it.’ 19 Another said, ‘I’m sorry, but I just bought five pairs of oxen and must try them out.’ 20 And another said, ‘I just got married and cannot come.’
21 “So the slave returned and reported this to the master. Then the homeowner became angry and said to the slave, ‘Go out quickly to the city square and into the streets, and invite the destitute, the disabled, the blind, and the crippled to my banquet!’
22 “ ‘I’ve done what you said’, the slave reported, ‘but there is still room for more’.
23 “So the master said to the slave, ‘Go out to the lanes and outskirts of town and urge them to come in, so my house will be completely filled. 24 I tell you, not one of those original invited guests will get a taste of my dinner!’ ”
The cost of following Jesus
25 A large crowd was traveling with Jesus, and he turned to speak to them: 26 “Anyone who wants to be my disciple must be prepared to break ties with their father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and even their own life. 27 And anyone who wants to be my disciple must be willing to carry their own cross and follow me.
28 “If one of you intended to build a tower, would you not first of all sit down and calculate the cost to see if you have the funds to complete it? 29 Otherwise, you may lay the foundation but be unable to afford to finish the job, and then everyone would jeer 30 and say, ‘This person started construction but ran out of money!’ 31 Or what king would engage another king in battle without first sitting down to determine whether his own army of ten thousand can meet the twenty thousand coming toward him? 32 If not, then he will surely send a peace delegation while there is still time.
33 “This all illustrates what it takes to be my disciple. You must be willing to part with everything you have. 34 Salt is good, but once it loses its flavor it can’t get it back. 35 And since it cannot be used for seasoning, nor even for fertilizing the soil, it is thrown outside. If you have ears, listen!”