A Man with Dropsy Healed on the Sabbath

1One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat at the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees, the people there were watching him closely.

2And behold, there in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.

3In response Jesus said to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the ²³⁴Sabbath?”

4But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away.

5Then he said to them, “Which of you whose ²³⁵son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath will not immediately pull him out?”

6But they could give ²³⁶him no answer about these things.

The Parable of the Guests at the Wedding Feast

7When Jesus noticed how the guests were choosing the places of honor for themselves, he told them a parable:

8“When yoʋ are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not recline in the place of honor, in case someone more honorable than yoʋ has been invited by yoʋr host.

9Then the host, who invited you both, will come and ²³⁷say to yoʋ, ‘Give yoʋr place to this person.’ And with shame yoʋ will begin moving to the least important place.

10But when yoʋ are invited, go recline in the least important place, so that, when yoʋr host comes, he will say to yoʋ, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then yoʋ will be honored in the presence of ²³⁸those who are reclining at the table with yoʋ.

11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

12Jesus also said to the man who had invited him, “When yoʋ prepare a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite yoʋr friends, yoʋr brothers, yoʋr relatives, or yoʋr rich neighbors. If yoʋ do, they may invite yoʋ in return, and yoʋ will be repaid.

13But when yoʋ prepare a banquet, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind.

14Then yoʋ will be blessed. Since they do not have the means to repay yoʋ, yoʋ will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet

15When one of the men reclining at the table with Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is ²³⁹he who will eat ²⁴⁰at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

16Jesus said to him, “A man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.

17At the time for the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for ²⁴¹everything is now ready.’

18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go out and see it. I ask yoʋ to have me excused.’

19Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on my way to try them out. I ask yoʋ to have me excused.’

20Still another said, ‘I have married a woman, and for that reason I cannot come.’

21So the servant came back and told these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, the maimed, the ²⁴²lame, and the blind.’

22After the servant had done so, he said, ‘Master, ²⁴³it has been done as yoʋ commanded, and there is still room.’

23So the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled.

24For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ²⁴⁴For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Cost of Discipleship

25Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and said to them,

26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

27And whoever does not bear his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28For which of ²⁴⁵you who wants to build a tower does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see if he has what he needs to complete it?

29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, all who are looking on will begin to mock him,

30saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

31Or what king, when he is going out to confront another king in battle, ²⁴⁶does not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to face the king who is coming against him with twenty thousand men?

32If he is not able to do so, he sends a delegation while the other is still far away and asks for terms of peace.

33So then, any one of you who does not give up all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

Salt Without Flavor is Worthless

34“Salt is good, but if salt loses its flavor, with what shall it be seasoned?

35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, so it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”