1 W hen he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching him.

On the Day of Rest Jesus went into the house of one of the leaders of the proud religious law-keepers to eat. They all watched Jesus to see what He would do.

2 B ehold, a certain man who had dropsy was in front of him.

A man who had very large arms and legs because of a sickness was put before Jesus.

3 J esus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

Jesus asked the teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers, “Does the Law say it is right to heal on the Day of Rest, or not?”

4 B ut they were silent. He took him, and healed him, and let him go.

They did not answer. Jesus took hold of the man and healed him and sent him away.

5 H e answered them, “Which of you, if your son or an ox fell into a well, wouldn’t immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?”

Then Jesus said to the leaders, “If one of you had a cow or donkey that fell into a hole, would you not go at once and pull it out on the Day of Rest?”

6 T hey couldn’t answer him regarding these things.

And they were not able to answer His questions. Jesus Teaches about How to Live with Others

7 H e spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,

Jesus had been watching those who were asked to come to supper. They were all trying to get the important seats. He told them a picture-story, saying,

8 “ When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast, don’t sit in the best seat, since perhaps someone more honorable than you might be invited by him,

“When you are asked by someone to a wedding supper, do not take the important seat. Someone more important than you may have been asked to come also.

9 a nd he who invited both of you would come and tell you, ‘Make room for this person.’ Then you would begin, with shame, to take the lowest place.

The one who asked both of you to come may say to you, ‘The important seat is for this man.’ Then you will be ashamed as you take the last place.

10 B ut when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.

But when you are asked to come to the table, sit down on the last seat. Then the one who asked you may come and say to you, ‘Friend, go to a more important place.’ Then you will be shown respect in front of all who are at the table with you.

11 F or everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Whoever makes himself look more important than he is will find out how little he is worth. Whoever does not try to honor himself will be made important.”

12 H e also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back.

Then Jesus said to the man who asked Him to eat in his house, “When you have a supper, do not ask your friends or your brothers or your family or your rich neighbors. They will ask you to come to their place for a supper. That way you will be paid back for what you have done.

13 B ut when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind;

When you have a supper, ask poor people. Ask those who cannot walk and those who are blind.

14 a nd you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”

You will be happy if you do this. They cannot pay you back. You will get your pay when the people who are right with God are raised from the dead.”

15 W hen one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will feast in God’s Kingdom!”

When one of those eating at the table with Jesus heard this, he said, “Everyone is happy who will eat in the holy nation of God.” The Picture-Story of the Big Supper

16 B ut he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.

Then Jesus said to the leader of the proud religious law-keepers, “There was a man who was giving a big supper. He asked many people to come to eat.

17 H e sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’

When it was about time to eat, he sent one of the servants he owned to tell those he had asked, saying, ‘Come, everything is ready now.’

18 T hey all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’

They all gave different reasons why they could not come. The first said, ‘I have bought some land and I must go and see it. Do not expect me to come.’

19 “ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’

Another one said, ‘I have bought ten cows to use for working in my fields. I must go and try them out. Do not expect me to come.’

20 “ Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.’

And another one said, ‘I have just been married and I cannot come.’

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

“The servant went back to his owner and told him these things. Then his owner became angry. He said to his servant, ‘Hurry into the streets and narrow roads of the city and bring poor people here. Bring those whose bodies are diseased. Bring those who cannot walk and those who are blind.’

22 “ The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’

The servant came back and said, ‘Sir, what you told me to do has been done. But there are still some empty places.’

23 “ The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Then the owner said to his servant, ‘Go out along the roads leading away from the city and into the fields. Tell them they must come. Do this so my house will be filled.

24 F or I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper.’”

I tell you, not one of those I had asked will eat of my supper.’” Giving Up Things of This Earth

25 N ow great multitudes were going with him. He turned and said to them,

Many people followed Jesus. Then He turned around and said to them,

26 “ If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.

“If any man comes to Me and does not have much more love for Me than for his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be My follower.

27 W hoever doesn’t bear his own cross, and come after me, can’t be my disciple.

If he does not carry his cross and follow Me, he cannot be My follower.

28 F or which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?

“If one of you wanted to build a large building, you would sit down first and think of how much money it would take to build it. You would see if you had enough money to finish it,

29 O r perhaps, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him,

or when the base of the building is finished, you might see that you do not have enough money to finish it. Then all who would see it would make fun of you.

30 s aying, ‘This man began to build, and wasn’t able to finish.’

They would say, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

31 O r what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

“What if a king is going to war with another king? Will he not sit down first and decide if he is able to go with 10, 000 men against the other king who is coming with 20, 000 men?

32 O r else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy, and asks for conditions of peace.

Or, he will send a soldier to the other king while he is still a long way off. He will ask what can be done to have peace.

33 S o therefore whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.

In the same way, whoever does not give up all that he has, cannot be My follower.

34 S alt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it?

“Salt is good. But if salt has lost its taste, how can it be made to taste like salt again?

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

It is no good for the field or the waste place. Men throw it away. You have ears, then listen!”