Luke 14 : 1 (HCSB)
One Sabbath, when He went to eat at the house of one of the leading Pharisees, they were watching Him closely.
Luke 14 : 2 (HCSB)
There in front of Him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid.
Luke 14 : 3 (HCSB)
In response, Jesus asked the law experts and the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?"
Luke 14 : 4 (HCSB)
But they kept silent. He took the man, healed him, and sent him away.
Luke 14 : 5 (HCSB)
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?"
Luke 14 : 6 (HCSB)
To this they could find no answer.
Luke 14 : 7 (HCSB)
He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noticed how they would choose the best places for themselves:
Luke 14 : 8 (HCSB)
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don't recline at the best place, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host.
Luke 14 : 9 (HCSB)
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.
Luke 14 : 10 (HCSB)
"But when you are invited, go and recline 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 in the presence of all the other guests.
Luke 14 : 11 (HCSB)
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 14 : 12 (HCSB)
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, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.
Luke 14 : 13 (HCSB)
On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind.
Luke 14 : 14 (HCSB)
And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
Luke 14 : 15 (HCSB)
When one of those who reclined at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, "The one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God is blessed!"
Luke 14 : 16 (HCSB)
Then He told him: "A man was giving a large banquet and invited many.
Luke 14 : 17 (HCSB)
At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, 'Come, because everything is now ready.'
Luke 14 : 18 (HCSB)
"But without exception 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.'
Luke 14 : 19 (HCSB)
"Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm going to try them out. I ask you to excuse me.'
Luke 14 : 20 (HCSB)
"And another said, 'I just got married, and therefore I'm unable to come.'
Luke 14 : 21 (HCSB)
"So the slave came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his slave, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame!'
Luke 14 : 22 (HCSB)
" 'Master,' the slave said, 'what you ordered has been done, and there's still room.'
Luke 14 : 23 (HCSB)
"Then the master told the slave, 'Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.
Luke 14 : 24 (HCSB)
For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet!'"
Luke 14 : 25 (HCSB)
Now great crowds were traveling with Him. So He turned and said to them:
Luke 14 : 26 (HCSB)
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-- yes, and even his own life-- he cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14 : 27 (HCSB)
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14 : 28 (HCSB)
"For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn't first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?
Luke 14 : 29 (HCSB)
Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him,
Luke 14 : 30 (HCSB)
saying, 'This man started to build and wasn't able to finish.'
Luke 14 : 31 (HCSB)
"Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one who comes against him with 20,000?
Luke 14 : 32 (HCSB)
If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
Luke 14 : 33 (HCSB)
In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not say good-bye to all his possessions cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14 : 34 (HCSB)
"Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty?
Luke 14 : 35 (HCSB)
It isn't fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!"
❮
❯