1Now it happened that Jesus went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, and they were watching him [closely]. 2And behold, a certain man who had swollen arms and legs832 was [standing] in front of him. 3Jesus answered and spoke to the experts in the law and to the Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
4But they remained silent.
So taking hold of the man, Jesus healed him and sent him away. 5He answered them, “Which of you, if your son833 or ox falls into a well on a Sabbath day, would not immediately pull it out?”
6And they could not answer him regarding these things.
Seating at banquets: about self-exaltation
7When Jesus noticed how people chose the best seats, he told the guests a parable, saying, 8”When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast, do not sit in the best seat. It could be that someone more honorable than you might have been invited by the host,834 9and he who invited both of you would come and tell you, ‘Make room for this person.’ Then, with shame, you would proceed to take the lowest place. 10Instead, when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place. And so, when the host comes, he may tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher!’ Then you will be honored in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
12Jesus also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends, brothers, kinsmen or rich neighbors because they might return the favor and pay you back. 13Instead, when you give a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind [to come]. 14Then you will be blessed, because they do not have the means to pay you back. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”
The parable of the great feast or banquet
15When one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will feast835 in the Kingdom of God!”
16But Jesus replied, “A certain man gave a great banquet and invited many people. 17At supper time, he sent out his slaves to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now!’ 18But they all began to make excuses.
The first told him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused!’
19Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen and I must go try them out. Please have me excused!’
20Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come!’
21That slave came back and reported these things to his lord. At this, the master of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind.’
22The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room!’
23The lord then told the servant, ‘Go out into 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 who were invited will taste of my supper.’”
About discipleship
25Great crowds were now traveling with him. He turned and said to them, 26”Anyone who comes to me and does not disregard836 his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters—yes, and his own life also—cannot be my disciple. 27And whoever does not bear his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, everyone who sees would begin to mock him, 30saying: ‘This fellow began to build and he was not able to finish!’ 31Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, does not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand [troops] to meet the one who comes against him with twenty thousand [troops]? 32If he cannot, while the other [king] is still far away, he sends an embassy and asks for the conditions of peace. 33In the same way, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
About salt
34Salt is good, but if it becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile and it is thrown out! Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!”
The parable of the lost sheep
- Literally “hydropsy”
- TR reads “donkey” instead of “son”
- Greek “him”
- CT and TR read “eat bread” instead of “feast”
- Or literally “hate”
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
