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Luke 14 :: New International Version (NIV)

Jesus at a Pharisee’s House

Luk 14:1One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched.
Luk 14:2There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body.
Luk 14:3Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
Luk 14:4But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.
Luk 14:5Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child[fn] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?”
Luk 14:6And they had nothing to say.
Luk 14:7When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:
Luk 14:8“When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.
Luk 14:9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.
Luk 14:10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.
Luk 14:11For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luk 14:12Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
Luk 14:13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
Luk 14:14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet

Luk 14:15When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Luk 14:16Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.
Luk 14:17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
Luk 14:18“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
Luk 14:19“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
Luk 14:20“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
Luk 14:21“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
Luk 14:22“ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
Luk 14:23“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
Luk 14:24I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”

The Cost of Being a Disciple

Luk 14:25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
Luk 14:26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:27And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?
Luk 14:29For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you,
Luk 14:30saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
Luk 14:31“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
Luk 14:32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
Luk 14:33In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Luk 14:34“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
Luk 14:35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
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