14 The dropsy healed on the Sabbath. 8 The chief place: at banquets. 12 The poor must be called to our feasts. 16 Of those that were bid to the great supper. 23 Some compelled to come in. 28 One about to build a tower.

And [a]it came to pass that when he was entered into the house of [b]one of the chief Pharisees on the Sabbath day, to eat bread, they watched him.

And behold, there was a certain man before him, which had the dropsy.

Then Jesus answering, spake unto the Lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?

And they held their peace. Then he took him, and healed him, and let him go,

And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass, or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day?

And they could not answer him again to those things.

[c]He spake also a parable to the guests, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms, and said unto them,

When thou shalt be bidden of any man to a wedding, set not thyself down in the chiefest place, lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him,

And he that bade both him and thee, come, and say to thee, Give this man room, and thou then begin with shame to take the lowest room.

10 (A)But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room, that when he that bade thee, cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, sit up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at table with thee.

11 (B)For whosoever exalteth himself, shall be brought low, and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.

12 [d]Then said he also to him that had bidden him, (C)When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor the rich neighbors, lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.

13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind,

14 And thou shalt be blessed, because they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

15 ¶ Now when one of them that sat at table heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdom of God.

16 Then said he to him, (D)A certain man made a great supper, and bade many,

17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come: for all things are now ready.

18 [e]But they all with [f]one mind began to make excuse: The first said unto him, I have bought a farm, and I must needs go out and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

21 So that servant returned, and showed his master these things. Then was the good man of the house angry, and said to his servant, Go out quickly into the [g]streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

23 Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways, and hedges, and compel them to come in, that mine house may be filled.

24 For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden, shall taste of my supper.

25 [h]Now there went great multitudes with him, and he turned and said unto them,

26 (E)If any man come to me, and [i]hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters: yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27 (F)[j]And whosoever beareth not his cross, and cometh after me, cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you minding to build a tower, [k]sitting not down before, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to perform it,

29 Lest that after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to perform it, all that behold it, begin to mock him,

30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to make an end.

31 Or what King going to make war against another King, sitteth not down first, and taketh counsel, whether he be able with ten thousand, to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

32 Or else while he is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth peace.

33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you, that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

34 (G)[l]Salt is good: but if salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?

35 It is neither meet for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 14:1 The Law of the very Sabbath ought not to hinder the offices of charity.
  2. Luke 14:1 Either one of the Elders, whom they called the Sanhedrin, or one of the chiefs of the Synagogue, John 7:48, for this word Pharisee was the name of a sect, though it appears by the whole history that the Pharisees were in great credit.
  3. Luke 14:7 The reward of pride is ignomy and the reward of true modesty is glory.
  4. Luke 14:12 Against them which lavish out their goods either ambitiously, or for hope of recompence, whereas Christian charity respecteth only the glory of God, and the profit of our neighbor.
  5. Luke 14:18 The most part even of them to whom God hath revealed himself are so mad, that such helps as they have received of God, they willingly turn into lets and hindrances.
  6. Luke 14:18 As of set purpose, and a thing agreed upon before, for though they allege several causes, yet all of them agree in this, that they have their excuses, that they may not come to supper.
  7. Luke 14:21 Wide and broad quarters.
  8. Luke 14:25 Even those affections, which are of themselves worthy of praise and commendation, must be ruled and ordered, that godliness may have the upper hand and preeminence.
  9. Luke 14:26 If the matter stands between God and him, as Theophylact saith: and therefore these words are not spoken simply, but by comparison.
  10. Luke 14:27 The true followers of Christ must at once build and fight, and therefore be ready and prepared to suffer all kinds of miseries.
  11. Luke 14:28 At home, and casteth all his costs before he begin the work.
  12. Luke 14:34 The disciples of Christ must be wise, both for themselves and for others: otherwise they become the most foolish of all.

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