Luke 14:1-13 ▼

1 One Sabbath, Jesus went to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal. The guests were watching Jesus closely.

2 A man whose body was swollen with fluid suddenly appeared in front of him.

3 So Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the Law, |Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?|

4 But they kept silent. So he took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away.

5 Then he asked them, |If your son or ox falls into a well on the Sabbath day, you would pull him out immediately, wouldn't you?|

6 And they couldn't argue with him about this.

7 When Jesus noticed how the guests were choosing the places of honor, he told them a parable.

8 |When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don't sit down at the place of honor in case someone more important than you was invited by the host.

9 Then the host who invited both of you would come to you and say, 'Give this person your place.' In disgrace, you would have to take the place of least honor.

10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, 'Friend, move up higher,' and you will be honored in the presence of everyone who eats with you.

11 Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted.|

12 Then he told the man who had invited him, |When you give a luncheon or a dinner, stop inviting only your friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return and you would be repaid.

13 Instead, when you give a banquet, make it your habit to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.