14:7 Then 16 when Jesus 17 noticed how the guests 18 chose the places of honor, 19 he told them a parable. He said to them, 14:8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, 20 do not take 21 the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host. 22 14:9 So 23 the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed, 24 you will begin to move to the least important 25 place. 14:10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host 26 approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’ 27 Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you. 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but 28 the one who humbles 29 himself will be exalted.”
14:12 He 30 said also to the man 31 who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, 32 don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid. 14:13 But when you host an elaborate meal, 33 invite the poor, the crippled, 34 the lame, and 35 the blind. 36 14:14 Then 37 you will be blessed, 38 because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid 39 at the resurrection of the righteous.”
14:15 When 40 one of those at the meal with Jesus 41 heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone 42 who will feast 43 in the kingdom of God!” 44 14:16 But Jesus 45 said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet 46 and invited 47 many guests. 48 14:17 At 49 the time for the banquet 50 he sent his slave 51 to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 14:18 But one after another they all 52 began to make excuses. 53 The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, 54 and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ 55 14:19 Another 56 said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, 57 and I am going out 58 to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 14:20 Another 59 said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ 60 14:21 So 61 the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious 62 and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly 63 to the streets and alleys of the city, 64 and bring in the poor, 65 the crippled, 66 the blind, and the lame.’ 14:22 Then 67 the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ 68 14:23 So 69 the master said to his 70 slave, ‘Go out to the highways 71 and country roads 72 and urge 73 people 74 to come in, so that my house will be filled. 75 14:24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals 76 who were invited 77 will taste my banquet!’” 78
14:25 Now large crowds 79 were accompanying Jesus, 80 and turning to them he said, 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate 81 his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, 82 he cannot be my disciple. 14:27 Whoever does not carry his own cross 83 and follow 84 me cannot be my disciple. 14:28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down 85 first and compute the cost 86 to see if he has enough money to complete it? 14:29 Otherwise, 87 when he has laid 88 a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, 89 all who see it 90 will begin to make fun of 91 him. 14:30 They will say, 92 ‘This man 93 began to build and was not able to finish!’ 94 14:31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down 95 first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose 96 the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 14:32 If he cannot succeed, 97 he will send a representative 98 while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. 99 14:33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions. 100
14:34 “Salt 101 is good, but if salt loses its flavor, 102 how can its flavor be restored? 14:35 It is of no value 103 for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out. 104 The one who has ears to hear had better listen!” 105