The Gospel According to St. Luke

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 14 -

And it happened that, when Jesus entered the house of a certain leader of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were observing him.

And behold, a certain man before him was afflicted with edema.

And responding, Jesus spoke to the experts in the law and to the Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?”

But they kept silent. Yet truly, taking hold of him, he healed him and sent him away.

And responding to them, he said, “Which of you will have a donkey or an ox fall into a pit, and will not promptly pull him out, on the day of the Sabbath?”

And they were unable to respond to him about these things.

The Parable of the Guests

Then he also told a parable, to those who were invited, noticing how they chose the first seats at the table, saying to them:

“When you are invited to a wedding, do not sit down in the first place, lest perhaps someone more honored than yourself may have been invited by him.

And then he who called both you and him, approaching, may say to you, ‘Give this place to him.’ And then you would begin, with shame, to take the last place.

But when you are invited, go, sit down in the lowest place, so that, when he who invited you arrives, he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the sight of those who sit at table together with you.

For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”

Then he also said to the one who had invited him: “When you prepare a lunch or dinner, do not choose to call your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your wealthy neighbors, lest perhaps they might then invite you in return and repayment would made to you.

But when you prepare a feast, call the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind.

And you will be blessed because they do not have a way to repay you. So then, your recompense will be in the resurrection of the just.”

The Parable of the Banquet

(Matthew 22:1–14)

When someone sitting at table with him had heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.”

So he said to him: “A certain man prepared a great feast, and he invited many.

And he sent his servant, at the hour of the feast, to tell the invited to come; for now everything was ready.

And at once they all began to make excuses. The first said to him: ‘I bought a farm, and I need to go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’

And another said: ‘I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you to excuse me.’(a)

And another said, ‘I have taken a wife, and therefore I am not able to go.’

And returning, the servant reported these things to his lord. Then the father of the family, becoming angry, said to his servant: ‘Go out quickly into the streets and neighborhoods of the city. And lead here the poor, and the disabled, and the blind, and the lame.’(b)

And the servant said: ‘It has been done, just as you ordered, lord, and there is still room.’

And the lord said to the servant: ‘Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel them to enter, so that my house may be filled.(c)

For I tell you, that none of those men who were invited will taste of my feast.’ ”

The Cost of Discipleship

(Matthew 8:18–22; Luke 9:57–62; John 6:59–66)

Now great crowds traveled with him. And turning around, he said to them:

“If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yes, even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple.(d)

And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.

For who among you, wanting to build a tower, would not first sit down and determine the costs that are required, to see if he has the means to complete it?

Otherwise, after he will have laid the foundation and not been able to finish it, everyone who sees it may begin to mock him,

saying: ‘This man began to build what he was not able to finish.’

Or, what king, advancing to engage in war against another king, would not first sit down and consider whether he may be able, with ten thousand, to meet one who comes against him with twenty thousand?

If not, then while the other is still far away, sending a delegation, he would ask him for terms of peace.

Therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all that he possesses is not able to be my disciple.

Good Salt

(Matthew 5:13–16; Mark 9:49–50)

Salt is good. But if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be seasoned?

It is useful neither in soil, nor in manure, so instead, it shall be thrown away. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Footnotes

(a)14:19 How many oxen did he buy? Ten, i.e. five pairs, each pair being yoked together when working.(Conte)

(b)14:21 The phrase ‘plateas et vicos’ refers to the broader main streets and to the narrower side streets of the city. The word vicos can also refer to the neighborhoods within the larger city, which are traveled by those side streets.(Conte)

(c)14:23 The phrase ‘vias, et sepes’ refers to main highways traveled between cities and to the less traveled paths, which might be lined with hedges or bushes, or overgrown with weeds.(Conte)

(d)14:26 Hate not, etc:The law of Christ does not allow us to hate even our enemies, much less our parents: but the meaning of the text is, that we must be in that disposition of soul, as to be willing to renounce, and part with every thing, how near or dear soever it may be to us, that would keep us from following Christ.(Challoner)

When he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching him.

Behold, a certain man who had dropsy was in front of him.

Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

But they were silent. He took him, and healed him, and let him go.

He answered them, “Which of you, if your son (a) or an ox fell into a well, wouldn’t immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?”

They couldn’t answer him regarding these things.

The Parable of the Guests

He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,

“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the best seat, since perhaps someone more honorable than you might be invited by him,

and he who invited both of you would come and tell you, ‘Make room for this person.’ Then you would begin, with shame, to take the lowest place.

But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back.

But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind;

and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”

The Parable of the Banquet

(Matthew 22:1–14)

When one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will feast in God’s Kingdom!”

But he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.

He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’

They all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’

“Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’

“Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.’

“That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’

“The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’

“The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper.’”

The Cost of Discipleship

(Matthew 8:18–22; Luke 9:57–62; John 6:59–66)

Now great multitudes were going with him. He turned and said to them,

“If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard (b) his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.

Whoever doesn’t bear his own cross and come after me, can’t be my disciple.

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?

Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation and isn’t able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him,

saying, ‘This man began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks for conditions of peace.

So therefore, whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.

Good Salt

(Matthew 5:13–16; Mark 9:49–50)

“Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it?

It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Footnotes

(a)14:5 TR reads “donkey” instead of “son”

(b)14:26 or, hate