Luke 14:1-35, NLT
Luke 14
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
1One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely.
Jesus Teaches about Humility
7When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice:
10“Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.
12Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.
Parable of the Great Feast
15Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet*14:15 Greek to eat bread. in the Kingdom of God!”
16Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations.
21“The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
The Cost of Being a Disciple
25A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them,
28“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
31“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him?
34“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again?