Jesus Heals a Sick Man
1 One Sabbath, Jesus was having dinner in the home of an important Pharisee, and everyone was carefully watching Jesus. 2 All of a sudden a man with swollen legs stood up in front of him. 3 Jesus turned and asked the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses, “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath?” 4 But they did not say a word.
Jesus took hold of the man. Then he healed him and sent him away. 5 Afterwards, Jesus asked the people, “If your son or ox falls into a well, wouldn't you pull him out at once, even on the Sabbath?” 6 There was nothing they could say.
How To Be a Guest
7 Jesus saw how the guests had tried to take the best seats. So he told them:
8 When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the best place. Someone more important may have been invited. 9 Then the one who invited you will come and say, “Give your place to this other guest!” You will be embarrassed and will have to sit in the worst place.
10 When you are invited to be a guest, go and sit in the worst place. Then the one who invited you may come and say, “My friend, take a better seat!” You will then be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.
12 Then Jesus said to the man who had invited him:
When you give a dinner or a banquet, don't invite your friends and family and relatives and rich neighbors. If you do, they will invite you in return, and you will be paid back. 13 When you give a feast, invite the poor, the paralyzed, the lame, and the blind. 14 They cannot pay you back. But God will bless you and reward you when his people rise from death.
The Great Banquet
(Matthew 22.1-10)15 After Jesus had finished speaking, one of the guests said, “The greatest blessing of all is to be at the banquet in God's kingdom!”
16 Jesus told him:
A man once gave a great banquet and invited a lot of guests. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent a servant to tell the guests, “Everything is ready! Please come.”
18 One guest after another started making excuses. The first one said, “I bought some land, and I've got to look it over. Please excuse me.”
19 Another guest said, “I bought five teams of oxen, and I need to try them out. Please excuse me.”
20 Still another guest said, “I've just now married, and I can't be there.”
21 The servant told his master what happened, and the master became so angry he said, “Go as fast as you can to every street and alley in town! Bring in everyone who is poor or paralyzed or blind or lame.”
22 When the servant returned, he said, “Master, I've done what you told me, and there is still plenty of room for more people.”
23 His master then told him, “Go out along the back roads and make people come in, so my house will be full. 24 Not one of the guests I first invited will get even a bite of my food!”
Being a Disciple
(Matthew 10.37Matthew 38)25 Large crowds were walking along with Jesus, when he turned and said:
26 You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot follow me unless you love me more than you love your own life.
27 You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and follow me.
28 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it? 29 Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you. 30 They will say, “You started building, but could not finish the job.”
31 What will a king do if he has only 10,000 soldiers to defend himself against a king who is about to attack him with 20,000 soldiers? Before he goes out to battle, won't he first sit down and decide if he can win? 32 If he thinks he won't be able to defend himself, he will send messengers and ask for peace while the other king is still a long way off. 33 So then, you cannot be my disciple unless you give away everything you own.
Salt and Light
(Matthew 5.13Mark 9.50)34 Salt is good, but if it no longer tastes like salt, how can it be made to taste salty again? 35 It is no longer good for the soil or even for the manure pile. People simply throw it out. If you have ears, pay attention!
1 And it came to passe that when he was entred into the house of one of the chiefe Pharises on the Sabbath day, to eate bread, they watched him. 2 And beholde, there was a certaine man before him, which had the dropsie. 3 Then Iesus answering, spake vnto the Lawyers and Pharises, saying, Is it lawfull to heale on the Sabbath day? 4 And they held their peace. Then he tooke him, and healed him, and let him goe, 5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall haue an asse, or an oxe fallen into a pit, and wil not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day? 6 And they could not answere him againe to those things. 7 He spake also a parable to the ghestes, when he marked howe they chose out the chiefe roomes, and said vnto them, 8 When thou shalt be bidden of any man to a wedding, set not thy selfe downe in the chiefest place, lest a more honourable man then thou, be bidden of him, 9 And he that bade both him and thee, come, and say to thee, Giue this man roome, and thou then begin with shame to take the lowest roome. 10 But when thou art bidden, goe and sit downe in the lowest roome, that when he that bade thee, cometh, he may say vnto thee, Friende, sit vp hier: then shalt thou haue worship in the presence of them that sit at table with thee. 11 For whosoeuer exalteth himselfe, shall be brought lowe, and he that humbleth himselfe, shall be exalted. 12 Then said he also to him that had bidden him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friendes, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsemen, nor ye riche neighbours, lest they also bid thee againe, and a recompence be made thee. 13 But when thou makest a feast, call ye poore, 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 iust. 15 Nowe when one of them that sate at table, heard these things, he said vnto him, Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdome of God. 16 Then saide he to him, A certaine man made a great supper, and bade many, 17 And sent his seruant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come: for all things are nowe readie. 18 But they all with one mind beganne to make excuse: The first saide vnto him, I haue bought a farme, and I must needes goe out and see it: I pray thee, haue me excused. 19 And another said, I haue bought fiue yoke of oxen, and I goe to proue them: I pray thee, haue me excused. 20 And another said, I haue maried a wife, and therefore I can not come. 21 So that seruaunt returned, and shewed his master these thinges. Then was the good man of the house angrie, and said to his seruant, Goe out quickely into the streetes and lanes of the citie, and bring in hither the poore, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blinde. 22 And the seruaunt saide, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is roome. 23 Then the master sayd to the seruaunt, Goe out into the hie wayes, and hedges, and compell them to come in, that mine house may bee filled. 24 For I say vnto you, that none of those men which were bidden, shall taste of my supper. 25 Nowe there went great multitudes with him, and he turned and sayd vnto them, 26 If any man come to mee, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters: yea, and his owne life also, he can not be my disciple. 27 And whosoeuer beareth not his crosse, and commeth after mee, can not bee my disciple. 28 For which of you minding to builde a towre, sitteth not downe before, and counteth the cost, whether hee haue sufficient to performe it, 29 Lest that after he hath laide the foundation, and is not able to performe it, all that behold it, begin to mocke him, 30 Saying, This man began to builde, and was not able to make an end? 31 Or what King going to make warre against another King, sitteth not downe first, and taketh counsell, whether he be able with ten thousande, to meete him that commeth against him with twentie thousand? 32 Or els while hee is yet a great way off, hee sendeth an ambassage, and desireth peace. 33 So likewise, whosoeuer hee be of you, that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good: but if salt haue lost his sauour, wherewith shall it be salted? 35 It is neither meete for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out. He that hath eares to heare, let him heare.