Luke 14:1-14
Luke 14:1-14 TPT
One Sabbath, Jesus was on his way to dine with a prominent Jewish religious leader for a festive meal. Everyone was watching him to see if he would heal anyone on the Sabbath. Just then, standing right in front of him was a man with his limbs suffering from edema. Jesus asked the experts of the law and the Pharisees who were present, “Does the law permit a man to heal on the Sabbath day? Is it right or wrong?” No one dared answer, so Jesus turned to the sick man, released healing to him, and sent him on his way. Jesus said to them all, “If one of your children or one of your animals fell into a well, wouldn’t you do all you could to rescue them even on the Sabbath?” There was nothing they could say—all were silenced. When Jesus noticed how the guests for the meal were all vying for the seats of honor, he shared this story with the guests around the table: “When you are invited to an important social function, don’t be quick to sit near the head of the table, choosing for yourself a seat of honor. What will happen to you when someone arrives who is more distinguished than you? The host will bring him over to where you are sitting and ask for your seat, saying in front of all the guests, ‘You’re in the wrong place. Please give this person your seat.’ Disgraced, you will have to take whatever seat is left. Instead, when you’re invited to a banquet, you should choose to sit in the lowest place. When your host comes and sees you there, he may say, ‘My friend, come with me and let me seat you in a better place.’ Then, in front of all the other guests at the banquet, he will honor you by seating you in the place of highest respect. “Remember this: everyone with a lofty opinion of who he is and who seeks to raise himself up will be publicly humbled. And everyone with a modest opinion of who he is and chooses to humble himself will be raised up before all.” Then Jesus turned to his host and said, “When you throw a banquet, don’t just invite your friends, relatives, or rich neighbors—for it is likely they will return the favor. It is better to invite those who never get an invitation. If you invite the poor to your banquet, along with the outcast, the handicapped, and the blind—those who could never repay you the favor, then you will experience a great blessing in this life, and at the resurrection of the godly you will receive a full reward.”