1Shortly after that he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees. They were there to eat on the Sabbath. They watched him. 2There was in his presence a man who had the dropsy swollen arms and legs. 3Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees: »Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?« 4They did not speak. So he held the man and healed him and let him go. 5He said: »Which of you who has an ass or a bull that falls into a well, and will not immediately pull him up on a Sabbath day?« 6Again they could not answer. 7He spoke an illustration to the invited guests. He noticed they chose from the most important seats. So he said to them: 8»When you are invited to a marriage feast do not take the place of honor. Someone more distinguished than you may be invited. 9»Your host would tell you, give this person your place. Then you would be embarrassed and have to take the place of least honor. 10»When you are invited, take the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, friend, move to a more honorable place. And the other guests will see how you are honored. 11»Those who exalt themselves will be humbled. And people who humble themselves will be exalted.« 12Jesus said to his host: »When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors. They will invite you back, and in this way you will be paid for what you did. 13»When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14»You will be blessed because they are not able to pay you back. God will repay you on the day the good people rise from death.« 15One of the guests at the table then said to Jesus: »Those who sit down at the feast in the Kingdom of God will be happy!« 16Jesus said: »There was a man who gave a great feast to which he invited many people. 17»He sent his servant to tell the guests that everything is ready. 18»They all made excuses one after another. The first one told the servant: ‘I bought a field and must go and look at it. Please accept my apologies.’ 19»Another said: ‘I purchased five pairs of oxen and am on my way to try them out. Please accept my apologies.’ 20»Another explained: ‘I am newly married and I cannot come.’ 21»The servant returned and conveyed this to his master. The master was furious. He commanded his servant to hurry into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. 22»The servant soon told his master, ‘Your order has been carried out but there is still more room.’ 23»The master told the servant, ‘Go to the country roads and lanes and make people come so my house will be full.’ 24»None of those who were invited will taste my dinner!« He said. 25Jesus turned to speak to the large crowd of people who were traveling with him: 26»You who come to me may not be my disciple unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and yourself. 27»Those who do not carry their own stake and come after me may not be my disciples. 28»If you plan to build a tower, you sit down first and figure out what it will cost. Then you see if you have enough money to finish the job. 29»If you do not, you will not be able to finish the project after laying the foundation. Everyone who sees what happened will ridicule and poke fun of you. 30»‘You started and could not finish,’ they will say. 31« When a king commands ten thousand men to fight another king who comes against him with twenty thousand men, he will sit down first and decide if he is strong enough to defeat the other king. 32»If he is not strong enough he will send messengers to the other king to ask for terms of peace while he is still far away.« 33»Likewise,« concluded Jesus, »none of you may be my disciples unless you give up everything you have.« 34»Salt is good. But if it loses its saltiness it cannot be made salty again. 35»It is neither good for the soil nor for the manure pile. You throw it away. Listen if you have ears!«