Christ heals the dropsical man. The parable of the supper. The necessity of renouncing all to follow Christ.

¹ 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.

² And behold, a certain man before him was afflicted with edema.

³ And responding, Jesus spoke to the experts in the law and to the Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?”

⁴ But they kept silent. Yet truly, taking hold of him, he healed him and sent him away.

⁵ 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?”

⁶ And they were unable to respond to him about these things.

⁷ Then he also told a parable, to those who were invited, noticing how they chose the first seats at the table, saying to them:

⁸ “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.

⁹ 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.

¹⁰ 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.

¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”

¹² 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.

¹³ But when you prepare a feast, call the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind.

¹⁴ 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.”

¹⁵ 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.”

¹⁶ So he said to him: “A certain man prepared a great feast, and he invited many.

¹⁷ And he sent his servant, at the hour of the feast, to tell the invited to come; for now everything was ready.

¹⁸ 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.’

¹⁹ And another said: ‘I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you to excuse me.’¹

1. 14:19How many oxen did he buy? Ten, i.e. five pairs, each pair being yoked together when working.(Conte)

²⁰ And another said, ‘I have taken a wife, and therefore I am not able to go.’

²¹ 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.’¹

1. 14:21The 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)

²² And the servant said: ‘It has been done, just as you ordered, lord, and there is still room.’

²³ 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.¹

1. 14:23The 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)

²⁴ For I tell you, that none of those men who were invited will taste of my feast.’ ”

²⁵ Now great crowds traveled with him. And turning around, he said to them:

²⁶ “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.¹

1. 14:26Hate 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)

²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.

²⁸ 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?

²⁹ Otherwise, after he will have laid the foundation and not been able to finish it, everyone who sees it may begin to mock him,

³⁰ saying: ‘This man began to build what he was not able to finish.’

³¹ 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?

³² If not, then while the other is still far away, sending a delegation, he would ask him for terms of peace.

³³ Therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all that he possesses is not able to be my disciple.

³⁴ Salt is good. But if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be seasoned?

³⁵ It is useful neither in soil, nor in manure, so instead, it shall be thrown away. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”