²A man whose body was swollen with fluid was there. ³Jesus reacted by asking the Pharisees and the experts in Moses’ Teachings, “Is it right to heal on the day of rest—a holy day, or not?” ⁴But they didn’t say a thing.

So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away. ⁵Jesus asked them, “If your son or your ox falls into a well on a day of rest—a holy day, wouldn’t you pull him out immediately?” ⁶They couldn’t argue with him about this.

⁷Then Jesus noticed how the guests always chose the places of honor. So he used this illustration when he spoke to them: ⁸“When someone invites you to a wedding, don’t take the place of honor. Maybe someone more important than you was invited. ⁹Then your host would say to you, ‘Give this person your place.’ Embarrassed, you would have to take the place of least honor. ¹⁰So when you’re invited, take the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, move to a more honorable place.’ Then all the other guests will see how you are honored. ¹¹Those who honor themselves will be humbled, but people who humble themselves will be honored.”

¹²Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you invite people for lunch or dinner, don’t invite only your friends, family, other relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they will return the favor. ¹³Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the handicapped, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴Then you will be blessed because they don’t have any way to pay you back. You will be paid back when those who have God’s approval come back to life.”

Read in Logos

Luke 14:10: But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.