ESV 1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. MSG 1 One time when Jesus went for a Sabbath meal with one of the top leaders of the Pharisees, all the guests had their eyes on him, watching his every move. ESV 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. MSG 2 Right before him there was a man hugely swollen in his joints. ESV 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" MSG 3 So Jesus asked the religion scholars and Pharisees present, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath? Yes or no?" ESV 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. MSG 4 They were silent. So he took the man, healed him, and sent him on his way. ESV 5 And he said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?" MSG 5 Then he said, "Is there anyone here who, if a child or animal fell down a well, wouldn't rush to pull him out immediately, not asking whether or not it was the Sabbath?" ESV 6 And they could not reply to these things. MSG 6 They were stumped. There was nothing they could say to that. ESV 7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, MSG 7 He went on to tell a story to the guests around the table. Noticing how each had tried to elbow into the place of honor, he said, ESV 8 "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, MSG 8 "When someone invites you to dinner, don't take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. ESV 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this person,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. MSG 9 Then he'll come and call out in front of everybody, 'You're in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.' Red-faced, you'll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left. ESV 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. MSG 10 "When you're invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, 'Friend, come up to the front.' That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! ESV 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." MSG 11 What I'm saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face. But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself." ESV 12 He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. MSG 12 Then he turned to the host. "The next time you put on a dinner, don't just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. ESV 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, MSG 13 Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. ESV 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." MSG 14 You'll be - and experience - a blessing. They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned - oh, how it will be returned! - at the resurrection of God's people." ESV 15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" MSG 15 That triggered a response from one of the guests: "How fortunate the one who gets to eat dinner in God's kingdom!" ESV 16 But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. MSG 16 Jesus followed up. "Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. ESV 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' MSG 17 When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, 'Come on in; the food's on the table.' ESV 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' MSG 18 "Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, 'I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.' ESV 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' MSG 19 "Another said, 'I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.' ESV 20 And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' MSG 20 "And yet another said, 'I just got married and need to get home to my wife.' ESV 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' MSG 21 "The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, 'Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.' ESV 22 And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' MSG 22 "The servant reported back, 'Master, I did what you commanded - and there's still room.' ESV 23 And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. MSG 23 "The master said, 'Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! ESV 24 For I tell you,none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'" MSG 24 Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.'" ESV 25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, MSG 25 One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, ESV 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. MSG 26 "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters - yes, even one's own self! - can't be my disciple. ESV 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. MSG 27 Anyone who won't shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can't be my disciple. ESV 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? MSG 28 "Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? ESV 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, MSG 29 If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ESV 30 saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' MSG 30 'He started something he couldn't finish.' ESV 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? MSG 31 "Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? ESV 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. MSG 32 And if he decides he can't, won't he send an emissary and work out a truce? ESV 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. MSG 33 "Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple. ESV 34 "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? MSG 34 "Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes flat, it's useless, good for nothing. "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" ESV 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
MSG 1 One time when Jesus went for a Sabbath meal with one of the top leaders of the Pharisees, all the guests had their eyes on him, watching his every move. MSG 2 Right before him there was a man hugely swollen in his joints. MSG 3 So Jesus asked the religion scholars and Pharisees present, "Is it permitted to heal on the Sabbath? Yes or no?" MSG 4 They were silent. So he took the man, healed him, and sent him on his way. MSG 5 Then he said, "Is there anyone here who, if a child or animal fell down a well, wouldn't rush to pull him out immediately, not asking whether or not it was the Sabbath?" MSG 6 They were stumped. There was nothing they could say to that. MSG 7 He went on to tell a story to the guests around the table. Noticing how each had tried to elbow into the place of honor, he said, MSG 8 "When someone invites you to dinner, don't take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. MSG 9 Then he'll come and call out in front of everybody, 'You're in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.' Red-faced, you'll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left. MSG 10 "When you're invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, 'Friend, come up to the front.' That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! MSG 11 What I'm saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face. But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself." MSG 12 Then he turned to the host. "The next time you put on a dinner, don't just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. MSG 13 Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. MSG 14 You'll be - and experience - a blessing. They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned - oh, how it will be returned! - at the resurrection of God's people." MSG 15 That triggered a response from one of the guests: "How fortunate the one who gets to eat dinner in God's kingdom!" MSG 16 Jesus followed up. "Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. MSG 17 When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, 'Come on in; the food's on the table.' MSG 18 "Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, 'I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.' MSG 19 "Another said, 'I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.' MSG 20 "And yet another said, 'I just got married and need to get home to my wife.' MSG 21 "The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, 'Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.' MSG 22 "The servant reported back, 'Master, I did what you commanded - and there's still room.' MSG 23 "The master said, 'Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! MSG 24 Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.'" MSG 25 One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, MSG 26 "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters - yes, even one's own self! - can't be my disciple. MSG 27 Anyone who won't shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can't be my disciple. MSG 28 "Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? MSG 29 If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: MSG 30 'He started something he couldn't finish.' MSG 31 "Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? MSG 32 And if he decides he can't, won't he send an emissary and work out a truce? MSG 33 "Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple. MSG 34 "Salt is excellent. But if the salt goes flat, it's useless, good for nothing. "Are you listening to this? Really listening?"