THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING SUPPER
AND it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief
Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And,
behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And
Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it
lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he
took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying,
Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not
straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer
him again to these things.
And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked
how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art
bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest
a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; and he that bade thee
and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with
shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit
down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say
unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the
presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth
himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner
or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy
kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and
a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the
poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for
they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the
resurrection of the just.
[Sidenote: St. Luke 14]
And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he
said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of
God. Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and
bade many: and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that
were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one
consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a
piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me
excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go
to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have
married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came,
and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being
angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of
the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt,
and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast
commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant,
Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that
my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men
which were bidden shall taste of my supper.