Luke 14:1-35 King James Bible KJV

Healing on the Sabbath, Parable of Salt, Parable of the Great Banquet, Parable of the Wedding Feast, Cost of Discipleship

Luke Chapter 14:1-35 King James Bible KJV. Luke 14 contains several teachings and parables of Jesus. The central themes of this chapter include humility, the cost of discipleship, and God’s invitation to salvation. This chapter challenges readers to examine their priorities, their response to God’s invitation, and their willingness to commit fully to discipleship.

• Humility: Jesus emphasizes the importance of humility in both social interactions and spiritual life.
• God’s Inclusive Invitation: The invitation to the kingdom of God is extended to all, especially those society often overlooks.
• Cost of Discipleship: Following Jesus requires full commitment and may demand sacrifices, including personal relationships and comfort.
• Faithfulness: Disciples must remain faithful and effective in their mission, like salt retaining its flavor.

Luke 14:1-35 King James Bible KJV
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Healing of a Man with Dropsy on the Sabbath – verses 1-6
Jesus heals a man suffering from dropsy (a condition causing swelling) on the Sabbath in front of the Pharisees. He challenges their legalistic views by asking if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. This event emphasizes the priority of compassion and mercy over rigid adherence to religious rules.

Parable of the Wedding Feast – verses 7-11
Jesus teaches a lesson on humility. He advises people not to seek places of honor but instead to take lower seats, allowing the host to elevate them. The core message is that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. This parable encourages a life of humility before God and others.

Parable of the Great Banquet – verses 12-24
In this parable, a man prepares a great banquet and invites many guests, but those who were initially invited make excuses and decline. As a result, the man extends the invitation to the poor, crippled, blind, and lame. The banquet represents God’s kingdom, and the rejection of the initial invitees symbolizes those who reject God’s invitation to salvation. The invitation to the outcasts represents God’s grace being extended to all, especially the marginalized and outcast. The message is that God’s kingdom is open to everyone, but those who reject His call will miss out.

The Cost of Discipleship – verses 25-33
Jesus teaches about the cost of following Him, emphasizing that discipleship requires total commitment. He uses strong language, saying that a disciple must “hate” father, mother, wife, children, and even their own life. This doesn’t mean literal hatred, but rather that one’s love and loyalty to Jesus must come before all other relationships and personal ambitions. Jesus also talks about counting the cost before building a tower or going to war, which illustrates that following Him requires careful consideration and a willingness to sacrifice everything.

Parable of Salt – verses 34-35
Jesus concludes the chapter with a metaphor about salt, which was a valuable preservative in ancient times. He warns that salt that loses its flavor is useless and cannot be restored. This illustrates the importance of a disciple remaining faithful and committed to the purpose of following Christ. If a disciple loses their distinctiveness (like salt losing its saltiness), they are no longer effective for God’s kingdom.

Luke 14:1-35 King James Bible KJV

1 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.
2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;
5 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?
6 And they could not answer him again to these things.

7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
8 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;
9 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.
10 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.
11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted

12 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.
13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
15 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.
16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18 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.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
21 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.
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23 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.
24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.