Jesus Eats at a Pharisee’s House
1One Sabbath day, Jesus went to eat in the house of a well-known Pharisee. While he was there, he was being carefully watched. 2In front of him was a man whose body was badly swollen. 3Jesus turned to the Pharisees and the authorities on the law. He asked them, “Is it breaking the Law to heal on the Sabbath day?” 4But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man and healed him. Then he sent him away.
5He asked them another question. He said, “Suppose one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day. Wouldn’t you pull it out right away?” 6And they had nothing to say.
7Jesus noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table. So he told them a story. 8He said, “Suppose someone invites you to a wedding feast. Do not take the place of honor. A person more important than you may have been invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come to you. He will say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be filled with shame. You will have to take the least important place. 10But when you are invited, take the lowest place. Then your host will come over to you. He will say, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11All those who lift themselves up will be made humble. And those who make themselves humble will be lifted up.”
12Then Jesus spoke to his host. “Suppose you give a lunch or a dinner,” he said. “Do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors. If you do, they may invite you to eat with them. So you will be paid back. 13But when you give a banquet, invite those who are poor. Also invite those who can’t see or walk. 14Then you will be blessed. Your guests can’t pay you back. But you will be paid back when those who are right with God rise from the dead.”
The Story of the Great Banquet
15One of the people at the table with Jesus heard him say those things. So he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in God’s kingdom.”
16Jesus replied, “A certain man was preparing a great banquet. He invited many guests. 17Then the day of the banquet arrived. He sent his servant to those who had been invited. The servant told them, ‘Come. Everything is ready now.’
18“But they all had the same idea. They began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have just bought a field. I have to go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19“Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen. I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry. He ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the town. Bring in those who are poor. Also bring those who can’t see or walk.’
22“ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done. But there is still room.’
23“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads. Go out to the country lanes. Make the people come in. I want my house to be full. 24I tell you, not one of those people who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”
The Cost of Being a Disciple
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned and spoke to them. He said, 26“Anyone who comes to me must hate their father and mother. They must hate their wife and children. They must hate their brothers and sisters. And they must hate even their own life. Unless they do this, they can’t be my disciple. 27Whoever doesn’t carry their cross and follow me can’t be my disciple.
28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you sit down first and figure out how much it will cost? Then you will see whether you have enough money to finish it. 29Suppose you start building and are not able to finish. Then everyone who sees what you have done will laugh at you. 30They will say, ‘This person started to build but wasn’t able to finish.’
31“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. And suppose he has 10,000 men, while the other has 20,000 coming against him. Won’t he first sit down and think about whether he can win? 32And suppose he decides he can’t win. Then he will send some men to ask how peace can be made. He will do this while the other king is still far away. 33In the same way, you must give up everything you have. Those of you who don’t cannot be my disciple.
34“Salt is good. But suppose it loses its saltiness. How can it be made salty again? 35It is not good for the soil. And it is not good for the trash pile. It will be thrown out.
“Whoever has ears should listen.”
Yesu Mʼnyumba ya Mfarisi
1Pa tsiku lina la Sabata, Yesu atapita kukadya ku nyumba ya Mfarisi wodziwika, Afarisi anamulonda mosamalitsa. 2Poteropo, patsogolo pake panali munthu amene anadwala matenda otupa mimba ndi miyendo. 3Yesu anafunsa Afarisi ndi akatswiri amalamulo kuti, “Kodi ndi zololedwa kuchiritsa pa tsiku la Sabata kapena ayi?” 4Koma iwo sanayankhe. Tsono atamutenga munthuyo, Iye anamuchiritsa ndipo anamuwuza kuti azipita.
5Kenaka Iye anawafunsa kuti, “Kodi ngati mmodzi mwa inu ali ndi mwana wamwamuna kapena ngʼombe imene yagwera mʼchitsime tsiku la Sabata, kodi simungamuvuwulemo tsiku lomwelo?” 6Ndipo iwo analibe choyankha.
Kudzichepetsa ndi Kulandira Ulemu
7Iye ataona momwe alendo amasankhira malo aulemu pa tebulo, Iye anawawuza fanizo ili: 8“Pamene wina wakuyitanani ku phwando la ukwati, musakhale pa malo aulemu ayi, chifukwa mwina anayitananso munthu wina wolemekezeka kuposa inu. 9Ngati zitatero, ndiye kuti munthu uja amene anakuyitani inu nonse awiri adzakuwuzani kuti, ‘Mupatseni munthu uyu malo anu.’ Pamenepo inu mudzachita manyazi, pokakhala malo wotsika. 10Koma akakuyitanani, khalani pa malo otsika, kuti amene anakuyitanani uja adzakuwuzeni kuti, ‘Bwenzi, bwera udzakhale pa malo aulemu pano.’ Pamenepo inu mudzalandira ulemu pamaso pa alendo anzanu onse. 11Pakuti aliyense wodzikuza adzamuchepetsa, ndipo aliyense wodzichepetsa adzamukweza.”
12Kenaka Yesu anati kwa mwini malo uja, “Ukakonza chakudya chamasana kapena chamadzulo, usamayitane abwenzi ako, abale ako, anthu afuko lako kapena anzako achuma; ngati iwe utero, iwo adzakuyitananso, choncho udzalandiriratu mphotho yako. 13Koma ukakonza phwando, itana anthu osauka, ofa ziwalo, olumala ndi osaona. 14Pamenepo udzakhala wodala, chifukwa iwo sangakubwezere kanthu, koma Mulungu ndiye adzakubwezera pa chiukitso cha olungama.”
Fanizo la Phwando Lalikulu
15Mmodzi mwa amene amadya naye atamva izi, anati kwa Yesu, “Ndi wodala munthu amene adzadye nawo mu ufumu wa Mulungu.”
16Yesu anayankha kuti, “Munthu wina ankakonza phwando lalikulu ndipo anayitana alendo ambiri. 17Nthawi yaphwando itakwana anatuma wantchito wake kuti akawuze onse amene anayitanidwa kuti, ‘Bwerani, pakuti zonse zakonzeka.’
18“Koma onse anayamba kupereka zifukwa mofanana. Woyamba anati, ‘Ine ndangogula kumene munda, ndipo ndikuyenera kupita kuti ndikawuone. Pepani mundikhululukire.’
19“Wina anati, ‘Ndangogula kumene ngʼombe khumi zokoka ngolo ndipo kupita kukaziyesa. Pepani mundikhululukire.’
20“Wina anatinso, ‘Ine ndangokwatira kumene, choncho sinditha kubwera.’
21“Wantchitoyo anabwera ndikudzamuwuza bwana wakeyo zimenezi. Pamenepo mphwandoyo anapsa mtima ndipo analamula wantchito wakeyo kuti, ‘Pita msangamsanga kunja mʼmisewu ndi mʼmakwalala a mu mzinda ndipo ukabweretse osauka, ofa ziwalo, osaona ndi olumala.’
22“Wantchitoyo anati, ‘Bwana, zimene munanena zachitika koma malo akanalipobe.’
23“Ndipo mbuye uja anawuza wantchito wake kuti, ‘Pita kunja ku misewu ikuluikulu ndi kunja kwa mpanda ndipo ukawawuze kuti alowe, kuti nyumba yanga idzaze. 24Ine ndikukuwuzani inu kuti palibe ndi mmodzi yemwe mwa anthu amene anayitanidwa adzalawa phwandolo.’ ”
Dipo la Kutsatira Yesu
25Gulu lalikulu la anthu linkayenda naye Yesu ndipo atatembenukira kwa iwo anati, 26“Ngati wina aliyense abwera kwa Ine ndipo sadana ndi abambo ndi amayi ake, mkazi wake ndi ana, abale ake ndi alongo ake, inde ngakhale moyo wake omwe, iye sangakhale ophunzira wanga. 27Ndipo aliyense amene sasenza mtanda wake ndi kunditsata Ine sangakhale ophunzira wanga.
28“Taganizani, ngati wina mwa inu akufuna kumanga nsanja, kodi iye sayamba wakhala pansi ndi kuganizira za mtengo wake kuti aone ngati ali ndi ndalama zokwanira kuti atsirizire? 29Pakuti ngati ayika maziko ndi kulephera kutsiriza, aliyense amene adzayiona adzamuseka, 30nanena kuti, ‘Munthu uyu anayamba kumanga koma sanathe kutsiriza.’
31“Kapena mfumu imene ikupita ku nkhondo kukamenyana ndi mfumu ina, kodi siyamba yakhala pansi ndi kulingalira ngati ingathe ndi anthu 10,000 kulimbana ndi amene akubwera ndi 20,000? 32Ngati singathe, idzatuma nthumwi pomwe winayo ali kutali ndi kukapempha mgwirizano wamtendere. 33Mʼnjira yomweyo, wina aliyense wa inu amene sasiya zonse ali nazo sangakhale ophunzira wanga.
34“Mchere ndi wabwino, koma ngati usukuluka adzawukoleretsanso ndi chiyani? 35Suyeneranso ngakhale mʼnthaka kapena kudzala la manyowa; umatayidwa kunja.
“Amene ali ndi makutu akumva, amve.”
