He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,
Parallel translations
- KJV And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
- BSB When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable:
- NKJV So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:
- NASB Now He began telling a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them,
- NLT When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice:
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Noticing guests choosing the best seats, Jesus tells a parable. He uses their pride to teach about humility in God's kingdom.
Overview
The scramble for places of honor at the meal reveals the self-seeking that Jesus addresses. He turns an ordinary social custom into a lesson on the heart. The parable that follows applies far beyond banquet etiquette to one's standing before God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Phil 2:3doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
- Luke 11:43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces.
- Matt 23:6and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
- Luke 20:46“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;
- Mark 12:38–39In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,
- 3 Jn 1:9I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.
- Acts 8:18–19Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
- Ezek 17:2“Son of man, tell a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;
- Prov 8:1Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?
- Judg 14:12Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle now. If you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing;
- Matt 13:34Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 14:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.