Luke 14:12-24

12Jesus also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or wealthy neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment.

13But when you give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind,

14and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (the just, the upright).”

15When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

16But Jesus said to him, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many guests;

17and at the dinner hour he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is ready now.’

18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have purchased a piece of land and I have to go out and see it; please consider me excused.’

19Another one said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’

20And another said, ‘I have [recently] married a wife, and for that reason I am unable to come.’

21So the servant came back and reported this to his master. Then [his master,] the head of the household, became angry [at the rejections of his invitation] and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and the disabled and the blind and the lame.’

22And the servant [after returning] said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’

23Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled [with guests].

24For I tell you, not one of those who were invited [and declined] will taste my dinner.’ ”