1. Now one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine at the house of a leader of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely.
2. There right in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.
3. So Jesus asked the experts in religious law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”
4. But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away.
5. Then he said to them, “Which of you, if you have a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”
6. But they could not reply to this.
7. Then when Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. He said to them,
8. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host.
9. So the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed, you will begin to move to the least important place.
10. But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you.