Jesus' banquet discourse is directed at two separate audiences. In verses 7-11, he is speaking about and to his fellow guests at this meal. In verses 12-14, he turns away from these guests and focuses instead on the mandates that should guide the behavior of the host.

Luke sets the scene and the tone of this long banquet scene in the opening verse of chapter 14. Jesus has been invited to dine at the house of a Pharisee. It was the Sabbath, and "they were watching him closely." The setting and seating that occur at this meal suggest that this Pharisee-host was fairly rich and considered a citizen of significant social status. His banquets, after all, are important enough to merit being "seen" at and for seeing others.

The fact that it was on the Sabbath lends itself to two aspects of this s…