Which is the easiest of the four paths for a novice lay practitioner?
The sutta was spoken by Ananda. It is not the words of the Buddha. The Buddha taught samatha &amp; vipassana are developed in tandem (MN 149; Dhp 372); as demonstrated in MN 118 (when it is properly understood). In short, given the path is the Eightfold Path with Three Trainings, how can there be a path that separates wisdom from the development of the path? 


  Any view belonging to one who has come to be like this is his right view. Any resolve, his right resolve. Any effort, his right effort.
  Any mindfulness, his right mindfulness. Any concentration, his right
  concentration: just as earlier his actions, speech, &amp; livelihood were
  already well-purified. Thus for him, having thus developed the noble
  eightfold path, the four frames of reference go to the culmination of
  their development. The four right exertions... the four bases of
  power... the five faculties... the five strengths... the seven factors
  for Awakening go to the culmination of their development. [And] for
  him these two qualities occur in tandem: tranquillity &amp; insight. MN
  149


Also, insight cannot occur without tranquility because true insight, as described in many suttas, results in dispassion (viraga). A mind with dispassion will naturally have tranquility. Wrong concentration can lead to developing some degree of tranquility, but genuine insight cannot exclude tranquility. The fact the Goenka &amp; Mahasi (Yutadhammo) paths rarely discuss tranquility shows the "insight" ("vipassana") they preach is not genuine vipassana but just a form of indoctrination. 



As for the idea of "novice lay practitioner", this is contrary to the teachings of the Buddha. For example, Sariputta &amp; Moggallana were novices yet the Buddha immediately knew they would be his chief disciples. Also, the Buddha rarely taught meditation to lay people. Most lay people do not have the conditions to develop jhana. Therefore, the questions here are not realistic. Lay people should develop morality so to avoid unnecessary problems with their lives.