Luke 12
Warnings and Encouragements
Meanwhile, when a
multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they
trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
But there is nothing
covered up, that will not be revealed, nor hidden, that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you
have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken
in the ear in the inner chambers will be proclaimed on the housetops.
"I tell you, my friends,
don't be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more
that they can do. But I
will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him, who after he has killed, has
power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
"Aren't five sparrows sold
for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by
God. But the very hairs
of your head are all numbered. Therefore don't be afraid. You are of more
value than many sparrows.
"I tell you, everyone who
confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the
angels of God; but he who
denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the
angels of God. Everyone
who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who
blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they bring you before the
synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don't be anxious how or what
you will answer, or what you will say; for the Holy Spirit will teach
you in that same hour what you must say."
The Parable of the Rich Fool
One of the multitude
said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with
me."
But he said to him,
"Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over
you?" He
said to them, "Beware! Keep yourselves from
covetousness, for a man's life doesn't consist of the abundance of the
things which he possesses."
He spoke a parable to
them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man
brought forth abundantly. He reasoned within himself,
saying, 'What will I do, because I don't have room to store my crops?'
He said, 'This is what I
will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I
will store all my grain and my goods. I will tell my soul, "Soul,
you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be
merry."'
"But God said to him, 'You
foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you
have prepared--whose will they be?' So is he who lays up treasure
for himself, and is not rich toward God."
Do Not Worry
He said to his
disciples, "Therefore I tell you, don't be anxious
for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will
wear. Life is more than
food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they don't
sow, they don't reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them.
How much more valuable are you than birds! Which of you by being anxious
can add a cubit to his height? If then you aren't able to do
even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they
grow. They don't toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon
in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if this is how God clothes
the grass in the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the
oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? Don't seek what you will eat or
what you will drink; neither be anxious. For the nations of the world
seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these
things. But seek God's
Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you. Don't be afraid, little flock,
for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. Sell that which you have, and
give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don't grow old,
a treasure in the heavens that doesn't fail, where no thief approaches,
neither moth destroys. For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also.
Watchfulness
"Let your waist be girded
and your lamps burning. Be like men watching for their
lord, when he returns from the marriage feast; that, when he comes and
knocks, they may immediately open to him. Blessed are those servants, whom
the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you, that
he will dress himself, and make them recline, and will come and serve
them. They will be
blessed if he comes in the second or third watch, and finds them so.
But know this, that if
the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he
would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore be ready also, for the
Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don't expect him."
Peter said to him,
"Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?"
The Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord
will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the
right times? Blessed is
that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes. Truly I tell you, that he will
set him over all that he has. But if that servant says in his
heart, 'My lord delays his coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and
the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, then the lord of that servant
will come in a day when he isn't expecting him, and in an hour that he
doesn't know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the
unfaithful. That
servant, who knew his lord's will, and didn't prepare, nor do what he
wanted, will be beaten with many stripes, but he who didn't know, and did
things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whoever much
is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of
him more will be asked.
Not Peace but Division
"I came to throw fire on
the earth. I wish it were already kindled. But I have a baptism to be
baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to
give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division. For from now on, there will be
five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
They will be divided,
father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and
daughter against her mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law,
and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
Interpreting the Times
He said to the
multitudes also, "When you see a cloud rising from
the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming,' and so it happens.
When a south wind blows,
you say, 'There will be a scorching heat,' and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to
interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you
don't interpret this time? Why don't you judge for
yourselves what is right? For when you are going with your
adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released
from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you
to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you will by no means
get out of there, until you have paid the very last penny."
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