In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had
gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to
say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees,
which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be
revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you
have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you
have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the
housetops.
“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and
after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you
whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to
cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows
sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.
Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you
are of more value than many sparrows.
“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son
of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one
who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be
forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will
not be forgiven. And when they bring you before the synagogues and
the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you
should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit
will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Someone in the crowd 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 arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take
care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life
does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told
them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced
plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I
have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I
will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will
store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul,
you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be
merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is
required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they
be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich
toward God.”
And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be
anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body,
what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more
than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they
have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how
much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being
anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are
not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about
the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor
spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive
in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much
more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek
what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For
all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your
Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and
these things will be added to you.
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.
Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a
treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief
approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also.
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like
men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding
feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes
and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake
when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for
service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve
them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds
them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the
master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he
would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be
ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for
all?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise
manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them
their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant
whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to
you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant
says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to
beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get
drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does
not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in
pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew
his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his
will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know,
and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating.
Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and
from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already
kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my
distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to
give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from
now on in one house there will be five 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
mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-
law against mother-in-law.”
He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the
west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And
when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be
scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to
interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know
how to interpret the present time?
“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go
with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle
with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge
hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I
tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last
penny.”
