Luk 12 | Comm | STEP | In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they trampled one another, he began to say to his disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Luke 12

1 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they trampled one another, he began to say to his disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops. 4 "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. 8 "I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 Now when they bring you before the synagogues and rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you are to say; 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 16 And he told them a parable, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."‘ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have prepared?’ 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

22 Then he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 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! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a single cubit to his span of life? 26 If you then are not able to do this very little thing, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 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. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you will eat or what you will drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves purses that do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35 "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, so that they may open to him immediately when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds watching when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants. 39 But know this, that if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

41 Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to all?" 42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming, ‘and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he is not aware of, and he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not ready himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, and committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask the more. 49 "I came to cast fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I came to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on there will be five in one house divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

54 He also said to the multitudes, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, "A shower is coming’; and so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; but how is it you do not know how to interpret this present time? 57 "And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you go with your adversary to 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 throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the very last copper."