Fear Only God

1At this time, after [†]so many thousands of the crowd had gathered together that they were trampling on one another, He began saying to His disciples first, “Be on your guard for the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. 3Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have [†]whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.

4“But I say to you, My friends, do not fear those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. 5But I will show you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into [†]hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! 6Are not five sparrows sold for two [†]assaria? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. 7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

8“And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God, 9but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10And everyone who [†]speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. 11Now when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say, 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Parable of the Rich Fool

13And someone from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15Then He said to them, “Watch out and be on your guard against every form of greed, for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” 16And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night [†]your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you prepared?’ 21So is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry

22And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, [†]do not worry about your [†]life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25And which of you by worrying can add a single [†]cubit to his [†]life span? 26Therefore, if you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You of little faith! 29And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30For [†]all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek, but your Father knows that you need these things. 31But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32Do not fear, little flock, for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom.

33“Sell your possessions and give it as charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Be Ready for His Coming

35“GIRD UP YOUR LOINS, and keep your lamps lit. 36And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find awake when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38Whether he comes in the [†]second watch, or even in the [†]third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

39“But [†]be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be [†]broken into. 40You too, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not [†]expect.”

41Now Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” 42And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and prudent steward, whom his master will put in charge of his [†]servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43Blessed is that slave whom his [†]master finds so doing when he comes. 44Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master [†]will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many beatings, 48but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a beating, will receive but a few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Not Peace, but Division

49“I [†]have come to cast fire upon the earth, and [†]how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to [†]undergo, and how distressed I am until it is finished! 51Do you think that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; 52for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53They 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.”

54And He was also saying to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens. 55And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it happens. 56You hypocrites! You know how to examine the appearance of the earth and the sky, but [†]why do you not examine this present time?

57“And why do you not even judge for yourselves what is right? 58For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to [†]settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the last [†]lepton.”