Luke 12

1Meanwhile the crowd had grown to many thousands, so packed that people were stepping on one another. Jesus began to speak, first of all to his disciples: “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees. I mean their hypocrisy. 2Everything that is covered up now will be uncovered, and every secret will come out. 3So anything you said in the dark will be heard in broad daylight. Anything you spoke into someone’s ear in a back room will be announced from the tops of the houses.

4My friends, I tell you this: do not be afraid of people who can kill the body but then can do nothing further. 5I will point out the one you should fear. Fear the one who, after the killing is done, has the right to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, he is the one to fear. 6You can buy five sparrows for two pennies, can you not? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So do not be afraid. You matter more than a great many sparrows.

8I tell you, if anyone openly stands with me in front of others, the Son of Man will stand with that person in front of God’s angels. 9But whoever denies knowing me in front of others will be denied in front of God’s angels. 10Anyone who says something against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But anyone who speaks evil against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11People will bring you before synagogues, rulers and officials. When they do, do not worry over how to answer the charges or what words to use. 12When the moment comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you need to say.”

13Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to share our father’s property with me.” 14Jesus answered, “Friend, who made me your judge, or put me in charge of dividing your property?” 15Then he said to them, “Take care! Keep yourselves from every kind of greed. Even when someone has more than enough, life does not come from the things a person owns.” 16Then he told them a parable: “There was a rich man whose land gave a huge harvest. 17He kept turning it over in his mind: ‘What am I to do? I have no place where I can store my harvest.’ 18Then he said, ‘Here is my plan. I will pull down my barns and put up larger ones, and I will gather all my grain and my goods into them. 19Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things put away for years to come. Rest now. Eat, drink, and have a good time.”’ 20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being asked back from you. And the things you have made ready, whose will they be then?’ 21That is how it is for anyone who piles up wealth for themselves but is not rich in God’s sight.”

22Then Jesus said to his disciples, “That is why I tell you: stop worrying about your life and what you will eat, or about your body and what you will put on it. 23Life is worth more than food, and the body is worth more than clothing. 24Think about the ravens. They do not plant or harvest. They have no storehouse and no barn. Yet God feeds them. And you are worth far more than birds! 25Which of you can make your life one hour longer by worrying? 26If you cannot manage even something so small, why worry about all the rest? 27Look at how the lilies grow. They do not work hard or spin thread. But I tell you, Solomon himself, in all his glory, never wore anything as fine as one of them. 28If God dresses the wild grass this way, grass that is in the field today and fuel for the oven tomorrow, he will do far more for you. How little faith you have! 29So do not be always looking for what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not be on edge about it. 30These are the things that the nations of the world chase after, but your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, set your hearts on his kingdom, and you will receive these things besides.

32Do not be afraid, my little flock. Your Father has gladly chosen to give you the kingdom. 33Sell what you own and give the money to people in need. Get yourselves money bags that never wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never run out. No thief can get near it there, and no moth can spoil it. 34Your heart will be wherever your treasure is.

35Stay ready for work, with your belt tied and your lamp lit. 36Be like people who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding feast, ready to open the door the moment he arrives and knocks. 37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake and watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will tie on an apron, seat them at the table, and come and wait on them himself. 38He may come in the middle of the night or even later, but if he finds them ready, those servants are blessed.

39You can be sure of this: if the owner of a house knew the hour when the thief was on his way, he would not let anyone dig through the walls of his house. 40Be ready yourselves, then. The Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think he will.”

41Peter asked, “Lord, is this parable meant for us, or are you telling it to everyone?” 42The Lord answered, “Who, then, is the manager who can be trusted and who acts wisely? His master will put him in charge of the other workers in the household, to give them their share of food when it is due. 43Blessed is that servant if his master finds him doing just that when he comes home. 44I tell you truly, he will put him in charge of everything he owns. 45But that servant may think, ‘My master will be a long while yet.’ He may start beating the menservants and the serving girls, and eating and drinking until he is drunk. 46Then his master will arrive on a day the servant does not expect, at an hour he has not guessed. He will cut him to pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47A servant who knew his master’s wishes but made no preparations and did not carry them out will receive a heavy beating. 48But a servant who did not know, though he did what deserved a beating, will get a lighter one. Much will be asked of everyone who has been given much. And when much has been put in someone’s care, even more will be asked of that person.

49I came to set fire to the earth, and how I long for it to be blazing already! 50But first I must go through a baptism, and I am under great strain until it is over! 51Do you suppose that I came to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, I came to bring division. 52From now on, a family of five will be split, three against two and two against three. 53Father will turn against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, a woman against her son’s wife and the wife against her husband’s mother.”

54Jesus also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud coming up in the west, you say straight away, ‘There will be rain,’ and so there is. 55And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘A scorching day is coming,’ and so it turns out. 56You hypocrites! You can read the face of the earth and the sky. How is it, then, that you cannot read what this moment means? 57Why can you not decide for yourselves what is right? 58When someone is taking you to court before the magistrate, do your best to settle with them while you are still on the way. If you do not, your accuser may drag you before the judge. The judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison. 59I tell you, there will be no way out for you until the very last penny is paid.”