Luke - Chapter 12

Passage

And when great crowds had gathered around him, so that they trod upon one another, he began to say to his disciples: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed: nor hidden that shall not be known. For whatever you have spoken in darkness shall be made known in the light: and what you have whispered in the ear in inner rooms shall be preached on the housetops. And I say to you, my friends: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell. Yes, I say to you: Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Yes, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows. And I say to you: Whoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God. But whoever shall deny me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him. And when they bring you into the synagogues and before magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you shall answer, or what you shall say. For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what you must say. And one of the crowd said to him: Master, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. But he said to him: Man, who has appointed me judge or divider over you? And he said to them: Take care and beware of all greed: for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of things which he possesses. And he told them a parable, saying: The land of a certain rich man brought forth plenty of crops. And he thought within himself, saying: What shall I do, because I have no room in which to store my crops? And he said: This I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones: and into them I will gather all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul: Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your rest: eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him: You fool, this night your soul is required of you. And whose shall those things be which you have prepared? So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. And he said to his disciples: Therefore I say to you: Do not worry about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Life is more than food: and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, and they have neither storehouse nor barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than they? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If then you are not able to do even the least thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they do not labor, nor do they spin. But I say to you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass that is in the field today and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more you, O you of little faith? And do not seek what you shall eat or what you shall drink: and do not be lifted up on high. For all these things the nations of the world seek. But your Father knows that you need these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his justice: and all these things shall be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you a kingdom. Sell what you possess and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure in heaven which does not fail: where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded and lamps burning in your hands. And be like men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; so that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he comes, shall find watching. Amen I say to you that he will gird himself and make them sit down at table and will come and serve them. And if he comes in the second watch or comes in the third watch and finds them so, blessed are those servants. But know this: if the master of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch and would not allow his house to be broken into. You also be ready: for the Son of man will come at an hour you do not expect. And Peter said to him: Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to all? And the Lord said: Who do you think is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord sets over his household, to give them their measure of wheat at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he comes, shall find so doing. Truly I say to you, he will set him over all that he possesses. But if that servant shall say in his heart: My lord is delaying his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and to drink and be drunk: The lord of that servant will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know: and shall cut him off and shall appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew the will of his lord and did not prepare himself and did not act according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know and did things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have entrusted much, of him they will demand the more. I have come to cast fire on the earth. And what do I desire, but that it be kindled? And I have a baptism with which I am to be baptized. And how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but division. For from now on there shall be five in one house divided: three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son and the son against his father: the mother against the daughter and the daughter against her mother: the mother-in-law against the daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And he said also to the crowds: When you see a cloud rising from the west, at once you say: A shower is coming. And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say: There will be heat. And it happens. You hypocrites, you know how to read the face of the sky and of the earth: but how is it that you do not read this time? And why do you not judge for yourselves what is just? And when you go with your adversary to the ruler, while you are on the way, try hard to be freed from him: so that he does not drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer cast you into prison. I say to you, you shall not get out of there until you pay the very last mite.