Luke 12-14

1In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.

3What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.

4I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.

5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!

6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.

7And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

8I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.

9But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say.

12For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.”

13Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?”

15And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

16Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance.

17So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’

18Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods.

19Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

21This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

22Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.

23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!

25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

26So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.

28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!

29And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it.

30For the Gentiles of the world strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

31But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.

32Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.

33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

35Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning.

36Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.

37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.

38Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, those servants will be blessed.

39But understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”

41“Lord,” said Peter, “are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”

42And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time?

43Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

44Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

45But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk.

46The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

47That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows.

48But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.

49I have come to ignite a fire on 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 accomplished!

51Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division.

52From now on, five 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 daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

54Then Jesus said to the crowds, “As soon as you see a cloud rising in the west, you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and that is what happens.

55And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It will be hot,’ and it is.

56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present time?

57And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

58Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison.

59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

1At that time some of those present told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

2To this He replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this way?

3No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam collapsed on them: Do you think that they were more sinful than all the others living in Jerusalem?

5No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

6Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.

7So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

8‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it.

9If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”

10One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,

11and a woman there had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was hunched over and could not stand up straight.

12When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your disability.”

13Then He placed His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and began to glorify God.

14But the synagogue leader was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. “There are six days for work,” he told the crowd. “So come and be healed on those days and not on the Sabbath.”

15“You hypocrites!” the Lord replied. “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it to water?

16Then should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be released from her bondage on the Sabbath day?”

17When Jesus said this, all His adversaries were humiliated. And the whole crowd rejoiced at all the glorious things He was doing.

18Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it?

19It is like a mustard seed that a man tossed into his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

20Again He asked, “To what can I compare the kingdom of God?

21It is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”

22Then Jesus traveled throughout the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way toward Jerusalem.

23“Lord,” someone asked Him, “will only a few people be saved?” Jesus answered,

24“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

25After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’

26Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

27And he will answer, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’

28There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves are thrown out.

29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.

30And indeed, some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”

31At that very hour, some Pharisees came to Jesus and told Him, “Leave this place and get away, because Herod wants to kill You.”

32But Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I will keep driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’

33Nevertheless, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day, for it is not admissible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem.

34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

35Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

1One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely.

2Right there before Him was a man with dropsy.

3So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”

4But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way.

5And He asked them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?”

6And they were unable to answer these questions.

7When Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, He told them a parable:

8“When you are invited to a wedding banquet, do not sit in the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited.

9Then the host who invited both of you will come and tell you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ And in humiliation, you will have to take the last place.

10But when you are invited, go and sit in the last place, so that your host will come and tell you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you.

11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

12Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return, and you will be repaid.

13But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,

14and you will be blessed. Since they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

15When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

16But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.

17When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’

19Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’

21The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’

22‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’

23So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.

24For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”

25Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them,

26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.

27And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.

28Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?

29Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,

30saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’

31Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

32And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.

33In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.

34Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned?

35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”