The Gospel According to St. Luke

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 12 -

(Matthew 16:5–12; Mark 8:14–21)

In 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.

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

What 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.

Fear God Alone

(Matthew 10:26–31)

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

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

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

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

Confessing Christ

(Matthew 10:32–33)

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

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

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

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

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

The Parable of the Rich Fool

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

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

And 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.”

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

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

Then 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.

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

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

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

Do Not Worry

(Matthew 6:25–34)

Then 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.

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

Consider 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!

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?(c)

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

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

If 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!

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

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

But seek His (e) kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.

Treasures in Heaven

(Matthew 6:19–21)

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

Sell 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.

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

Readiness at Any Hour

(Matthew 24:36–51; Mark 13:32–37)

Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning.

Then 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.

Blessed 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.

Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night

(f)

and finds them alert, those servants will be blessed.

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

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

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

And 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?

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

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

But 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.

The 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.

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

But 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.

Not Peace but Division

(Micah 7:1–6; Matthew 10:34–39)

I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

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

From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.

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.(h)”

Interpreting the Present Time

(Matthew 16:1–4; Mark 8:11–13)

Then 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.

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

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

Reconciling with an Adversary

(Matthew 5:21–26)

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

Make 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.

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

Footnotes

(a)12:5 Greek Gehenna

(b)12:6 Greek two assaria; an assarion was a Roman copper coin worth about 1/16 of a denarius.

(d)12:27 NE and Tischendorf Consider the lilies: they do not spin or weave.

(e)12:31 BYZ and TR God’s; see Matthew 6:33.

(f)12:38 That is, between nine at night and three in the morning

(g)12:39 BYZ and TR include he would have stayed awake, and

(h)12:53 See Micah 7:6.

(i)12:59 Greek lepton; that is, a Jewish coin of bronze or copper worth about 1/128 of a denarius

(Matthew 16:5–12; Mark 8:14–21)

Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.

Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Fear God Alone

(Matthew 10:26–31)

“I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. (a) Yes, I tell you, fear him.

“Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins (b) ? Not one of them is forgotten by God.

But the very hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.

Confessing Christ

(Matthew 10:32–33)

“I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God;

but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of God’s angels.

Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer or what you will say;

for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”

He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”

He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.

He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’

He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”’

“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’

So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry

(Matthew 6:25–34)

He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.

Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!

Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit (c) to his height?

If then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?

Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.

For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.

But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.

Treasures in Heaven

(Matthew 6:19–21)

“Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

Sell what you have and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

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

Readiness at Any Hour

(Matthew 24:36–51; Mark 13:32–37)

“Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning.

Be like men watching for their lord when he returns from the wedding feast, that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him.

Blessed are those servants whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you that he will dress himself, make them recline, and will come and serve them.

They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch and finds them so.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.”

Peter said to him, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?”

The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?

Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.

Truly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.

But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and to be drunken,

then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn’t expecting him and in an hour that he doesn’t know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful.

That servant who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,

but he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.

Not Peace but Division

(Micah 7:1–6; Matthew 10:34–39)

“I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.

But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.

For from now on, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” (d)

Interpreting the Present Time

(Matthew 16:1–4; Mark 8:11–13)

He said to the multitudes also, “When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens.

When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens.

You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don’t interpret this time?

Reconciling with an Adversary

(Matthew 5:21–26)

“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

For when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

I tell you, you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the very last penny. (e) ”

Footnotes

(a)12:5 or, Hell

(b)12:6 An assarion was a small copper coin worth about an hour’s wages for an agricultural laborer.

(c)12:25 A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.

(d)12:53 ℘ Micah 7:6

(e)12:59 literally, lepton. A lepton is a very small brass Jewish coin worth half a Roman quadrans each, which is worth a quarter of the copper assarion. Lepta are worth less than 1% of an agricultural worker’s daily wages.