Luke 12
12
Jesus Gives Words of Warning and Hope
1During that time, when a crowd of so many thousands had gathered that the people were stepping on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples. He said, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. They just pretend to be godly. 2But everything that is secret now will be brought out into the open, and everything that’s hidden will be uncovered. 3What you’ve said in the dark will be heard in the daylight; what you’ve whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the rooftops.
4“My friends, listen to me. Don’t be afraid of those who can kill the body but who can’t do anything after that. 5Let me tell you who you should be afraid of: the one who has the authority to throw you into hell after you’ve been killed. Yes, I tell you, be afraid of him. 6Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Even so, God doesn’t forget a single one of them. 7For that matter, every hair on your head is numbered! So don’t be afraid; you’re worth more than many sparrows.
8“I tell you, if anyone says in front of others that he knows me, the Son of Man will say in front of God’s angels that he knows that person. 9But if anyone says in front of others that he doesn’t know me, I, the Son of Man, will say in front of God’s angels that I don’t know them. 10Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, don’t worry about how to stand up for yourselves or about what to say. 12The Holy Spirit will show you at that time what you should say.”
The Story of the Rich Fool
13Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family property with me.”
14Jesus answered, “Friend, who made me a judge or arbitrator between the two of you?” 15Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be careful not to get greedy, because life isn’t about how much a person has.”
16Then Jesus told them a story. He said, “There was a rich man whose land produced a very large crop. 17He thought to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have anywhere to store all my grain.’
18“But then he said, ‘I know what I’ll do! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and I’ll store my extra grain there. 19Then I’ll tell myself, “You’ve got enough stored away to last many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and have a good time!” ’
20“But God said to him, ‘You foolish man! Tonight, you are going to die. And then who will to get all the things you collected for yourself?’
21“That’s what it will be like for people who store up things for themselves but who aren’t rich as far as God is concerned.”
Do Not Worry
22Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you, don’t worry about your life and what you will eat, and don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. 23There’s more to life than eating and there are more important things for the body than clothing. 24Think about the ravens: They don’t plant or gather crops—they don’t have any barns at all—but God feeds them. You’re worth much more than birds! 25Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying? 26Since you can’t even do that very little thing, why worry about the rest?
27“Think about how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work or make clothes, but not even Solomon in his royal robes, I tell you, was dressed like one of those flowers. 28If that’s how God dresses the wild grass, which is here today and gets thrown into the fire tomorrow, how much better will he dress you! You should have more faith. 29Don’t spend your time thinking about what you’ll eat or drink; don’t worry about it. 30People who don’t consider God run after all those things, but your Father knows you need them. 31So put God’s kingdom first, and those other things will also be given to you.
32“Don’t be afraid, little flock, your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. 33So sell what you own and give to the poor. That will be like putting your money in a bag that will never wear out. Store up your riches in heaven, where they can never be used up, where no thief can get near them and no moth can destroy them. 34Remember, wherever your riches are, that’s where your heart will be too.
Be Ready
35“Be dressed and ready to serve and keep your lamps burning, 36like servants who are waiting for their master to return from a wedding dinner so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him right away. 37Truly I tell you, if that master finds his servants watching for him when he comes, he’ll do something special for them. He’ll dress to serve them, have them take their places at the table, and come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, especially if the master comes in the middle of the night or near dawn. 39But understand this: If the owner of a house knew when a burglar was coming, he wouldn’t let him break into his house. 40You have to be ready too, because the Son of Man is going to come at a time when you’re not expecting him.”
41Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this story to us, or to everyone?”
42The Lord answered, “Suppose a master gives one of his servants the job of giving the other servants their food at the right time, as a faithful and wise manager. 43It will be good for that servant if the master finds him doing this job when he returns. 44Truly I tell you, the master will put him in charge of everything he owns. 45But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time to come back,’ and he begins to beat the other servants. Suppose that instead of feeding those men and women, he only feeds himself and drinks until he gets drunk. 46His master will come back on a day and at a time when he isn’t expecting him, and he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47“If a servant knows his master’s wishes but doesn’t get ready and doesn’t do what the master wants, he will receive a heavy beating. 48But if a servant doesn’t know the master’s wishes and does things for which he should be punished, he will receive a lighter beating. If someone has been given a lot, a lot will be expected of him; more will be asked of the person who has been entrusted with many responsibilities.
Jesus Will Separate People From One Another
49“I’ve come to start a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already burning! 50But I have a baptism of suffering to go through, and I must go through it. 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, I came to bring division. 52From now on when there are five members in a family, they’ll be divided against one another, three against two and two against three. 53Relatives will turn against each other: 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.”
Understanding the Meaning of What Is Happening
54Jesus spoke to the crowd and said, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say right away, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56How can it be that you can understand the meaning of the appearance of the earth and sky, but you can’t understand the meaning of what’s happening right now?
57“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58Suppose someone has a claim against you and you’re on your way with them to court. Try hard to settle the matter on the way. If you don’t, that person may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may turn you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison. 59In that case, there’s no way you’re getting out until you’ve paid the very last penny!”
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Luke 12
12
Can’t Hide Behind a Religious Mask
1-3By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other’s toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus’ primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, “Watch yourselves carefully so you don’t get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness. You can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. You can’t whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day’s coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.
4-5“I’m speaking to you as dear friends. Don’t be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you, but then what can they do? There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.
6-7“What’s the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.
8-9“Stand up for me among the people you meet and the Son of Man will stand up for you before all God’s angels. But if you pretend you don’t know me, do you think I’ll defend you before God’s angels?
10“If you bad-mouth the Son of Man out of misunderstanding or ignorance, that can be overlooked. But if you’re knowingly attacking God himself, taking aim at the Holy Spirit, that won’t be overlooked.
11-12“When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don’t worry about defending yourselves—what you’ll say or how you’ll say it. The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes.”
The Story of the Greedy Farmer
13Someone out of the crowd said, “Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance.”
14He replied, “Mister, what makes you think it’s any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?”
15Speaking to the people, he went on, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.”
16-19Then he told them this story: “The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’ Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’
20“Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?’
21“That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.”
Steep Yourself in God-Reality
22-24He continued this subject with his disciples. “Don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more.
25-28“Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can’t even do that, why fuss at all? Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?
29-32“What I’m trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don’t be afraid of missing out. You’re my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.
33-34“Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can’t go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.
When the Master Shows Up
35-38“Keep your shirts on; keep the lights on! Be like house servants waiting for their master to come back from his honeymoon, awake and ready to open the door when he arrives and knocks. Lucky the servants whom the master finds on watch! He’ll put on an apron, sit them at the table, and serve them a meal, sharing his wedding feast with them. It doesn’t matter what time of the night he arrives; they’re awake—and so blessed!
39-40“You know that if the house owner had known what night the burglar was coming, he wouldn’t have stayed out late and left the place unlocked. So don’t you be lazy and careless. Just when you don’t expect him, the Son of Man will show up.”
41Peter said, “Master, are you telling this story just for us? Or is it for everybody?”
42-46The Master said, “Let me ask you: Who is the dependable manager, full of common sense, that the master puts in charge of his staff to feed them well and on time? He is a blessed man if when the master shows up he’s doing his job. But if he says to himself, ‘The master is certainly taking his time,’ begins beating up on the servants and maids, throws parties for his friends, and gets drunk, the master will walk in when he least expects it, give him the thrashing of his life, and put him back in the kitchen peeling potatoes.
47-48“The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed. But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he’ll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!
To Start a Fire
49-53“I’ve come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I’ve come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I’ve come to disrupt and confront! From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be—
Three against two,
and two against three;
Father against son,
and son against father;
Mother against daughter,
and daughter against mother;
Mother-in-law against bride,
and bride against mother-in-law.”
54-56Then he turned to the crowd: “When you see clouds coming in from the west, you say, ‘Storm’s coming’—and you’re right. And when the wind comes out of the south, you say, ‘This’ll be a hot one’—and you’re right. Frauds! You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don’t tell me you can’t tell a change in the season, the God-season we’re in right now.
57-59“You don’t have to be a genius to understand these things. Just use your common sense, the kind you’d use if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you’d probably go to jail and pay every last penny of the fine. That’s the kind of decision I’m asking you to make.”
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.