Luke 12:22-59

22And He said to His disciples, “1For this reason I tell you, 2do not worry about your 3life, as to what you are to eat; nor for your body, as to what you are to wear. 23For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24Consider the 4ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor 5barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25And which of you by worrying can add a 67day to his 8life’s span? 26Therefore if you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about the other things? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither labor nor 9spin; but I tell you, not even 10Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28Now if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? 11You of little faith! 29And do not 12seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not 13keep worrying. 30For 14all these things are what the nations of the world 15eagerly seek; and your Father knows that you need these things. 31But 16seek His kingdom, and 17these things will be 18provided to you. 321920Do not be afraid, 21little flock, because 22your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.

33“23Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, 24an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy. 34For 25where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

35“2627Be prepared, and keep your 28lamps lit. 36You are also to be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door for him when he comes and knocks. 37Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find 29on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that 30he will 31prepare himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and he will come up and serve them. 3832Whether he comes in the 33second watch, or even in the 34third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

39“35But 36be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be 37broken into. 4038You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will.”

41Peter said, “Lord, are You telling this parable to us, or 39to everyone else as well?” 42And 40the Lord said, “41Who then is the faithful and sensible 42steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43Blessed is that 43slave whom his 44master finds so doing when he comes. 44Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will take a long time to come,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; 46then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, and will 45cut him in two, and assign 46him a place with the unbelievers. 47And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will 47receive many blows, 48but the one who did not 48know it, and committed acts deserving of 49a beating, will receive only a few blows. 50From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

49“I 51have come to cast fire upon the earth; and 52how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a 53baptism 54to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! 5155Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, 56father 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.”

54And He was also saying to the crowds, “57Whenever you see a cloud rising 58in the west, you immediately say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it turns out. 55And whenever you feel a 59south wind blowing, you say, ‘It will be a 60hot day,’ and it turns out that way. 56You hypocrites! 61You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to analyze this present time?

57“And 62why do you not even judge by yourselves what is right? 58For 63when you are going with your accuser to appear before the magistrate, on the way, make an effort to 64settle with him, so that he does not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid up 65the very last 6667lepton.”