Luke 12

Beware of Hypocrisy

1In #Matt. 16:6; Mark 8:15the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, #Matt. 16:12; Luke 11:39“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2#Matt. 10:26; Mark 4:22; Luke 8:17; (1 Cor. 4:5)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

4#Is. 51:7, 8, 12, 13; Jer. 1:8; Matt. 10:28“And I say to you, #(John 15:13–15)My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5But 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, #Ps. 119:120fear Him!

6“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And #Matt. 6:26not one of them is forgotten before God. 7But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men

8#1 Sam. 2:30; Matt. 10:32; (Mark 8:38; Rom. 10:9; 2 Tim. 2:12; 1 John 2:23)“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me #Ps. 119:46before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9But he who #Matt. 10:33; (Mark 8:38; 2 Tim. 2:12)denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

10“And #(Matt. 12:31, 32; Mark 3:28; 1 John 5:16)anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

11#Matt. 6:25; 10:19; Mark 13:11“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12For the Holy Spirit will #(John 14:26)teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14But He said to him, #(John 18:36)“Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15And He said to them, #(1 Tim. 6:6–10)“Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

16Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, #Eccl. 11:9; 1 Cor. 15:32; James 5:5“Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; #(Eccl. 2:24; 3:13; 5:18; 8:15)eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night #Job 27:8; Ps. 52:7; (James 4:14)your soul will be required of you; #Ps. 39:6; Jer. 17:11then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

21“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, #(Matt. 6:20; Luke 12:33; 1 Tim. 6:18, 19; James 2:5; 5:1–5)and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry

22Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, #Matt. 6:25–33do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and #Job 38:41; Ps. 147:9God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even #1 Kin. 10:4–7; 2 Chr. 9:3–6Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of #Matt. 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8little faith?

29“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father #Matt. 6:31, 32knows that you need these things. 31#Matt. 6:33But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32“Do not fear, little flock, for #(Dan. 7:18, 27); Zech. 13:7; (Matt. 11:25, 26; Luke 22:29, 30)it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33#Matt. 19:21; Acts 2:45; 4:34Sell what you have and give #Luke 11:41alms; #Matt. 6:20; Luke 16:9; (1 Tim. 6:19)provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant

35#(Eph. 6:14; 1 Pet. 1:13)“Let your waist be girded and #(Matt. 25:1–13)your lamps burning; 36and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37#Matt. 24:46Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. 38And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39#Matt. 24:43; 1 Thess. 5:2; (2 Pet. 3:10); Rev. 3:3; 16:15But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40#Matt. 24:44; 25:13; Mark 13:33; (Luke 21:34, 36); 1 Thess. 5:6; (2 Pet. 3:12)Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

41Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”

42And the Lord said, #Matt. 24:45, 46; 25:21; (1 Cor. 4:2)“Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44#Matt. 24:47; 25:21; (Rev. 3:21)Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45#Matt. 24:48; 2 Pet. 3:3, 4But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46the master of that servant will come on a #1 Thess. 5:3day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47And #Num. 15:30; Deut. 25:2; (John 9:41; 15:22; Acts 17:30)that servant who #(James 4:17)knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48#(Lev. 5:17); Num. 15:29; (1 Tim. 1:13)But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Christ Brings Division

49#Luke 12:51“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But #Matt. 20:18, 22, 23; Mark 10:38I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is #John 12:27; 19:30accomplished! 51#Matt. 10:34–36Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, #Mic. 7:6; John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19; Acts 14:4but rather division. 52#Matt. 10:35; Mark 13:12For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53#Matt. 10:21, 36Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Discern the Time

54Then He also said to the multitudes, #Matt. 16:2, 3“Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55And when you see the #Job 37:17south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern #Luke 19:41–44this time?

Make Peace with Your Adversary

57“Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? 58#Prov. 25:8; Matt. 5:25, 26When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort #(Ps. 32:6; Is. 55:6)along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”

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Luke 12: NKJV

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