Don’t Be Like the Pharisees

12 Many thousands of people came together. There were so many people that they were stepping on each other. Before Jesus spoke to the people, he said to his followers, “Be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees. I mean that they are hypocrites. ² Everything that is hidden will be shown, and everything that is secret will be made known. ³ What you say in the dark will be told in the light. And what you whisper in a private room will be shouted from the top of the house.”

Fear Only God^(A)

⁴ Then Jesus said to the people, “I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of people. They can kill the body, but after that they can do nothing more to hurt you. ⁵ I will show you the one to fear. You should fear God, who has the power to kill you and also to throw you into hell. Yes, he is the one you should fear.

⁶ “When birds are sold, five small birds cost only two pennies. But God does not forget any of them. ⁷ Yes, God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many birds.

Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Faith^(B)

⁸ “I tell you, if you stand before others and are willing to say you believe in me, then I^[a] will say that you belong to me. I will say this in the presence of God’s angels. ⁹ But if you stand before others and say you do not believe in me, then I will say that you do not belong to me. I will say this in the presence of God’s angels.

¹⁰ “Whoever says something against the Son of Man can be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

¹¹ “When men bring you into the synagogues before the leaders and other important men, don’t worry about what you will say. ¹² The Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

Jesus Warns Against Selfishness

¹³ One of the men in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, our father just died and left some things for us. Tell my brother to share them with me.”

¹⁴ But Jesus said to him, “Who said I should be your judge or decide how to divide your father’s things between you two?” ¹⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. People do not get life from the many things they own.”

¹⁶ Then Jesus used this story: “There was a rich man who had some land. His land grew a very good crop of food. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’

¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger barns! I will put all my wheat and good things together in my new barns. ¹⁹ Then I can say to myself, I have many good things stored. I have saved enough for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!’

²⁰ “But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight you will die. So what about the things you prepared for yourself? Who will get those things now?’

²¹ “This is how it will be for anyone who saves things only for himself. To God that person is not rich.”

Put God’s Kingdom First^(C)

²² Jesus said to his followers, “So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat or what you will wear. ²³ Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. ²⁴ Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in houses or barns, but God feeds them. And you are worth much more than crows. ²⁵ None of you can add any time to your life by worrying about it. ²⁶ And if you can’t do the little things, why worry about the big things?

²⁷ “Think about how the wildflowers grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. ²⁸ If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? That’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!

²⁹ “So don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about it. ³⁰ That’s what all those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. But your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹ What you should be thinking about is God’s kingdom. Then he will give you all these other things you need.