The Lord Will Not Forsake His People

Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees

12 In the meantime, ^(A)when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, ^(B)“Beware of ^(C)the leaven of the Pharisees, ^(D)which is hypocrisy. ^2 (E)Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ³ Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in ^(F)private rooms shall be proclaimed on ^(G)the housetops.

Have No Fear

⁴ “I tell you, my friends, ^(H)do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. ⁵ But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him ^(I)who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.^[a] Yes, I tell you, fear him! ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?^[b] And ^(J)not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ Why, ^(K)even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; ^(L)you are of more value than many sparrows.

Acknowledge Christ Before Men

⁸ “And I tell you, ^(M)everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge ^(N)before the angels of God, ⁹ but ^(O)the one who denies me before men ^(P)will be denied ^(Q)before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And ^(R)everyone who speaks a word ^(S)against the Son of Man ^(T)will be forgiven, but the one who ^(U)blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. ^11 (V)And when they ^(W)bring you before the synagogues and ^(X)the rulers and ^(Y)the authorities, ^(Z)do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, ^12 (AA)for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

^13 (AB)Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, ^(AC)“Man, ^(AD)who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And he said to them, ^(AE)“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” ¹⁶ And he told them a parable, saying, ^(AF)“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷ and he thought to himself, ^(AG)‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my ^(AH)barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up ^(AI)for many years; relax, ^(AJ)eat, drink, be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ^(AK)‘Fool! ^(AL)This night ^(AM)your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, ^(AN)whose will they be?’ ²¹ So is the one ^(AO)who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Be Anxious

²² And he said to his disciples, ^(AP)“Therefore I tell you, ^(AQ)do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. ^24 (AR)Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. ^(AS)Of how much more value are you than the birds! ²⁵ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his ^(AT)span of life?^{[c] 26} If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, ^(AU)even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, ^(AV)O you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor ^(AW)be worried. ³⁰ For ^(AX)all the nations of the world seek after these things, and ^(AY)your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, ^(AZ)seek ^(BA)his^[d] kingdom, ^(BB)and these things will be added to you.

^32 (BC)“Fear not, little ^(BD)flock, for ^(BE)it is your Father's good pleasure to give you ^(BF)the kingdom. ^33 (BG)Sell your possessions, and ^(BH)give to the needy. ^(BI)Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with ^(BJ)a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. ^34 (BK)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.