Luke — Chapter 12
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1In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
3Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
4And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
6Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
7But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
8Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
9But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
10And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
11And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
12For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
13And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
22And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
25And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
27Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
29And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
36And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
37Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
38And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
41Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
42And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
43Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
44Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
45But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
49I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled?
50But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
51Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
54And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.
55And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.
56Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
57Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
58When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
59I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.
1In the mean time, when the many thousands of the multitude were gathered together, insomuch that they trod one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2But there is nothing covered up, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
3Wherefore whatsoever ye have said in the darkness shall be heard in the light; and what ye have spoken in the ear in the inner chambers shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
4And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5But I will warn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, who after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
6Are not five sparrows sold for two pence? and not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God.
7But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
8And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
9but he that denieth me in the presence of men shall be denied in the presence of the angels of God.
10And every one who shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven.
11And when they bring you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
12for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say.
13And one out of the multitude said unto him, Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.
14But he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man`s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?
18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods.
19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry.
20But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?
21So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
22And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for [your] life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.
23For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment.
24Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds!
25And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his life?
26If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest?
27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more [shall he clothe] you, O ye of little faith?
29And seek not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you.
32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father`s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth.
34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning;
36and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return from the marriage feast; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him.
37Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them.
38And if he shall come in the second watch, and if in the third, and find [them] so blessed are those [servants].
39But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have left his house to be broken through.
40Be ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.
41And Peter said, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even unto all?
42And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall set over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
43Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
44Of a truth I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath.
45But if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the unfaithful.
47And that servant, who knew his lord`s will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes];
48but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more.
49I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what do I desire, if it is already kindled?
50But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
51Think ye that I am come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52for there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53They shall be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother in law against her daughter in law, and daughter in law against her mother in law.
54And he said to the multitudes also, When ye see a cloud rising in the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it cometh to pass.
55And when [ye see] a south wind blowing, ye say, There will be a scorching heat; and it cometh to pass.
56Ye hypocrites, ye know how to interpret the face of the earth and the heaven; but how is it that ye know not how to interpret this time?
57And why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
58For as thou art going with thine adversary before the magistrate, on the way give diligence to be quit of him; lest haply he drag thee unto the judge, and the judge shall deliver thee to the officer, and the officer shall cast thee into prison.
59I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the very last mite.
1Meanwhile, when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing is secret that will not be made known.
3So then whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.
4“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do.
5But I will warn you whom you should fear: Fear the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
6Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
7In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
8“I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before God’s angels.
9But the one who denies me before men will be denied before God’s angels.
10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11But when they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you should make your defense or what you should say,
12for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you must say.”
13Then someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14But Jesus said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator between you two?”
15Then he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
16He then told them a parable: “The land of a certain rich man produced an abundant crop,
17so he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’
18Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19And I will say to myself, “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’
20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself, but is not rich toward God.”
22Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.
23For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing.
24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds!
25And which of you by worrying can add an hour to his life?
26So if you cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about the rest?
27Consider how the flowers grow; they do not work or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!
28And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you people of little faith!
29So do not be overly concerned about what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things.
30For all the nations of the world pursue these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31Instead, pursue his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom.
33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out—a treasure in heaven that never decreases, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35“Get dressed for service and keep your lamps burning;
36be like people waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks, they can immediately open the door for him.
37Blessed are those slaves whom their master finds alert when he returns! I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, have them take their place at the table, and will come and wait on them!
38Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, blessed are those slaves!
39But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
40You also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
41Then Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?”
42The Lord replied, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his household servants, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time?
43Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns.
44I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions.
45But if that slave should say to himself, ‘My master is delayed in returning,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat, drink, and get drunk,
46then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
47That servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked will receive a severe beating.
48But the one who did not know his master’s will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.
49“I have come to bring fire on the earth—and how I wish it were already kindled!
50I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is finished!
51Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!
52For from now on there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three.
53They will be divided, father 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 mother-in-law.”
54Jesus also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A rainstorm is coming,’ and it does.
55And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and there is.
56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how can you not know how to interpret the present time?
57“And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?
58As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, so that he will 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 never get out of there until you have paid the very last cent!”
1Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2But there is nothing covered up, that will not be revealed, nor hidden, that will not be known.
3Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
4“I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him, who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
6“Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God.
7But the very hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
8“I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God;
9but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the angels of God.
10Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say;
12for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”
13One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
15He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
16He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.
17He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’
18He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.”’
20“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’
21So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
22He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.
23Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
24Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!
25Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height?
26If then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?
27Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith?
29Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.
30For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.
31But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.
32Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
33Sell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys.
34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35“Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning.
36Be like men watching for their lord, when he returns from the marriage feast; that, when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him.
37Blessed are those servants, whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you, that he will dress himself, and make them recline, and will come and serve them.
38They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch, and finds them so.
39But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into.
40Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.”
41Peter said to him, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?”
42The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?
43Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.
44Truly I tell you, that he will set him over all that he has.
45But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken,
46then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn’t expecting him, and in an hour that he doesn’t know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful.
47That servant, who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,
48but he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.
49“I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.
50But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
51Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.
52For from now on, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
54He said to the multitudes also, “When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens.
55When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens.
56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don’t interpret this time?
57Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?
58For when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
59I tell you, you will by no means get out of there, until you have paid the very last penny.”
Summary
Jesus warns against hypocrisy and the fear of man, tells the parable of the Rich Fool, teaches freedom from anxiety through trust in the Father's provision, and urges watchfulness — "Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines the warning against hypocrisy, the rich fool parable, the teaching on anxiety, the call to watchfulness, and the division Christ brings.
- Charles Spurgeon: Sermon: "The Rich Fool" on vv.16-21 (MTP Vol. 10, No. 573) "Thou fool — God called him a fool. Not because he was rich, not because he was successful, not because he planned ahead — but because he planned for everything except eternity. He had barns for his grain but no room for his soul. He provided for his body but forgot his God." Sermon: "Fear Not, Little Flock" on v.32 (MTP Vol. 22, No. 1306) "Fear not, little flock — you are small, you are weak, you are few. But it is your Father's GOOD PLEASURE to give you the kingdom. Not His reluctant duty. Not His grudging obligation. His good pleasure. He delights in giving to you."
Reflection
- 1. "A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" (v.15). Our culture says the opposite — that more stuff equals more life. Where are you buying that lie? What would it look like to measure your life by something other than possessions?
- 2. The rich fool said "Soul, take thine ease" (v.19) — he thought he was set. God said "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required" (v.20). Are you living as if you have unlimited time? What would change if you knew tonight was your last night?
- 3. "Seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you" (v.31). The cure for anxiety is not trying harder to provide for yourself — it's reordering your priorities. Is the kingdom your first priority, or is it competing with career, comfort, and security?
- 4. "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (v.34). Your heart follows your money. Look at your bank statement — it reveals where your heart is. What does your spending say about your priorities?
- 5. Jesus says "Fear not" three times in this chapter (vv.4,7,32). What are you most afraid of right now — persecution, insignificance, or lack of provision? Which "fear not" do you most need to hear?
- 6. The rich fool's error was not planning but planning without God. He said "I will" five times (vv.17-19) — all self-directed. How much of your planning includes God? Do you make plans and ask God to bless them, or do you seek His plan first?
- 7. "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (v.48). What has God given you — education, resources, influence, knowledge, opportunity? Are you using it for His purposes or hoarding it for yourself?
- 8. Jesus said He came to bring "division" (v.51) — not peace in the sense of comfortable coexistence with evil. Following Christ will divide you from some people. Where has your faith created division in your relationships? How do you handle it?
- 9. "Consider the ravens... consider the lilies" (vv.24,27). Jesus points to nature as evidence of God's care. When did you last slow down enough to see God's provision in the ordinary? What would it look like to "consider" — to really look — at how God is providing for you?