12By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other's toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus' primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, "Watch yourselves carefully so you don't get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness.G1722G3739G1996G3461G3793G5620G2662G240G756G3004G4314G846G3101G4412G4337G1438G575G2219G5330G3748G2076G52722You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.G1161G2076G3762G4780G3739G601G3756G601G2532G2927G3739G1097G3756G10973You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.G473G3739G3745G2036G1722G4653G191G1722G5457G2532G3739G2980G4314G3775G1722G5009G2784G1909G14304"I'm speaking to you as dear friends. Don't be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you, but then what can they do? There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being.G1161G3004G5213G3450G5384G5399G3361G5399G575G615G4983G2532G3326G5023G2192G3361G5100G4055G41605Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.G1161G5263G5213G5101G5399G5399G3326G615G2192G1849G1685G1519G1067G3483G3004G5213G5399G51266"What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one.G4453G3780G4002G4765G4453G1417G787G2532G3756G1520G1537G846G2076G1950G1799G23167And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.G235G2532G2359G5216G2776G705G3956G705G5399G3361G3767G1308G4183G47658"Stand up for me among the people you meet and the Son of Man will stand up for you before all God's angels.G1161G3004G5213G3956G3739G302G3670G1722G1698G1715G444G1722G846G3670G5207G444G2532G3670G1715G32G23169But if you pretend you don't know me, do you think I'll defend you before God's angels?G1161G720G3165G1799G444G533G1799G32G231610"If you bad-mouth the Son of Man out of misunderstanding or ignorance, that can be overlooked. But if you're knowingly attacking God himself, taking aim at the Holy Spirit, that won't be overlooked.G2532G3956G3739G2046G3056G1519G5207G444G863G846G1161G987G1519G40G4151G863G3756G86311"When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don't worry about defending yourselves—what you'll say or how you'll say it.G1161G3752G4374G5209G1909G4864G2532G746G2532G1849G3309G3361G3309G4459G2228G5101G626G2228G5101G203612The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes."G1063G40G4151G1321G5209G1722G846G5610G3739G1163G203613Someone out of the crowd said, "Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance."G1161G5100G1537G3793G2036G846G1320G2036G3450G80G3307G2817G3326G170014He replied, "Mister, what makes you think it's any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?"G1161G2036G846G444G5101G2525G3165G1348G2228G3312G1909G520915Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."G1161G2036G4314G846G3708G2532G5442G575G4124G3754G5100G846G2222G2076G3756G1722G4052G1537G846G522416Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop.G1161G2036G3850G4314G846G3004G5561G5100G4145G444G216417He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.'G2532G1260G1722G1438G3004G5101G4160G3754G2192G3756G4226G4863G3450G259018Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods,G2532G2036G5124G4160G2507G3450G596G2532G3618G3187G2532G1563G4863G3956G3450G1081G2532G3450G1819and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!'G2532G2046G3450G5590G5590G2192G4183G18G2749G1519G4183G2094G373G5315G4095G216520"Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?'G1161G2316G2036G846G878G5026G3571G4675G5590G523G575G4675G1161G5101G2071G3739G209021"That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."G3779G2343G1438G2532G4147G3361G4147G1519G231622He continued this subject with his disciples. "Don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion.G1161G2036G4314G846G3101G1223G5124G3004G5213G3309G3361G3309G5216G5590G5101G5315G3366G4983G5101G174623There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.G5590G2076G4119G5160G2532G4983G174224Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more.G2657G2876G3754G3756G4687G3761G2325G3739G3756G2076G5009G3761G596G2532G2316G5142G846G4214G3123G1308G5210G1308G407125"Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch?G1161G5101G1537G5216G3309G1410G4369G1909G846G2244G1520G408326If fussing can't even do that, why fuss at all?G1487G3767G1410G3777G1410G1646G5101G3309G4012G306227Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don't fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.G2657G2918G4459G837G2872G3756G3514G3761G1161G3004G5213G4672G1722G3956G846G1391G4016G3761G4016G5613G1520G513028If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?G1487G1161G2316G3779G294G5528G5607G4594G1722G68G2532G839G906G1519G2823G4214G3123G5209G364029"What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving.G2532G2212G3361G5210G5101G5315G2228G5101G4095G2532G3361G334930People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.G1063G3956G5023G1934G1484G2889G1934G1161G5216G3962G1492G3754G5535G513031Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.G4133G2212G932G2316G2532G3956G5023G4369G521332Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.G5399G3361G3398G4168G3754G2106G5216G3962G2106G1325G5213G93233"Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can't go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on.G4453G5216G5224G2532G1325G1654G4160G1438G905G3822G3361G3822G2344G1722G3772G413G3699G3756G2812G1448G3761G4597G131134It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.G1063G3699G5216G2344G2076G1563G2071G5216G2588G2071G253235"Keep your shirts on; keep the lights on!G2077G5216G3751G2077G4024G2532G3088G254536Be like house servants waiting for their master to come back from his honeymoon, awake and ready to open the door when he arrives and knocks.G2532G5210G3664G444G4327G1438G2962G4219G360G1537G1062G2443G2064G2532G2925G455G846G211237Lucky the servants whom the master finds on watch! He'll put on an apron, sit them at the table, and serve them a meal, sharing his wedding feast with them.G3107G1565G1401G3739G2962G2064G2147G1127G281G3004G5213G3754G4024G2532G347G846G347G2532G3928G1247G84638It doesn't matter what time of the night he arrives; they're awake—and so blessed!G2532G1437G2064G1722G1208G5438G2532G2064G1722G5154G5438G2532G2147G3779G3107G1526G1565G140139"You know that if the house owner had known what night the burglar was coming, he wouldn't have stayed out late and left the place unlocked.G1161G5124G1097G3754G1487G3617G1492G4169G5610G2812G2064G302G1127G2532G302G3756G863G846G3624G135840So don't you be slovenly and careless. Just when you don't expect him, the Son of Man will show up."G1096G5210G3767G2092G2532G3754G3739G5207G444G2064G5610G1380G375641Peter said, "Master, are you telling this story just for us? Or is it for everybody?"G1161G4074G2036G846G2962G3004G5026G3850G4314G2248G2228G2532G4314G395642The Master said, "Let me ask you: Who is the dependable manager, full of common sense, that the master puts in charge of his staff to feed them well and on time?G1161G2962G2036G5101G686G2076G4103G2532G5429G3623G3739G2962G2525G1909G846G2322G1325G4620G1722G254043He is a blessed man if when the master shows up he's doing his job.G3107G1565G1401G3739G846G2962G2064G2147G3779G416044(SEE 12:43)G230G3004G5213G3754G846G2525G1909G3956G846G522445But if he says to himself, 'The master is certainly taking his time,' begins maltreating the servants and maids, throws parties for his friends, and gets drunk,G1161G1437G1565G1401G2036G1722G846G2588G3450G2962G5549G2064G2532G756G5180G3816G2532G3814G5037G2068G2532G4095G2532G318246the master will walk in when he least expects it, give him the thrashing of his life, and put him back in the kitchen peeling potatoes.G2962G1565G1401G2240G1722G2250G3739G4328G3756G4328G2532G1722G5610G3739G1097G3756G1097G2532G1371G846G1371G2532G5087G846G3313G3326G57147"The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed.G1161G1565G1401G3588G1097G1438G2962G2307G2532G2090G3361G3366G4160G4314G846G2307G1194G418348But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he'll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!G1161G1097G3361G1161G4160G514G4127G1194G3641G1161G3739G3956G4183G1325G3844G846G4183G2212G2532G3739G3908G4183G846G154G405549"I've come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now!G2064G906G4442G1519G1093G2532G5101G2309G1487G381G2235G38150I've come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished!G1161G2192G908G907G2532G4459G4912G2193G3739G505551Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I've come to disrupt and confront!G1380G3754G3854G1325G1515G1722G1093G3004G5213G3780G235G2228G126752From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be— Three against two, and two against three;G1063G575G3568G2071G4002G1722G1520G3624G1266G5140G1909G1417G2532G1417G1909G514053Father against son, and son against father; Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; Mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in-law."G3962G1266G1909G5207G2532G5207G1909G3962G3384G1909G2364G2532G2364G1909G3384G3994G1909G846G3565G2532G3565G1909G846G399454Then he turned to the crowd: "When you see clouds coming in from the west, you say, 'Storm's coming'—and you're right.G1161G3004G2532G3793G3752G1492G3507G393G575G1424G2112G3004G2064G3655G2532G3779G109655And when the wind comes out of the south, you say, 'This'll be a hot one'—and you're right.G2532G3752G3558G4154G3004G3754G2071G2742G2532G109656Frauds! You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don't tell me you can't tell a change in the season, the God-season we're in right now.G5273G1492G1381G4383G3772G2532G1093G1161G4459G3756G1381G5126G254057"You don't have to be a genius to understand these things. Just use your common sense,G1161G5101G2532G575G1438G2919G3756G134258the kind you'd use if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you'd probably go to jailG5613G1063G5217G3326G4675G476G1909G758G1722G3598G1325G2039G525G575G846G3379G2694G4571G4314G2923G2532G2923G3860G4571G4233G2532G4233G906G4571G1519G543859and pay every last penny of the fine. That's the kind of decision I'm asking you to make."G3004G4671G1831G3364G1831G1564G2532G2193G3739G591G2078G3016
Dublin, OH
