The Leaven of the Pharisees

1In these times, the myriads of the crowd having been gathered together so as to trample upon one another, He began to say to His disciples first, “Take heed to yourselves of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2And nothing is concealed up which will not be revealed, nor hidden which will not be known. 3Instead, whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken into the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.

Fear God Alone
(Matthew 10:26-31)

4And I say to you, My friends, you should not fear because of those killing the body and after these things not being able to do anything more abundantly. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who has authority, after the killing, to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I say to you, fear Him.

6Are not five sparrows sold for two assarion?a And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7But even the hairs of your head all have been numbered. Fear not; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Confessing Christ
(Matthew 10:32-33)

8And I say to you, everyone who will confess in Me before men, the Son of Man also will confess in him before the angels of God. 9And the one having denied Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10And everyone who will speak a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but the one having blasphemed against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you shall reply in defense, or what you should say. 12For the Holy Spirit will teach you in the same hour what it behooves you to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

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

14And He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or partitioner over you?” 15And He said to them, “Beware, and keep yourselves from all covetousness; for not to anyone is his life in the abundance of that which he possesses.”

16And He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly. 17And he was reasoning within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere I will store up my fruits?’ 18And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns, and will build greater ones, and will store up there all my grain and goods. 19And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things laid up for many years; take your rest; eat, drink, be merry.”’

20And God said to him, ‘Fool! This night, your soul is required of you; and what you did prepare—to whom will it be?’

21So is the one treasuring up for himself, and not being rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry
(Matthew 6:25-34)

22And He said to His disciples, “Because of this I say to you, do not be anxious for life, what you should eat, nor for your body, what you should put on. 23For life is more than food, and the body than clothing. 24Consider the ravens, that they do not sow, nor reap; to them there is not a storehouse, nor barn—and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds! 25And which of you, being anxious, is able to add one hour to his lifespan?b 26If, then, you cannot even do the least, why are you anxious about the rest?

27Consider the lilies, how they grow: They do not labor, nor do they spin.c But I say to you, not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. 28But if God thus clothes the grass in the field, being here today and tomorrow being thrown into the furnace, how much more you, O you of little faith!

29And you, do not seek what you might eat, and what you might drink, and do not be in suspense; 30for all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you have need of these. 31But seek you Hisd kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

32Do not fear, little flock, for your Father took delight to give you the kingdom.

33Sell your possessions and give alms; make to yourselves purses not growing old, an unfailing treasure in the heavens, where thief does not draw near, nor does moth destroy. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Be Ready for Service
(Genesis 6:1-7; Matthew 24:36-51; Mark 13:32-37)

35Let your waist be girded about, and the lamps burning. 36And you, like to men waiting for their master, whenever he shall return from the wedding feasts, that having come and having knocked, they might open to him immediately. 37Blessed are those servants whom, having come, the master will find watching. Truly I say to you that he will gird himself and will make them recline, and having come up, will serve them. 38And if he comes in the second, and if in the third watch, and finds them thus, blessed are those!

39But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief is coming,e he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40You also, be ready; for the Son of Man comes in the hour you do not expect.”

41And Peter said, “Lord, do You speak this parable to us, or also to all?”

42And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful, wise manager, whom the master will set over the care of his servants, to give them the measure of food in season? 43Blessed is that servant whom, having come, his master will find thus doing. 44Of a truth I say to you that he will set him over all his possessions.

45But if that servant should say in his heart, ‘My master delays to come,’ and should begin to beat the men-servants and the maid-servants, and to eat and to drink and to get drunk, 46the master of that servant will come in a day in which he does not expect, and in an hour that he does not know, and he will cut him in two and will appoint him a place with the unbelievers.

47Now that servant, the one having known the will of his master, and not having prepared nor having done according to his will, will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one not having known, but having done things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few. And everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from him to whom much has been committed, more will they ask of him.

Not Peace, But Division
(Matthew 10:34-36)

49I came to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were kindled already! 50But I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and how I am distressed until it should be accomplished!

51Do you think that I came to give peace on the earth? No, I say to you, but rather division. 52For from now 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 mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Interpreting the Present Time
(Matthew 16:1-4; Mark 8:11-13)

54And also He was saying to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising up from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens. 55And when a south wind is blowing, you say, ‘There will be heat,’ and it happens. 56Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the earth and of the sky, but how do you not know to discern this time?

Reconcile with an Adversary
(Matthew 5:21-26)

57And why do you not even judge for yourselves what is right? 58For as you are going with your adversary before a magistrate, give earnestness to be set free from him in the way, lest he should drag you away to the judge, and the judge will deliver you to the officer, and the officer will cast you into prison. 59I say to you, you shall never come out from there until you shall have paid even the last lepton.”f