Woe to you, lawyers! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You entered not in yourselves but prevented any others from entering in. And, as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge and provoke Him to speak of many things. They were laying in wait and trying to catch something He said that they could use against Him.
12 Later, Jesus drew His disciples together and taught them saying, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; nor hidden that shall not be known. Therefore, whatever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have whispered shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. My friends, Be not afraid of those who kill the body because, after that, there is no more they can do. But I will forewarn you who to fear. Fear the one who, after he has killed, has power to cast you into hell. Yes, fear him.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins and not one of them is forgotten by God? Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered by Him. Fear not, then, because you are of more value than many sparrows.
Also, I tell you, Whoever confesses me before men, the Son of man will also confess before the angels of God. But he that denies me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven.
Now, when they bring you to the synagogues, and before magistrates and powers, take no thought how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say. The Holy Ghost shall tell you what to say on the spot.
One of the group said, Master, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. Jesus replied, Who made me a judge or a divider over you? Take heed, and beware of covetousness. A man's life does not consist of the abundance of things he possesses.
Then Jesus spoke a parable to them. He said, The ground of a rich man yielded a plentiful harvest. He wondered and said, What shall I do? I have no room to store my fruit. Finally he said, I will pull down my barns and build larger ones and there will I store my fruit and all my goods. I will say to my soul, Thou has enough goods laid up to last many years. It is time to take ease; eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, Thou fool, tonight thy soul shall be required of thee; then to whom shall all those things belong which thou has stored away? So it is with whoever lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
Jesus said to His disciples, Therefore, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; or for the body, what ye shall put on. Life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
Consider the ravens. They neither sow nor reap. They have no storehouse or barn. God feeds them. How much better than the fowls are ye? And who of you, by thinking or reasoning, can add to his stature one cubit? If you are not able to do that which is so little, why take thought for the rest?
Consider the lilies and how they grow! They toil not, they spin not; and yet, I say to you, Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. If God, then, so clothes the grass, which is today in the field and tomorrow cast into the oven; how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith?