45. But suppose one of the servants thinks that the master won't return until late. Suppose that servant starts beating all the other servants and eats and drinks and gets drunk.
46. If that happens, the master will come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. That servant will then be punished and thrown out with the servants who cannot be trusted.
47. If servants are not ready or willing to do what their master wants them to do, they will be beaten hard.
48. But servants who don't know what their master wants them to do will not be beaten so hard for doing wrong. If God has been generous with you, he will expect you to serve him well. But if he has been more than generous, he will expect you to serve him even better.
49. I came to set fire to the earth, and I wish it were already on fire!
50. I am going to be put to a hard test. And I will have to suffer a lot of pain until it is over.
51. Do you think that I came to bring peace to earth? No indeed! I came to make people choose sides.
52. A family of five will be divided, with two of them against the other three.
53. Fathers and sons will turn against one another, and mothers and daughters will do the same. Mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law will also turn against each other.
54. Jesus said to all the people:As soon as you see a cloud coming up in the west, you say, “It's going to rain,” and it does.
55. When the south wind blows, you say, “It's going to get hot,” and it does.
56. Are you trying to fool someone? You can predict the weather by looking at the earth and sky, but you don't really know what's going on right now.
57. Why don't you understand the right thing to do?
58. When someone accuses you of something, try to settle things before you are taken to court. If you don't, you will be dragged before the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to the jailer, and you will be locked up.
59. You won't get out until you have paid the last penny you owe.