41. Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this story for us or for all people?”
42. The Lord said, “Who is the wise and trusted servant? The master trusts one servant to give the other servants their food at the right time. Who is the servant that the master trusts to do that work?
43. When the master comes and finds him doing the work he gave him, it will be a day of blessing for that servant!
44. I can tell you without a doubt, the master will choose that servant to take care of everything he owns.
45. “But what will happen if that servant is evil and thinks his master will not come back soon? He will begin to beat the other servants, men and women. He will eat and drink until he has had too much.
46. Then the master will come when the servant is not ready, at a time when the servant is not expecting him. Then the master will punish that servant and send him away to be with the other people who don’t obey.
47. “That servant knew what his master wanted him to do. But he did not make himself ready or try to do what his master wanted. So that servant will be punished very much!
48. But what about the servant who does not know what his master wants? He also does things that deserve punishment. But he will get less punishment than the servant who knew what he should do. Whoever has been given much will be responsible for much. Much more will be expected from the one who has been given more.”
49. Jesus continued speaking: “I came to bring fire to the world. I wish it were already burning!
50. There is a kind of baptism that I must suffer through. I feel very troubled until it is finished.
51. Do you think I came to give peace to the world? No, I came to divide the world!
52. From now on, a family of five will be divided, three against two, and two against three.
53. A father and son will be divided: The son will turn against his father. The father will turn against his son. A mother and her daughter will be divided: The daughter will turn against her mother. The mother will turn against her daughter. A mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law will be divided: The daughter-in-law will turn against her mother-in-law. The mother-in-law will turn against her daughter-in-law.”
54. Then Jesus said to the people, “When you see clouds growing bigger in the west, you say, ‘A rainstorm is coming.’ And soon it begins to rain.
55. When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day.’ And you are right.
56. You hypocrites! You can understand the weather. Why don’t you understand what is happening now?