Look at the birds in the sky; they do not plant seeds or harvest [a crop] or store [things] in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them [adequately]. Are you not a lot more valuable than they are?

Then Jesus sat down over near the [Temple] treasury and watched how the crowd was throwing money into the treasury [Note: This "treasury" was a large open-mouthed container used for receiving offerings for meeting expenses of Temple upkeep]. Many rich people were throwing in lots of money.

And [then] He said to them, "Be careful and guard yourselves against [practicing] all forms of greed, for a person's life does not consist of having a lot of possessions."

Look at the ravens; they do not plant seeds or harvest [a crop]; they do not have a storage locker or a barn, and [yet] God feeds them [adequately]. Are you not a lot more valuable than those birds?

"It happened in a similar way in the days of Lot [i.e., Abraham's nephew]. People were eating and drinking and buying and selling and planting and building.

But on the day that Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from the sky and consumed them all.

Remember [what happened to] Lot's wife!

John [the Immerser] was also immersing people in Aenon, near Salem [Note: These locations are thought to have been in northeastern Judea, near the Jordan River], because there was a lot of water there; so people were coming to be immersed.

Jesus answered, "Have these people recline [on the ground]." Now there was a lot of grass in that place. So, the men, numbering about five thousand, reclined [on the grass].

So, they drew lots [i.e., devices used for making random choices] and the lot [i.e., the choice] favored Matthias, so he was added to the other eleven apostles.

Now as soon as it got daylight there was a lot of commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.

Paul replied, "I wish to God that, whether it would take a little or a lot, not only you, but all those who hear me today, might become [Christians] like me, except [not] with these chains."

I am afraid for you, [i.e., for your spiritual safety], that possibly I may have spent a lot of effort on your behalf for nothing.

Similarly, deacons should be serious-minded [i.e., dignified], not saying one thing while meaning another, not drinking a lot of wine [Note: The wine of Paul's day was used as a common drink, and was either non-intoxicating or far less intoxicating than wine today], not wanting to get money by questionable [or, dishonest] means.

For if you people have a lot of these [qualities] they will keep you from being unproductive and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

and if He rescued the righteous man Lot, who had become very disturbed by unrestrained wickedness [of the people there in Sodom].

(For, being a righteous man living among them, Lot's righteous spirit was very disturbed every day by the wickedness he heard and saw),