Luke 12: More teaching

• v.1-12 Wise & Foolish Concerns
• v.13-21 The Parable of the Rich Fool
• v.22-34 Trusting in the Father’s Provision
• v.35-40 Being Alert for Jesus’ return
• v.41-48 Being a wise and faithful servant
• v.49-53 Divisions caused by belief
• v.54-59 Recognizing the time to put things right

v.1-12 Wise & Foolish Concerns

v.1-3 Beware hypocrisy (wearing masks) for all will be revealed

v.1 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

v.2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.

v.3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

[Note: He warned his disciples against the Pharisees’ hypocrisy, for all this will eventually be made clear when God will bring it all to light.]

v.4,5 Have only right fear

v.4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.

v.5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

[Note: Don’t fear those who can persecute and kill you, instead fear God who has ultimate authority to judge.]

v.6,7 God cares &  provides

v.6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.

v.7  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

[Note: God knows every detail of life and knows absolutely everything about you.]

v.8-12 So don’t fear testifying to me

v.8 “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.

v.9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.

v.10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

v.11,12 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

[Note: Acknowledge me publicly and I will acknowledge you in heaven, likewise if your disown me. Criticise me, fine; criticise the working of Gd by the Spirit and be condemned. When you are opposed, don’t worry, the Spirit will guide you.]

v.13-21 The Parable of the Rich Fool

v.13-15 A family concern expressed

v.13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

v.14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”

v.15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

[Note: Someone requests family help but Jesus says this is not why he’s here, but nevertheless, beware greed.]

v.16-21 Parable of the farmer and his barns

v.16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.

v.17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

v.18,19 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

v.20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

v.21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

[Note: He tells a parable about a rich man’s harvest: he had such a harvest he wondered about where to store it and decided to build bigger barns, but that night he died. Focus on being rich before God

v.22-34 Learning to Trust in the Father’s Provision

[Meditate on each of these truths:

v.22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.

– Don’t worry about material possessions….

v.23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

– life is more than just these….

v.24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

– Consider the birds that get fed; you’re more important to God than them….

v.25,26 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

– How can worrying about these things help?…

v.27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

– look at nature that is more full of splendor than Solomon ever was

v.28,29 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.

– don’t you think God will provide so much more for you?

v.30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.

– the unbelievers run after these things, bit God knows your needs

v.31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

– instead seek His will and He’ll look after everything in your life

v.32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

– the Father longs for you to experience His reign

v.33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

– Care for the needy and thus accumulate spiritual treasures

v.34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

– Your heart will be with the sort of treasure you seek

[Note: Here are a series of truths to be learned about:

• What life is really all about
• God’s caring provision
• How a kingdom viewpoint changes how we think about possessions.]

v.35-40 Being Alert for Jesus’ return

v.35,36  “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

v.37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.

v.38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.

v.39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

v.40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

[Note: Jesus teaches be equipped with His resources for when he returns. As servants stay alert for when I come, ensure you are ready. If a man knew a burglar was coming, he’d be ready for him, but you also be ready for when I come at an unknown time.]

v.41-48 Being a wise and faithful servant

v.41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

v.42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?

v.43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.

v.44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

v.45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk.

v.46,47 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.

v.48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

[Note: Peter questions this so Jesus gives another analogy: a manager overseeing the servants, awaiting the master’s return. It will be good if he’s doing it diligently when he returns, he’ll even get promoted, but if he thinks the master is delayed and so abuses his position, if the master then comes, he will be in big trouble. Punishment (justice) will always be meted out fairly.]

v.49-53 Divisions caused by belief

v.49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

v.50 (But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!

v.51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.

v.52,53 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.  They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

[Note: Jesus warns, I’ve come to bring purity to the earth, but I’ve got a hard passage to go through to bring it. I’ve also come to bring spiritual division, for even families will be divided.]

v.54-59 Recognizing the time to put things right

v.54,55 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.  And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is.

v.56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

v.57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

v.58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

v.59 I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

[Note: He teaches the crowd, you know how to tell the weather, but how is it you don’t know how to interpret my time here? Learn to make a right assessment and put right your disagreements while you can, because if you don’t you will be in big trouble.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: