The Gospel of Luke
Chapter 12
We must not lose sight of the fact that Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem. He is traveling slowly, but steadily, toward the cross. Everywhere He goes, though, people gather to hear Him and to see whether He will work any miracles. The Jewish leaders are growing more and more impatient with Him, though, and the pressure is building toward some kind of confrontation. Here, Jesus finds Himself surrounded as usual by thousands of listeners—not all of whom are pure in motive!
What is truly important—Luke 12:1-21
Luke provides us with the detail that the crowd was so thick that the people were actually stepping on each other! In this setting, Jesus began with His disciples by warning them against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. It is important to understand what hypocrisy actually is, because followers of Jesus are very often labeled “hypocrites” whenever they are found to have made a mistake. In fact, hypocrisy is an act, an attempt to fool others into thinking that we are something we are not. In the Pharisees’ case, they had the reputation of being pious seekers of God—yet Jesus saw through them and showed their true character. In fact, that is one of the great failures of hypocrisy: it can’t be sustained, and the statements we make from our true character wind up being publicized far and wide! Our actual character cannot be concealed for long.
Hypocrisy usually is the result of trying to please too many masters. Jesus warned His disciples not to fear men, who can do their worst, but no more. Instead, our loyalty must be completely owned by God, since He is so much more powerful than humans, even to the point of rendering eternal punishment. He knows everything and keeps accurate account. Whoever confesses (acknowledges) Jesus will be confessed by Jesus at the judgment. However, anyone who denies Jesus refuses to put himself among the number of Jesus’ followers! At the judgment, God will ratify the sentence such a man has pronounced upon himself. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit, in this case, is to state categorically that Jesus is not from God and, so, is not to be heard or obeyed. Such a person places himself beyond redemption. When the disciples are challenged as His followers, God will, Himself, give them the power to answer the charges—and their allegiance will be plain.
Since Jesus clearly is a leader, one of the multitude called on Him to render a verdict in a civil case. Jesus immediately declined and pointed out the treachery of greed. Possessions do not make a life to be a good one. He drove home the point with a parable about a very rich man who gained so much that he couldn’t even store it all. The man took comfort in a plan to provide yet bigger storage for his bigger possessions. However, the man died and all was left behind and he had made no preparations for eternity. Jesus pointed out the obvious moral to the story: riches with God are the only kind of wealth that is of any true importance.
Steadfast faithfulness—Luke 12:22-48
At a casual reading, the next two sections seem to have little in common. However, they both center on trusting God. The first has to do with trusting God for daily needs; the second has to do with trusting God in our service for Him. Jesus’ earlier teaching about greed would naturally lead into a discussion about anxiety for the future. His disciples are urged to be careful that they not fall into the trap of worry, fearing they will not have enough. In fact, God has provided and will provide for all His creation. There are things far more important than our possessions—even the most basic
needs like food and clothing. When other elements of God’s creation do what they are supposed to do, they find enough provision for life. It follows then that we also will find provision for life if we will undertake to do what we are called to do! The most unproductive thing we can do is worry; our anxiety solves nothing and changes nothing around us.
There is great danger in allowing ourselves to be captivated by the struggle for security on this earth. Jesus is not commanding His followers to ignore the need for daily provisions; He is commanding His followers not to make their security and possessions the center of their lives and efforts. Jesus’ followers are to make the kingdom of God their center, knowing that God provides for them. In fact, He has given the kingdom to His children! This allows us to be much more carefree about our lives and security and it empowers us to be generous with the use of our goods. Our true treasure is in heaven, where our heart is, and material goods are of little concern to us.
If we truly are focused on the kingdom, then we must be busy each day in the service of our king! It is our responsibility to be alert to opportunities to be of service to God and to trust Him to reward us for our diligence. Jesus compares His return to that of a master returning to his home following a wedding banquet. Such a return would probably occur at night, when servants might presume they are excused for nightly rest. When the master returns and finds his servants still alert, still ready to serve him, his joy manifests itself in service to them. The clear message is that those who expect a return must remain ready for that return, no matter when it occurs. One thing is fairly clear: the return of Jesus will be unexpected.
Peter’s question seems to presume that Jesus’ return would be traumatic for unbelievers, but not for His disciples. Jesus counters with a clear call for faithfulness among all His followers. The faithful servant is the one who continues to do the will of the master diligently even though the master is not personally present to oversee the work. When such a steward shows himself to be trustworthy, he will be rewarded. By contrast, a steward with a corrupted character might grow lazy and self-interested and begin to use the possessions of the master as though they were his own. When the true master returns and finds such conduct, his fury is based on his own feelings of betrayal, even beyond the usual demand for justice. Jesus finished this section with a bit of common sense. When someone knows what he or she should be doing yet fails to do it, a more severe punishment should be expected. The obvious implication is that servants of Christ have been entrusted with great responsibilities and are liable for great faithfulness. That only seems fair, yet it requires great trust in God’s people.
The time of judgment draws near—Luke 12:49-59
This discussion that dwelled on the most serious topics of life reminded Jesus again that He was the occasion of a great division among humans. His own involvement demanded brutal torture and crucifixion and nobody should be surprised that He wished it were already behind Him. He knew that obedience to Him would bring about great turmoil among all people; nations would be in upheaval and the closest family relationships would degenerate into conflict and warfare. And the people clustering around Him could not seem to understand this.
Jesus pointed out that the people were avid watchers of the weather—their lives depended on rains for crops and shelter from sudden storms. They prided themselves on being able to understand their world, yet they could not understand their times. Jesus called them “hypocrites,” because they acted as though they were wise, yet knew they were incompetent. In one final parting shot, Jesus spoke of those who were stubborn in their rush to judgment, even though it would result in disaster for them. In a similar way, there are people who stubbornly insist on going their way in opposition to Christ who will face implacable judgment in the end.