March
23rd Luke
12
Fear of religious authorities
1:
In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable
multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he
began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven
of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2: For there is nothing
covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be
known. 3: Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be
heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in
closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. 4: And I say unto you
my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that
have no more that they can do. 5: But I will forewarn you whom ye
shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast
into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. 6: Are not five sparrows
sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
7: But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not
therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. 8: Also I say
unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of
man also confess before the angels of God: 9: But he that denieth me
before men shall be denied before the angels of God. 10: And
whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be
forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it
shall not be forgiven. 11: And when they bring you unto the
synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how
or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12: For the Holy
Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
The
Prosperous Farmer
13:
And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother,
that he divide the inheritance with me. 14: And he said unto him,
Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15: And he said unto
them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life
consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16: And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain
rich man brought forth plentifully: 17: And he thought within
himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to
bestow my fruits? 18: And he said, This will I do: I will pull down
my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits
and my goods. 19: And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much
goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be
merry. 20: But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul
shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which
thou hast provided? 21: So is he that layeth up treasure for himself,
and is not rich toward God.
Don’t
fret about tomorrow
22:
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no
thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what
ye shall put on. 23: The life is more than meat, and the body is more
than raiment. 24: Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap;
which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how
much more are ye better than the fowls? 25: And which of you with
taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26: If ye then be
not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the
rest? 27: Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin
not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these. 28: If then God so clothe the grass, which
is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much
more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29: And seek not ye
what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful
mind. 30: For all these things do the nations of the world seek
after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31:
But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be
added unto you. 32: Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's
good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33: Sell that ye have, and
give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in
the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither
moth corrupteth. 34: For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also.
Watchful
servants
35:
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36: And ye
yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will
return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may
open unto him immediately. 37: Blessed are those servants, whom the
lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that
he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will
come forth and serve them. 38: And if he shall come in the second
watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are
those servants. 39: And this know, that if the goodman of the house
had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and
not have suffered his house to be broken through. 40: Be ye therefore
ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
41: Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto
us, or even to all? 42: And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful
and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household,
to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43: Blessed is that
servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44: Of a
truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he
hath. 45: But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth
his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and
to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46: The lord of that servant
will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when
he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his
portion with the unbelievers. 47: And that servant, which knew his
lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his
will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48: But he that knew not,
and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few
stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much
required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask
the more.
No
compromise
49:
I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already
kindled? 50: But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I
straitened till it be accomplished! 51: Suppose ye that I am come to
give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52: For
from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three
against two, and two against three. 53: The father shall be divided
against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against
the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law
against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her
mother in law.
Discerning
the time
54:
And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the
west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. 55:
And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and
it cometh to pass. 56: Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the
sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
Be
reconciled
57:
Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? 58: When
thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the
way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he
hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer,
and the officer cast thee into prison. 59: I tell thee, thou shalt
not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.
Christ
now follows his condemnation of the religious leaders with a general
warning about their theological thinking with is hypocritical. Christ
says that their secret lives will one day be revealed. Then Christ
says to the Apostles do not be afraid of them they might kill their
bodies but they cannot destroy their souls. Then he talks of
confession of him before men. This was a specific Jewish obligation.
Those that accept Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah are to make open
confession of Him to men. Then Christ goes on to describe the
particular rejection of Christ by the Jewish leaders. Then Christ
gives specific instruction as to what the Apostles are to do when
they are brought before kings and rulers. When a man came to him
asking for a ruling over his inheritance Christ refused saying he was
not a magistrate and then he gave a general warning about
covetousness. Christ told a parable of a man of immense wealth.
Nothing was wrong in his life except that he forgot God in it all.
Christ said prepare for eternity and lay up treasure in heaven.
Christ then gave general instruction to seek first the Messianic
kingdom where all material things will be given to the godly.
Material blessing is a thing given to those under the law. The
exhortation to the Jews is to watch and be ready for the kingdom when
it dawns. Christ says the blessing of God rests on those who are
found ready when Christ returns. Those who are found in a true
spiritual state will be given authority to rule on behalf of Christ
in the Kingdom. Those who are unready will be destroyed when Christ
returns. There could not be a more meritorious condition for blessing
for Israel under law in the kingdom. For unto whomsoever much is
given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed
much, of him they will ask the more. Christ says explicitly that he
has not come to bring peace but division. Then Christ says when you
find a man is against you, go and agree with him quickly before he
brings a case against you.
- What was the 'leven' of the Pharisees?
- Why shouldnt we be anxious about the future?
- What was the correct frame of mind for those in the old Covenant who are looking for the Coming of Christ?
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