Luke 12: 1-5, Warnings to his disciples
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.
There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 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.
"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
Jesus emphasizes a long term, spiritual view. Short term political scheming will eventually be revealed for what it is, but it is not the world of politics or power that should concern us.
Luke 12: 6 -7, Little sparrows
Are not five sparrows sod for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
A beautiful paragraph. Even our hairs are numbered -- a count that surely changes daily. The emphasis is that God is paying attention to each little characteristic, like a mother with a newborn, or one with his lover.
"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
"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.
"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."
There is a need to make a decision and identify oneself. Am I a member of the Kingdom of God? Or resistant to it? At some point in life one is likely to become one or the other.
The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (committed, in context, by the Pharisees) is a conscious deliberate rejection of the miracles before them, those miracles pointing them to the Son of Man (the Messiah.) Throughout the past chapters, the Pharisees have reacted to miracles with objections and anger, instead of awe and worship.
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'
"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?'
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
Avoiding materialism is not sufficient. It is important to be "rich toward God."
Luke 12: 22-24, Materialism
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.
Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
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!
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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, O you of little faith!
And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Another beautiful passage. Matthew places this speech as part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5- 7; see in particular Matthew 6:25-34) but Luke leaves it as a general teaching of Jesus. Surely Jesus taught these concepts numerous times.
We must decide what we will treasure. Nothing on earth (even family) will last.
Actually reading Jesus's words are both terrifying and encouraging at the same time. I read "yeast of the Pharisees" and I think of the ways that I am a hypocrite (and I am afraid). I see statements like "sell your possessions and give to the poor", which I can easily rationalize as not to be taken literally, but I really wonder where my treasure is. However, on my good days I read the teachings about ravens and lilies and I am satisfied that God will meet all of my needs (although not necessarily my desires). I remember reading these words for the first time as a teenager and being shaken to my core, and they still have that effect on my decades later. May it always be so: the day these words cease to punch me in the face will be a very sad day indeed.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think these teachings force a reaction and we should not dismiss it. There is great value to being uncomfortable with Jesus's teachings and examining that discomfort.
ReplyDeleteI find these teachings very reassuring (in some ways) in 2017 America.