SCRIPTURE: LUKE 12
WARNINGS AND ENCOURAGEMENTS (vs. 1-12)
TEACHINGS OF JESUS:
“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. Are not five sparrows sold 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.”
“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 no worry about how you will defined yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say”
THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL (vs. 13-21)
“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (v. 15)
“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 form you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? This is how it will be with anyone who store s up things for himself but is not rich toward God.
DO NOT WORRY (vs. 22-34)
“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 avens: 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.”
WATCHFULNESS (vs. 35-48)
“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men 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. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. 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. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Then Peter asked Jesus whom he was telling the parable to. 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? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time to come,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 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. That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not know what his master wants will be beaten with many glows. But the one who does not know ands 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.”
NOT PEACE BUT DIVISION (vs. 49-53)
“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 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.”
INTERPRETING THE TIMES (vs. 54-58)
“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. 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.”
“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turns you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
THOUGHTS:
THINGS THAT JESUS WANTS US TO LEARN:
- Nothing can be hidden. Everything you concealed will be revealed and disclosed. Everything that is hidden will be made known. What you have said or whispered in the ear will be proclaimed.
- Fear God, not men. We should fear God because He controls the eternal. Do not allow fear of a person or group to keep you from standing up for Christ.
- People categorize your worth according to your physical looks, performance, achievement or success. But God cares for you as He does for all his creatures. He even numbered all the hairs of your head.
- Acknowledge God before men by living a moral upright and Christ-honoring life. Look for opportunities to share faith with others.
- Anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
- Don’t be greedy for money because it is not a guarantee of security. Instead, store up things for God not for yourself.
- Do not worry about your body, what you will wear or what you will eat. God feeds the birds and let the lilies grow. You are much more valuable than them. So our Father will provide what you need.
- What is the most important thing is to seek his kingdom. It means to make Jesus the Lord and King of your life. Every area – your work plans, relationships – should be under His guidance and control.
- Use money wisely by using it for God’s purposes to store up lasting treasures in heaven.
- Jesus explains to us that neglecting life after death is disastrous. If wealth is accumulated only to enrich yourself with no concern for helping others, you will enter eternity empty-handed. Faith, service and obedience are the way to become rich toward God.
- Be ready for service and keep your lamps burning because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
- The more resources and talents you have, the more you are required to use them effectively for His glory.
- Jesus revealed that his coming often results in conflict. Families may be split apart when some choose to follow him and others refuse to do so. There is no middle ground with Jesus. He demands loyalty and commitment to the point of severing relationships.
- Jesus promised a reward for those who have been faithful to Him. Our heavenly rewards will be the most accurate reflection of what we have done on earth.