Part 3: Jesus Journey to Heaven by Way of Jerusalem
By Samuel E. Ward
Introduction
As we follow Jesus on His way to Jerusalem during the last year of His ministry, the conflict with the Pharisees continues. In this passage Jesus is surrounded by "many thousands" of people. The original Greek indicates they may have numbered in the tens of thousands. Luke is very descriptive of the scene as he says that "they were trampling on one another."
He is speaking to two groups alternately, first, His disciples about being fearless in their witnessing of Christ and then the crowd on the foolishness of pursuing the riches of the world while ignoring eternal treasure. Turning again to the disciples, He has words of care, caution, and counsel concerning their future ministry as His disciples in the world. Finally, Jesus deals with the people's lack of attention to spiritual truth that could save their souls though they seem quite knowledgeable about things not nearly so important.
XII. Messages to Whom They May Concern, Luke 12:1-59
A. Warnings to the Disciples, Luke 12:1-12
1. Be true and truthful in your life, Luke 12:1-3.
Luke 12:1-3 (NIV) 1Meanwhile, 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. 2There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3What 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.
a. Disciples of Christ must avoid Pharisaical hypocrisy, Luke 12:1.
Albert Barnes in his comment on this passage says:
Hypocrisy is like leaven or yeast, because:
1. It may exist without being immediately detected. Leaven mixed in flour is not known until it produces its effects.
2. It is insinuating. Leaven will soon pervade the whole mass. So hypocrisy will, if undetected and unremoved, soon pervade all our exercises and feelings.
3. It is swelling. It puffs us up, and fills us with pride and vanity. No man is more proud than the hypocrite, and none is more odious to God. When Jesus cautions them to beware of "the leaven of the Pharisees," he means that they should be cautious about imbibing their spirit and becoming like them. The religion of Jesus is one of sincerity, of humility, of an entire want of disguise. The humblest man is the best Christian, and he who has the least disguise is most like his Master.
--Barnes Notes on the New Testament, "Luke 12"
b. All will be held accountable for secret actions and words, Luke 12:2-3.
2. Be loyal and committed to your Lord, Luke 12:4-12.
a. Man can only kill the body. He has no power in eternity, Luke 12:4.
Luke 12:4 (NIV) 4"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
b. The Lord can cast you into hell, an eternal judgment, Luke 12:5.
Luke 12:5 (NIV) 5But 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.
c. The Lord will care for you through your ordeals as a disciple,
Luke 12:6-7.
Luke 12:6-7 (NIV) 6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
i. He never forgets the sparrows, Luke 12:6.
ii. He cares even more for you; do not be afraid, Luke 12:7.
d. The Lord will reward those who are loyal in the face of persecution,
Luke 12:8.
Luke 12:8 (NIV) 8"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God.
e. The Lord will reject those who are disloyal in face of persecution,
Luke 12:9.
Luke 12:9 (NIV) 9But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.
f. The Lord will not forgive those who denounce the Holy Spirit,
Luke 12:10.
Luke 12:10 (NIV) 10And 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.
g. The Lord will provide you with the words you need for your defense in the face of persecution, Luke 12:11-12.
Luke 12:11-12 (NIV) 11"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."
B. A Parable of Misplaced Values to the Crowd, Luke 12:13-21.
1. Occasioned by a request for arbitration, Luke 12:13-15.
Luke 12:13-15 (NIV) 13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 14Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15Then 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."
2. Offered as a warning about misplaced values, Luke 12:16-20.
a. The rich man had become complacent by his success,
Luke 12:16-18.
Luke 12:16-18 (NIV) 16And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 18"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.
b. The rich man had forgotten that there was death after life,
Luke 12:19.
Luke 12:19 (NIV) 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'
c. God called the rich man into account as He shall everyone,
Luke 12:20-21.
Luke 12:20-21 (NIV) 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?' 21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
C. Words of Care, Caution, Counsel to the Disciples, Luke 12:22-34
1. Jesus spoke of God's care; disciples should seek heavenly treasures rather than earthly possessions, Luke 12:22-34.
a. The promise of God's provision should remove worry over our physical needs, Luke 12:22-26.
Luke 12:22-26 (NIV) 22Then 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. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider 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! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
b. The craving for material things is a pagan (Gentile) concern because they have no concept of a God who loves and cares for His own, Luke 12:27-31.
Luke 12:27-31 (NIV) 27"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. 28If 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! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
c. The wisest investment for a person is in eternal treasure not temporal gratification, Luke 12:32-33.
Luke 12:32-33 (NIV) 32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell 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.
d. The place of a person's treasure is an indication of the place of a person's heart, Luke 12:34.
Luke 12:34 (NIV) 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
2. Jesus spoke words of caution; disciples should be alert to the sudden return of the Son of Man, Luke 12:35-40.
Luke 12:35-40 (NIV) 35"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like 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. 37It 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. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. 39But 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. 40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
Notice a reason given as to why God does not reveal the time of His Son's return—to encourage readiness rather than slackness.
3. Jesus spoke words of counsel; disciples are advised to be always busy about serving the Master's will, Luke 12:41-53.
a. Readiness will be rewarded generously, Luke 12:41-44.
Luke 12:41-44 (NIV) 41Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?" 42The 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? 43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
b. Dereliction will be judged harshly, Luke 12:45-46.
Luke 12:45-46 (NIV) 45But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The 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.
c. Judgment will be proportionate to expectation and with justice,
Luke 12:47-48.
Luke 12:47-48 (NIV) 47"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But 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.
d. Deep divisions will be caused by choices made concerning Christ, Luke 12:49-53.
Luke 12:49-53 (NIV) 49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They 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."
D. A Charge of Hypocrisy Made Upon the Crowd, Luke 12:54-59
1. Unbelievers can be so smart about trivial matters, Luke 12:54-56.
Luke 12:54-56 (NIV) 54He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. 56Hypocrites! 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?
2. Unbelievers can be so ignorant about what is truly important, like making things right before judgment, Luke 12:57-59. See
1 Cor 11:31.
Luke 12:57-59 (NIV) 57"Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? 58As 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 turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny."
To be like Jesus . . .
1. We must be sincere in our faith and witness, not confusing the world with only partial obedience to Christ. Jesus was totally true in word, action, and thought to His mission.
2. We must always have eternity's values in view, being willing even to suffer in this life to obtain a heavenly reward.
3. We must not fear man and become timid in our witness, but bold and unrelenting, even in the face of persecution.
4. We must know the value of spiritual knowledge over earthly knowledge.
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