Luke chapter 12

Jesus warns against hypocrisy. Have no fear. The rich fool. Do not be anxious. Jesus came to set the earth on fire! Settle with your adversary.

 


 

JESUS WARNS AGAINST HYPOCRISY

 

VERSE 1. Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

a multitude of many thousands. The Lord Jesus Christ had attracted a LOT of followers!

the yeast of the Pharisees. What is this? Jesus tells us:

which is hypocrisy. The “yeast of the Pharisees” is hypocrisy. In those days, almost all of the religious leaders were hypocrites. And unfortunately, in our day, many religious leaders are hypocrites as well.

 

VERSE 2. But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.

 

VERSE 3. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

We Christians represent the Lord Jesus. Anything we say can, and will, be repeated to other people. Our words need to be above reproach. Read more »

 

HAVE NO FEAR

 

VERSE 4. “I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 5. But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

Gehenna. The Lord Jesus Christ talks about Hades, Gehēnna, fire, and darkness. Christians often call those things Hell. Is Hell a location where people are sent? Or a state of being? Read more »

 

VERSE 6. “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God.

 

VERSE 7. But the very hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

TELL PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS

 

VERSE 8. “I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God;

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 9. but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of God’s angels.

 

VERSE 10. Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

The Lord Jesus says whoever commits blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. What is this Unforgivable Sin, and how can we avoid doing it? Read more »

 

VERSE 11. When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say;

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 12. for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”

 

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL

 

VERSE 13. One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

 

VERSE 14. But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”

 

VERSE 15. He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”

NIV translation: 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.”

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel of Luke and from the entire Bible.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

Keep yourselves from covetousness. It is so easy for us to fall into the trap of greed. Greed is an impulse in our fallen human condition. Our world is filled with greedy people. And everywhere we look, there are marketing messages that we should buy more things.

Worse, many Christians are among the most greedy of all people. Jesus commands us to guard against all kinds of greed.

abundance of the things which he possesses. Our spiritual lives are NOT based on the abundance of our possessions.

This is very difficult for Christians to accept. Most of us have bought into the contemporary secular dream of abundance.

 

VERSE 16. He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.

 

VERSE 17. He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’

 

VERSE 18. He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

 

VERSE 19. I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” ’

 

VERSE 20. “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’

 

VERSE 21. So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

 

VERSE 22. He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 23. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

 

VERSE 24. Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 25. Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height?

 

VERSE 26. If then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?

 

VERSE 27. Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 28. But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith?

 

VERSE 29. Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 30. For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.

 

VERSE 31. But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

Seeking the kingdom of God is to be our number one priority. Yet for many of us, our use of time and money show that it is a low priority. Read more »

 

VERSE 32. Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel of Luke and from the entire Bible.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 33. Sell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel of Luke and from the entire Bible.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

Sell that which you have. Jesus calls us to material simplicity. He commands us to sell our possessions. We are to live with less, not more.

give gifts to the needy. The Lord Jesus calls us to sell our possessions and give the money to poor people. When we do this we are building up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Read more »

 

VERSE 34. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel of Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

BE VIGILANT

 

VERSE 35. “Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 36. Be like men watching for their lord, when he returns from the wedding feast; that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 37. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you that he will dress himself, make them recline, and will come and serve them.

 

VERSE 38. They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch, and finds them so.

 

VERSE 39. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into.

 

VERSE 40. Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.”

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 41. Peter said to him, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?”

 

VERSE 42. The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?

 

VERSE 43. Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.

Some people are good and faithful servants of the LORD God. They follow him wholeheartedly. God will say to them: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Read more »

 

VERSE 44. Truly I tell you, that he will set him over all that he has.

 

VERSE 45. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken,

 

VERSE 46. then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn’t expecting him, and in an hour that he doesn’t know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful.

 

VERSE 47. That servant, who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,

 

VERSE 48. but he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel of Luke and from the entire Bible.

KJV translation. 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.

of him will much be required. We are blessed to explore the great writings from the entire Christian heritage. But we need to put them into practice.

Isaiah 63:19. We have become like those over whom you never ruled, like those who were not called by your name.

 

JESUS CAME TO SET THE EARTH ON FIRE!

 

VERSE 49. “I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.

NLT translation: I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning!

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel of Luke and from the entire Bible.

I came to throw fire on the earth. What was the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ? How did he himself define it? Here are the verses we find in the four gospels »

Many people feel that Jesus came as a teacher. “He taught us to be nice to other people,” they might say. However, Jesus sees it very differently. He came to set the world on fire!

I wish it were already kindled. Many people are very lethargic about their spiritual life. However, Jesus not only came to set us on fire, but he wishes we were already roaring!

How can WE be more on-fire for the Lord Jesus Christ?

How can we make THE WORLD more on-fire for the Lord Jesus Christ?

 

VERSE 50. But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

 

VERSE 51. Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.

What was the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ? How did he himself define it? Here are the verses we find in the four gospels »

 

VERSE 52. For from now on, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

The Lord Jesus says he came to set people at odds against each other. What does this mean? Read more »

 

VERSE 53. They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

The Lord Jesus says he came to set people at odds against each other. What does this mean? Read more »

 

INTERPRET THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES

 

VERSE 54. He said to the multitudes also, “When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens.

 

VERSE 55. When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens.

 

VERSE 56. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don’t interpret this time?

You hypocrites! The Lord Jesus does not mince words. He uses the term “hypocrite” to address his opponents directly. Read more »

 

SETTLE WITH YOUR ADVERSARY

 

VERSE 57. Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

Each person has an individual conscience. We use it to judge for ourselves what is right.

 

VERSE 58. For when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

 

VERSE 59. I tell you, you will by no means get out of there, until you have paid the very last penny.”

 


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LUKE

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