Lucas 12
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 12
Cole - A huge crowd gathered, with so many people that they were stepping on each other. Jesus spoke primarily to His disciples, but in the hearing of all, warned them about the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. He was drawing a line: people could follow the leadership of the Pharisees or they could follow Him. But they must make a choice and stick with it in the face of potential persecution and even death. To try to straddle the line will bring a person into ultimate and final judgment. Thus, We must beware of hypocrisy and confess Christ, even unto death, because hypocrites will face God’s judgment. Clearly, Jesus believed that our words and deeds are significant in the light of eternity. Also, we must understand that Jesus’ warnings were directed primarily toward those who professed allegiance to Him. We would be foolish to shrug off His words as if they only applied to the unbeliever. He spoke first to His disciples, although it also applies to everyone. Jesus first gives the negative warning against the sin of hypocrisy, which is the same as denying Him; but Jesus also gives positive encouragement to confess Him, even if it results in martyrdom. (Confessing or Denying Christ?) Rod Mattoon - With so many people gathered, there would be a variety of reasons why they were there. There would be spectators who were curious and wanted to know what was going on with all these people. Crowds do178 attract crowds. Some would be scorners who would heckle Jesus and make fun of His teachings. There would also be spies present to find faults or something that would get the Lord into trouble with others, especially the authorities. There would also be those who were surrendered to the Lord and devoted to following Him. Those who were blind were made to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear. Thousands loved the Lord for what He did for them. When you think about it, most churches are comprised of these four groups of people. Which group describes you? Are you a spectator that just watches, a scorner that creates dissension and strife, a spy looking for faults, or are you surrendered, following Him? Jesus urges us to be His disciple when He tells us to put His yoke upon ourselves and to learn of Him. (Rod Mattoon - Treasures from Luke) Beware (prosecho) of the leaven (zume) of the Pharisees (pharisaios), which is hypocrisy (hupokrisis) - "Be on guard against the pervasive, gradual, imperceptible spread of hypocrisy, which had corrupted the Pharisees." (Swindoll) "Don't get caught up in a damning, hypocritical, false religion." (MacArthur) The command beware (prosechete heautois) is more literally "Watch yourselves" so He calls them to take personal responsibility to protect themselves from these spiritual charlatans who desire to lead them astray! It is a command in present imperative necessitating our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey. THOUGHT- The "tribe of the Pharisees" is still "alive and well," so beware of their spiritual leaven, which like literal yeast spreads its influence and modifies (for the bad) one's thinking, one's spiritual mind. Steven Cole writes "In Galatians 2:13, Paul charged Peter and Barnabas with hypocrisy because they openly ate with Gentile believers, but when the Judaizers came to town, they suddenly withdrew out of fear of what the Judaizers would think. If such godly, strong leaders as Peter and Barnabas were susceptible to hypocrisy, then it is a sin that we all need to be on guard against!" The leaven (zume) of the Pharisees (pharisaios), which is hypocrisy (hupokrisis) - Leaven is that which influences, and can be good or evil. In Lk 13:21 Jesus said the Kingdom of God "is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.” That is the "good" effect of leaven, but it serves to describe the influence of something or someone (good or evil) that works subtly to modify something else. Just as the leaven literally permeates the dough, the subtle (maybe not always so subtle) teachings of the Pharisees, would eventually "permeate" the thinking of those who listened to them. Jesus is saying, beware, take heed, protect yourselves from the permeating, fermenting influence of the Pharisees which will lead one straight to hell if followed! Their leaven must be avoided at all costs, lest it begin to exert its corrupting effect on one's mind and heart. Jesus also warned “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Mt 16:6) and the "leaven of Herod" (Mk 8:15). Even a little bit of hypocrisy of the Pharisees is like a little bit of arsenic, the former destroys one's spiritual life and the latter one's physical life. John
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Cole notes that "Hypocrisy is a danger because we fear what people will do to us if we take a stand for Christ.Jesus says, “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do” (Lk 12:4). That’s an interesting perspective: “The worst that they can do is kill you!” “Oh, whew! I thought maybe they could really do some damage!” Most of us have not had to deal with any kind of physical torture or death threats. It’s hard enough to maintain our testimony when we worry about what others will think of us, let alone if they threaten us with bodily harm! But if we focus on what people may do to us, whether it is just social rejection or whether it is physical torture and death, we will deny Christ when the pressure is on." (Confessing or Denying Christ?) Related Resources on Death: How can I overcome the fear of death? How can I stop being scared of dying? What is hadephobia? What does it mean to walk through the valley of the shadow of death? How is physical death related to spiritual death? What is the second death? What does the Bible say about death? What does it mean to have the fear of God? What happens after death? Why do so many people have to experience terrible suffering before death? Life Application Study Bible (page 68) - Fear of opposition or ridicule can weaken our witness for Christ. Often we cling to peace and comfort, even at the cost of our walk with God. Jesus reminds us here that we should fear God who controls eternal, not merely temporal, consequences. Don’t allow fear of a person or group to keep you from standing up for Christ My Savior, My Almighty Friend My Savior and Almighty Friend When I begin to praise It seems Thy mercies have no end! I'm overwhelmed by grace. -- Isaac Watts Friends (5384) (philos) means loved (loved one), dear, befriended, friendly, kind. Philos can mean kindly disposed or devoted (Acts 19:31). Philos describes one having special interest in someone else, one who is on intimate terms or one in close association with someone else. All uses of philos - 27v - Note frequency in Luke's writings - Mt. 11:19; Lk. 7:6; Lk. 7:34; Lk. 11:5; Lk. 11:6; Lk. 11:8; Lk. 12:4; Lk. 14:10; Lk. 14:12; Lk. 15:6; Lk. 15:9; Lk. 15:29; Lk. 16:9; Lk. 21:16; Lk. 23:12; Jn. 3:29; Jn. 11:11; Jn. 15:13; Jn. 15:14; Jn. 15:15; Jn. 19:12; Acts 10:24; Acts 19:31; Acts 27:3; Jas. 2:23; Jas. 4:4; 3 Jn. 1:15 Be afraid (5399) phobeo from phobos = fear source of our English "phobia") means to be in an apprehensive state that can range from mild uneasiness to stark terror as when one is frightened, terrified or alarmed. (Mt 10:31). Phobeo can be a fear of man (Lk 20:19, Mt 2:22, Mt 21:26, 46) as when Peter feared "the party of the circumcision" (Gal 2:12) which motivated him "to withdraw and hold himself aloof." Pilate experienced fear when he was about to sentence Jesus to death (Jn 19:8). Fear of people kept religious leaders from laying hands on Jesus (Luke 20:19) On the other hand Moses did not fear man (pharaoh - Heb 11:27) Believers were afraid of Paul after his Damascus Road experience, not realizing he had been born again (Lk 9:26). In ancient Greek the word phobos came from the word phebomai meaning to flee, or to be startled. Thus phobos meant flight or terror, and was connected with fear of the unknown, fear of the future, and fear of authorities. It also took on the meaning of fear or reverence for God. The most common use of phobeo in the New Testament refers to reverential awe, not cringing fright. It expresses the feeling of a person who is in the presence of someone infinitely superior, the feeling in a person’s heart when he is confronted with divine power, and it is declared to be a part of the Christian’s attitude as he seeks to faithfully serve the Lord (Acts 9:31). Reverential awe of God is a part of the truly repentant life (2Cor. 7:10–11), the chaste life (1 Pet. 3:2), the holy life (2 Cor. 7:1), and the godly life (Phil. 2:12). Mutual ministry, love, and respect, as well as powerful evangelism and proper church discipline, are all grounded in reverential awe of the Lord (see 2 Cor. 5:11; Eph. 5:21; 1 Tim. 5:20). It is the substance out of which all right Christian worship, behavior, and service must come. Fear of God takes two forms, a healthy, reverential awe of the creature before the Creator including the idea of fear of offending (Ro 11:20) or the terror and dread of the unregenerate sinner in the presence of the just and holy God (Lxx of Ge 3:10, cp Lk 12:5). Wayne Detzler on the root word phobos - In ancient Greek the word phobos came from the word phebomai meaning to flee, or to be startled. Thus phobos meant flight or terror, and was connected with fear of the unknown, fear of the future, and fear of authorities. It also took on the meaning of fear or reverence for God. This was particularly true in the teaching of Aristotle. (Borrow New Testament Words in Today's Language) Puritan Charles Bridges defines fear of God - It is that affectionate reverence by which the child of God bends himself humbly and carefully to his Father's law. His wrath is so bitter, and His love so sweet; that hence springs an earnest desire to please Him, and—because of the danger of coming short from his own weakness and temptations—a holy watchfulness and fear, 'that he might not sin against Him. Phobeo - 91v - afraid(39), am afraid(2), awestruck(1), fear(27), feared(5), fearful(2), fearing(6), fears(2), frightened(7), have...fear(1), respects(1), terrified(1). Matt. 1:20; Matt. 2:22; Matt. 9:8; Matt. 10:26; Matt. 10:28; Matt. 10:31; Matt. 14:5; Matt. 14:27; Matt. 14:30; Matt. 17:6; Matt. 17:7; Matt. 21:26; Matt. 21:46; Matt. 25:25; Matt. 27:54; Matt. 28:5; Matt. 28:10; Mk. 4:41; Mk. 5:15; Mk. 5:33; Mk. 5:36; Mk. 6:20; Mk. 6:50; Mk. 9:32; Mk. 10:32; Mk. 11:18; Mk. 11:32; Mk. 12:12; Mk. 16:8; Lk. 1:13; Lk. 1:30; Lk. 1:50; Lk. 2:9; Lk. 2:10; Lk. 5:10; Lk. 8:25; Lk. 8:35; Lk. 8:50; Lk. 9:34; Lk. 9:45; Lk. 12:4; Lk. 12:5; Lk. 12:7; Lk. 12:32; Lk. 18:2; Lk. 18:4; Lk. 19:21; Lk. 20:19; Lk. 22:2; Lk. 23:40; Jn. 6:19; Jn. 6:20; Jn. 9:22; Jn. 12:15; Jn. 19:8; Acts 5:26; Acts 9:26; Acts 10:2; Acts 10:35; Acts 13:16; Acts 13:26; Acts 16:38; Acts 18:9; Acts 22:29; Acts 23:10; Acts 27:17; Acts 27:24; Acts 27:29; Rom. 11:20; Rom. 13:3; Rom. 13:4; 2 Co. 11:3; 2 Co. 12:20; Gal. 2:12; Gal. 4:11; Eph. 5:33; Col. 3:22; Heb. 4:1; Heb. 11:23; Heb. 11:27; Heb. 13:6; 1 Pet. 2:17; 1 Pet. 3:6; 1 Pet. 3:14; 1 Jn. 4:18; Rev. 1:17; Rev. 2:10; Rev. 11:18; Rev. 14:7; Rev. 15:4; Rev. 19:5 Kill (put to death)(615) apokteino from apó = intensifies meaning + kteíno = slay) means to kill outright or to put to death in any manner. To kill someone results in a state of separation. To kill physically (Mt. 10:28; Mt. 14:5, Jn 18:31; often of Christ's death; in Rev. 2:13, Rev. 9:15, Rev. 11:13). Vine writes "metaphorically, Ro 7:11, of the power of Sin, which is personified (Sin "personified" as a principle), as "finding occasion, through the commandment," and inflicting deception and spiritual death, i.e., separation from God, realized through the presentation of the commandment to conscience, breaking in upon the fancied state of freedom; the argument shows the power of the Law, not to deliver from sin, but to enhance its sinfulness; in 2 Cor. 3:6, "the letter kills," signifies not the literal meaning of Scripture as contrasted with the spiritual, but the power of the Law to bring home the knowledge of guilt and its punishment; in Eph. 2:16 "having put to death the enmity" describes the work of Christ through His death in annulling the enmity, "the Law" (Eph. 2:15), between Jew and Gentile, reconciling regenerate Jew and Gentile to God in spiritual unity "in one body." Revelation uses apokteinō in an exclusively literal sense; Apokteino - 70v - kill(33), killed(29), killing(1), kills(5), put...to death(2), put to death(4). Matt. 10:28; Matt. 14:5; Matt. 16:21; Matt. 17:23; Matt. 21:35; Matt. 21:38; Matt. 21:39; Matt. 22:6; Matt. 23:34; Matt. 23:37; Matt. 24:9; Matt. 26:4; Mk. 3:4; Mk. 6:19; Mk. 8:31; Mk. 9:31; Mk. 10:34; Mk. 12:5; Mk. 12:7; Mk. 12:8; Mk. 14:1; Lk. 9:22; Lk. 11:47; Lk. 11:48; Lk. 11:49; Lk. 12:4; Lk. 12:5; Lk. 13:4; Lk. 13:31; Lk. 13:34; Lk. 18:33; Lk. 20:14; Lk. 20:15; Jn. 5:18; Jn. 7:1; Jn. 7:19; Jn. 7:20; Jn. 7:25; Jn. 8:22; Jn. 8:37; Jn. 8:40; Jn. 11:53; Jn. 12:10; Jn. 16:2; Jn. 18:31; Acts 3:15; Acts 7:52; Acts 21:31; Acts 23:12; Acts 23:14; Acts 27:42; Rom. 7:11; Rom. 11:3; 2 Co. 3:6; Eph. 2:16; 1 Thess. 2:15; Rev. 2:13; Rev. 2:23; Rev. 6:8; Rev. 6:11; Rev. 9:5; Rev. 9:15; Rev. 9:18; Rev. 9:20; Rev. 11:5; Rev. 11:7; Rev. 11:13; Rev. 13:10; Rev. 13:15; Rev. 19:21 Rod Mattoon on FEAR as addressed by Jesus in Luke 12:4-12 - At this time, Jesus was very popular with the people. He was at the peak or the mountain top of His ministry, but soon He would be hanging from a tree on another mountain. He knows what is on His horizon and the horizon of His disciples. He takes this situation to deal with an issue that affects every single one of us. The topic He addresses has so much power, that when it has a grip on us, it can shred our serenity, flush our faith, weaken us with worry, and paralyze us with panic. Jesus speaks very frankly to them and to us about the issue of fear. He gives pointers about panic at the peak of His ministry. Fear is one of those silent monsters that seems to hover behind us in the shadows. It tends to breathe its cold breath in its whispers without us realizing who is doing the talking. We hear its subtle voice and also its powerful screams. Fear... Like dagger-shaped icicles, fear will freeze and harden our tender heart from trusting God. Like hungry lions zooming in on weakened prey for the kill, fear will cause us to focus on our problems and inabilities instead of God's ability to solve our problems. Fear will frustrate us with God's timing and intervention into our difficulties and danger, leaving us with questions like, "Lord, what are you doing? Where are you Lord?" Fear will cause us to form and fantasize danger in our mind when there is no danger. It makes us maximize minimal problems and believe the worst will happen to us. David said in Psalm 53:5a, "There were they in great fear, where no fear was... " Fear will fetter our heart to the opinions and pressure of our peers like beaten prisoners shackled by heavy chains that chink and jingle their chorus with every step they take. In "The Diary of Anne Frank," young Anne describes the fear she and her family felt as they hid and huddled in a small attic, from the Nazi army. Every scream of Gestapo sirens sent chills of fear down their spines. They lost their breath and were gripped by terror, at every knock on the front door. They lived in constant horror behind locked doors, fearing for their lives. They were afraid because their dangers were very real. That same fear also caused the disciples to huddle together in a room for protection. Surely they had heard the news about the tomb being empty. Yet, even the news of the empty tomb and Jesus' resurrection had not transformed their spirits and emboldened them. Their room became a prison to them. Fear drove them to lock themselves up to protect their lives, even though they were not in danger. Someone once wrote, "Fear is the wrong use of imagination. It is anticipating the worst, not the best that can happen." Beloved, the true macho man, the truly magnificent warrior is the man that can conquer his own fears. If you can conquer your fears and worries, then you will be as mighty as David who slew Goliath the giant. Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the mastery of it. In this message to His disciples, Jesus offers a word of warning and encouragement about the matter of fear. Jesus mentioned "fear" five times in these verses, so He is teaching us that a basic cause of hypocrisy is the fear of man. When we are afraid of what others may say about us or do to us, then we try to impress them in order to gain their approval. If necessary, we will even lie to accomplish our purposes, and this is hypocrisy. Unfortunately, many of the scribes and Pharisees were more concerned about reputation than character, what people thought about them than what God knew about them. Solomon stated in Proverbs 29:25 that the fear of man always brings a snare and Jesus wanted His disciples to avoid that snare....Fear of the future grips the hearts of many like the iron claws of a bear trap. Beloved, God is with us now and He is also in our future. Our job is put our trust in Him and He will guide our path. (Rod Mattoon - Treasures from Luke) Related Resources: The Fear of the Lord How To Handle Fear (1) How to Handle Fear (2) How To Handle Fear (3) How to Handle Fear (4) "If I Tell The World" Read: Luke 12:1-9 Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. —Matthew 10:32 At the close of an evangelistic meeting held by D. L. Moody, a Norwegian youth stood up to testify of his faith in the Lord. He wanted the congregation to know that he had been saved, but he had difficulty speaking English. Haltingly he managed to say, “I’m up here because Jesus wants me to be a witness. He promised that if I tell the world about Him, He’ll tell the Father about me!” Moody later remarked, “That boy’s testimony went straight to the heart of everyone present. ‘If I tell the world’—yes, that’s exactly what the Bible means when it says we must confess Christ!” Our Lord does not want us to be silent disciples. He encourages us to witness boldly to others about His grace. Scripture provides eloquent proof that we are to be vocal about our standing in Christ. Romans 10:9 states, “Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus.” And verse 14 asks, “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” If your faith in Christ is worth having, it's worth sharing. Luke 12:5 "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! KJV Luke 12:5 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. But I will warn you Mark 13:23; 1Th 4:6 fear the One who, after He has killed Pr 14:26; Jer 5:22; Jer 10:7; Rev 14:7; 15:4 has authority to cast into hell Ps 9:17; Mt 10:28; 25:41,46; 2 Peter 2:4; Rev 20:14 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:1-12 Confessing or Denying Christ? - Steven Cole Luke 12:1-7 A Certain Cure for Hypocrisy, Part 1 - John MacArthur Related Passages: Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge. Jeremiah 5:22 'Do you not fear Me?' declares the LORD. 'Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it. 23 'But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed. Revelation 14:6-7+ (GOD'S LAST WARNING BEFORE THE FINAL POURING OUT OF HIS WRATH ON EARTH) And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” Revelation 15:4+ “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For (EXPLAINS WHY WE SHOULD FEAR AND GLORIFY HIS GREAT NAME) You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.” Revelation 19:5+ (REVERENTIAL FEAR EVEN IN HEAVEN!) And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. THE FEAR OF GOD REMOVES THE FEAR OF HELL But - term of contrast. Always seek to determine what is being contrasted, even if it is simple and straightforward. It slows you down and gives you time to do what I like to call a "mini-meditation" on the passage. I will warn (hupodeiknumi) you whom to fear (phobeo): fear (phobeo) the One who, after He has killed (apokteino) has authority (exousia) to cast into hell (geenna) - Jesus chooses an interesting uncommon (6 NT uses) verb hupodeiknumi which means literally to give a glimpse of something, in this case a glimpse into the way one can avoid eternal separation from God. Jesus is making this known clearly with the goal being to warn the hearers (those who have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying)! Recall that his audience is disciples (learners), some of whom were genuine believers (12 + 70) but others who were not yet believers but were interested in learning from Him. The implication is fear God, not men and no other created being. And when He says fear the one who has authority to cast into hell, He in a very real sense is referring to Himself for Jesus will be the Judge (Jn 5:22, 27) at the Great White Throne. Some people think Satan has power to send people to hell but that is absolutely not true. Neither is he the "so-called" ruler of hell. He like all unbelievers will be cast into hell (Rev 20:10+) where he is be imprisoned eternally. And of course we are never commanded to fear Satan (cf 1 John 4:4+, Ro 16:20), but to resist him (James 4:7+, 1 Peter 5:9+, and to not be ignorant of his schemes (Eph 6:11+). Hell (geenna) speaks of the Second Death (See chart of Births, Deaths, Resurrections) at the final judgement by Jesus at the Great White Throne (Rev 20:11-15+). Hell is real and hell is horrible beyond human comprehension - see on site article Eternal Punishment. The man who has not fear of God and no fear of hell is the ultimate eternal fool! Jesus is not promising His disciples protection from death, but protection after death.
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Cole notes that "Jesus points us to a supreme danger that should scare us into avoiding hypocrisy: Hypocrisy is a danger because it results in eternal judgment for the hypocrite.The judgment spoken of here involves each member of the godhead, which should cause us to consider it with the utmost care. Hypocrites will be judged by the Father (Lk 12:5). Jesus says that rather than fearing those who can kill us, but do nothing further, we should “fear the One who after He has killed has authority to cast into hell.” Then, to emphasize an already strong point, Jesus repeats, “Yes, I tell you, fear Him!” The word “hell” is the Greek gehenna, which came from the Hebrew for the Valley of Hinnom, where the idolatrous Jews had offered their children in the fire to the pagan god, Molech. Later it became a garbage dump and a place where criminals’ bodies were thrown to be burned. The smoke rose perpetually as the garbage was slowly burned. Thus the name came to be used as a description of the place of eternal torment, “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48). Believe me, I didn’t invent the idea of such a place as hell and I don’t even like it! But I can’t believe in Jesus and deny hell, since He spoke so plainly about it. If you say, “I don’t believe in a God who would send anyone to hell,” keep in mind that your believing or not believing has absolutely nothing to do with whether such a God exists! Whether you believe in Him or not, God has revealed Himself to us through His Son, Jesus. If you reject Jesus and His teaching about hell, you run the great risk that what He said was true. If it is true, you will be in big trouble on judgment day!." (Confessing or Denying Christ?) Warn (5263) hupodeiknumi from hupó = under + deiknuo = show, make known the character or significance of something by visual, auditory, gestural, or linguistic means) literally means to show by placing under (as under one's gaze or before one's eyes) and so to show or instruct plainly, to set before one's eyes, to exemplify by words or actions. The idea is to direct someone’s attention to something and so to point out or make known. In some contexts the idea is to warn (Mt 3:7, Lk 3:7, Lk 12:5) Hupodeiknumi - 6v - show(2), showed(1), warn(1), warned(2). Matt. 3:7; Lk. 3:7; Lk. 6:47; Lk. 12:5; Acts 9:16; Acts 20:35 Authority (1849)(exousia) means the right and the might to cast into hell, something only God can do. Exousia means the power to do something and was a technical term used in the law courts, of a legal right. "Authority or right is the dominant meaning (of exousia) in the New Testament." (Vincent) Exousía refers to delegated authority and combines the idea of the "right and the might", these attributes having been granted to someone. Exousia is an important term in the Gospels. Many conflicts in Jesus' life and ministry turn on debates about authority or the idea that Jesus taught with an unparalleled authority (Mt 7:29; 8:9; 9:6, 8; 21:23-27; 28:18; Mk 1:22, 27; 2:10; 3:15; 11:28-33; Lk 4:32, 36; 5:24; 7:8; 20:2-8). Exousia in Luke and Acts - Lk. 4:6; Lk. 4:32; Lk. 4:36; Lk. 5:24; Lk. 7:8; Lk. 9:1; Lk. 10:19; Lk. 12:5; Lk. 12:11; Lk. 19:17; Lk. 20:2; Lk. 20:8; Lk. 20:20; Lk. 22:53; Lk. 23:7; Acts 1:7; Acts 5:4; Acts 8:19; Acts 9:14; Acts 26:10; Acts 26:12; Acts 26:18 Hell (Gehenna) (1067)(geenna from Hebrew gay = valley + Hinnom = a deep narrow ravine south of Jerusalem once associated with the pagan god Moloch and his disgusting rite of infant sacrifices [cp modern practice of abortion!], 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chr 28:3; 33:6; Jer 7:31, 19:5-6, 32:35; Ezekiel 16:20; 23:37 clearly prohibited by God in Lev 18:21, 20:2-5) is literally the valley of Hinnom, the valley where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned and where there were trash fires and perpetually burning rubbish, all a fit symbol of the future home of all unrepentant, unregenerate wicked men and women. It was a foul, forbidding place where the fire, smoke, and stench never ceased. It is thus fitting that gehenna is where sin and unrepentant sinners will one day find it's "resting place". Geenna - 12v - Matt. 5:22; Matt. 5:29; Matt. 5:30; Matt. 10:28; Matt. 18:9; Matt. 23:15; Matt. 23:33; Mk. 9:43; Mk. 9:45; Mk. 9:47; Lk. 12:5; Jas. 3:6
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Cole - We must confess Christ, even unto death, because we will stand before God for eternal judgment. To be a hypocrite is to deny Christ. The opposite is to confess Christ. Jesus speaks very tenderly to His followers here, calling them His friends (Lu 12:4) and assuring them of the Father’s loving care (Lu 12:6, Lu 12:7). He promises that if we confess Him before men, He will confess us before the angels of God. So, what does it mean to confess Him? To confess Christ means to proclaim to others the fact that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord and that our salvation is all from Him and not at all from us. Other Scriptures show that we do this initially through baptism, where we publicly confess that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord (Mt 28:19; Mk 16:16; examples in Acts, e.g., Ac 16:33). Then, through both our lives and our words, we openly acknowledge that we are followers of Jesus Christ and that He has saved us by His grace, apart from anything we have done. If Jesus Christ has truly saved you, then you will be a different person. You will be growing in righteousness, love, and truth. You will judge and confess your sins. When opportunities come up to tell others of the great love and mercy of the Savior, you will do it because of your gratitude to Him for saving you. Don’t miss the fact that Jesus here not only accepts, but also openly promotes, His own preeminence. He states that every person’s eternal destiny hinges on his or her confession of Jesus! As Leon
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Cole - If a person denies Jesus before men, He states that He will deny that person before the angels of God. Obviously Jesus was not talking about a person who occasionally fails by denying Him. If He meant that, then Peter will not be in heaven! But if our way of life is to profess Christ when we’re around the Christian crowd, but to deny Christ when we’re around the pagans, we are being hypocrites. If we do not repent and take a stand with Christ, no matter what the cost, then He will deny us at the judgment. (Confessing or Denying Christ) Liefeld - The reference is apparently to a future scene when the Lord Jesus, having achieved victory and honor, acknowledges those who supported him and disowns (v. 9) those who repudiated him during the present age. He does this publicly before God the Father (Matt 10:32-33) and the assembled angels. (Borrow The Expositor's Bible Commentary) Broadman Bible Commentary - The pressures of persecution will subject followers of Jesus to the most difficult kind of test. The disciples are to be aware of the consequences of affirming and denying their relationship to him. If in an hour of crisis they affirm their allegiance to him, they can be assured that he will be their advocate in the time of eschatological crisis that lies beyond this age. Luke is thinking here of judgment, the great and final assize before the assembled hosts of heaven. While it is true that the language does not require the identification of Jesus with the Son of man, this was no doubt the identification made by early Christians and by Luke. (Matt. 10:32 has “I,” which, as Creed says [pp. 171 f.], may be original.) Those who yield to the pressures and deny Jesus cannot expect to have an advocate at the judgment. In his teaching, Jesus constantly drives home the severity of the gospel’s demands. By his actions, however, he shows that the love of God is not withdrawn from the weak and cowardly. The early church remembered well that the persons who denied Jesus in the hour of crisis were forgiven and restored to places of trust. The gospel is always both grace and demand. Without demand grace becomes cheap; without grace demand leads to despair. So those of us who have denied him because of social and business pressures or for other reasons must hear the word of grace, which brings us once more under the demand to be true whatever the cost. (The Broadman Bible Commentary) Denies (aorist tense)(720)(arneomai from "a" = negation + rheo = say) literally means "to say no", to say one does not know about or is in any way related to some person or something. Webster says that to deny implies a firm refusal to accept as true, to grant or concede or to acknowledge the existence or claims of. Arneomai - 33x/30v - denied(10), denies(5), deny(12), denying(2), disowned(3), refused(1). Matt. 10:33; Matt. 26:70; Matt. 26:72; Mk. 14:68; Mk. 14:70; Lk. 8:45; Lk. 9:23; Lk. 12:9; Lk. 22:57; Jn. 1:20; Jn. 13:38; Jn. 18:25; Jn. 18:27; Acts 3:13; Acts 3:14; Acts 4:16; Acts 7:35; 1 Tim. 5:8; 2 Tim. 2:12; 2 Tim. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:5; Tit. 1:16; Titus 2:12; Heb. 11:24; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 Jn. 2:22; 1 Jn. 2:23; Jude 1:4; Rev. 2:13; Rev. 3:8 Before (1715)(emprosthen from en = in + prosthen = in front of, before > pros = toward + suffix -then = denotes direction, place) means before, in front of (in place or time). Zodhiates - (I) As an adverb of place after verbs of motion, meaning forward (Luke 19:4, 28, “he went before,” someone else, implied). In the pl. with the art., tá émprosthen, things before (Phil. 3:13). Of the body, “before,” “in front” (Rev. 4:6; Sept.: Ezek. 2:10). In Sept. and Gr. writers, spoken also of time (Jdg. 1:11; Ruth 4:7). (II) As a preposition followed by the genitive, spoken of: (A) A place, meaning before, with the gen. of person, after verbs of motion (Mt. 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:27; John 3:28; 10:4; Sept.: Gen. 24:7; 32:3, 16; 1 Chr. 15:24). Generally it means before, in the presence of (Mt 5:16; 6:1; 7:6, casting one’s pearls before swine; Mt 10:32, 33; 17:2; 23:13, shutting up the kingdom of heaven before men with the meaning of against them, so as to prevent them from entering; Mt 25:32; 26:70; 27:11, 29; Mark 9:2; Lk 5:19; 12:8; 14:2; 19:27; 21:36; Jn 12:37; Gal. 2:14; 1Th 2:19; Sept.: Is. 45:1). The expression “before God” means in the sight of God, i.e., God being witness, God knowing and approving (Matt. 11:26; Luke 10:21, “it seemed good in thy sight”; 1Th 1:3; 3:9, 13; 1Jn 3:19). “It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven” (Mt 18:14 [cf. Ex. 28:38; Ps. 19:14]). Followed by the gen. of thing, “before,” “at” (Mt 5:24; Acts 18:17; 2Cor 5:10; Rev. 19:10; 22:8 [cf. Sept.: 2 Chr. 5:6; Neh. 8:3]). (B) Time, meaning before, followed by the gen. of person (John 1:15, 27, 30; Sept.: 2 Kgs. 17:2; 23:25). (Borrow - page 577 in Complete Word Study Dictionary, NT) Gilbrant - Emprosthen, for the most part a preposition (improper) in the New Testament, functioned as an adverb in the classical period (Blass and DeBrunner, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament, p.115). As an adverb it denoted place—“in front of, before,” and time—“earlier, previously.” Later it moved to a prepositional function (with the genitive). The term occurs in virtually every kind of Greek literature including the papyri and inscriptions. The Septuagint reads emprosthen for 6 Hebrew words and even 10 other forms of those words. In Judges it is used as a temporal adverb: “We are defeating them as before” (Jdg 20:32, NIV). A different reading of the adverb proteron by Vaticanus in this text shows the adverbial sense of emprosthen (e.g., also Zech 1:4; 7:7, 12; 8:11). The prepositional nature of emprosthen is also attested in the Septuagint: “Before the porch of the Lord” (2Chr 15:8); “God did send me before you” (Ge 45:5, 7); “before him … neither after him” (2 Kings 23:25 [LXX 4 Kings 23:25]); “(they) are there before you” (Nu 14:43). Much of the New Testament’s usage is as an improper preposition. The first and third Gospels employ emprosthen a total of 28 times (18 in Matthew and 10 in Luke) compared to twice in Mark’s. It can mean “in the presence of” or “in the sight of” (Matthew 5:16; 10:32, 33; Luke 12:8; 21:36; John 12:37), “ahead” or “before” (Matthew 11:10; Luke 7:27; John 3:28), or “in front of” (Matthew 5:24). John’s Gospel exemplifies a temporal understanding of “prior to” (John 1:15, 30). The remainder of the New Testament follows the general pattern of usage seen in the Gospels: “in the presence of” (Galatians 2:14; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2:19; 3:9), “in front of” (Revelation 4:6), or “ahead of” (Philippians 3:13). (Complete Biblical Library) Emprosthen - 42v - ahead(5), before(28), front(4), higher rank(2), presence(4), sight(3). Matt. 5:16; Matt. 5:24; Matt. 6:1; Matt. 6:2; Matt. 7:6; Matt. 10:32; Matt. 10:33; Matt. 11:10; Matt. 11:26; Matt. 17:2; Matt. 25:32; Matt. 26:70; Matt. 27:11; Matt. 27:29; Mk. 2:12; Mk. 9:2; Lk. 5:19; Lk. 7:27; Lk. 10:21; Lk. 12:8; Lk. 12:9; Lk. 14:2; Lk. 19:4; Lk. 19:27; Lk. 19:28; Lk. 21:36; Jn. 1:15; Jn. 1:30; Jn. 3:28; Jn. 10:4; Jn. 12:37; Acts 10:4; Acts 18:17; 2 Co. 5:10; Gal. 2:14; Phil. 3:13; 1 Thess. 1:3; 1 Thess. 2:19; 1 Thess. 3:9; 1 Thess. 3:13; 1 Jn. 3:19; Rev. 4:6 Emprosthen in Septuagint - Gen. 24:7; Gen. 32:3; Gen. 32:16; Gen. 33:3; Gen. 33:14; Gen. 41:43; Gen. 45:5; Gen. 45:7; Gen. 46:28; Gen. 48:20; Num. 14:43; Jos. 3:6; Jos. 4:5; Jos. 4:11; Jos. 4:12; Jos. 4:23; Jos. 5:1; Jos. 6:9; Jos. 8:6; Jdg. 1:11; Jdg. 1:23; Jdg. 3:2; Jdg. 3:27; Jdg. 4:14; Jdg. 4:23; Jdg. 18:21; Ruth 4:7; 1 Sam. 2:29; 1 Sam. 8:20; 1 Sam. 9:9; 1 Sam. 9:15; 1 Sam. 9:19; 1 Sam. 9:27; 1 Sam. 10:5; 1 Sam. 10:8; 1 Sam. 18:13; 1 Sam. 23:24; 1 Sam. 25:19; 1 Sam. 30:20; 2 Sam. 3:31; 2 Sam. 5:24; 2 Sam. 6:4; 2 Sam. 10:15; 2 Sam. 10:16; 2 Sam. 10:19; 2 Sam. 15:1; 2 Sam. 19:17; 2 Sam. 20:8; 2 Sam. 24:13; 1 Ki. 1:5; 1 Ki. 3:12; 1 Ki. 8:5; 1 Ki. 16:25; 1 Ki. 16:30; 1 Ki. 16:33; 1 Ki. 18:46; 1 Ki. 22:53; 2 Ki. 4:31; 2 Ki. 5:23; 2 Ki. 9:17; 2 Ki. 17:2; 2 Ki. 18:5; 2 Ki. 21:11; 2 Ki. 23:25; 1 Chr. 4:40; 1 Chr. 9:20; 1 Chr. 14:15; 1 Chr. 15:24; 1 Chr. 17:13; 1 Chr. 19:16; 1 Chr. 21:30; 1 Chr. 22:5; 1 Chr. 29:25; 2 Chr. 1:12; 2 Chr. 3:15; 2 Chr. 5:6; 2 Chr. 9:11; 2 Chr. 13:13; 2 Chr. 13:14; 2 Chr. 15:8; 2 Chr. 20:21; 2 Chr. 35:19; Ezr. 4:18; Neh. 8:1; Neh. 12:36; Job 21:33; Job 29:2; Job 41:22; Job 42:10; Job 42:12; Ps. 80:9; Ps. 105:17; Eccl. 1:10; Eccl. 1:16; Eccl. 2:7; Eccl. 2:9; Eccl. 4:16; Isa. 41:26; Isa. 43:10; Isa. 45:1; Isa. 45:2; Isa. 58:8; Jer. 7:12; Jer. 7:24; Lam. 5:21; Ezek. 2:10; Ezek. 36:11; Ezek. 38:17; Dan. 1:5; Dan. 6:10; Joel 2:3; Joel 2:23; Jon. 3:2; Mic. 2:8; Mic. 7:20; Hag. 2:3; Zech. 1:4; Zech. 7:7; Zech. 7:12; Zech. 8:11; Mal. 3:4; Will be denied (533) aparneomai from apó = from + arneomai = to deny, refuse) means to deny, to refuse to recognize or acknowledge. It is a strengthened form of arneomai and thus mean to deny utterly (to completely deny) as used in the context of Peter denying any connection with Jesus (Mt 26:34, 35, 75, Mk 14:30, 31, 72, Lk 22:34, 22:62). Jesus says His followers must deny self (Mt 16:24, Mk 8:34). Aparneomai in this context conveys the basic idea of saying “no," of acting in a wholly selfless manner. It is to disown oneself, to turn away from the idolatry of self-centeredness, to act in a wholly unselfish manner. Aparneomai is used once of Jesus denying men who deny Him = "He who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God." (Lk 12:9) Some evangelical commentators (Constable) make the interpretation that Jesus is referring to loss of rewards, but the passage says absolutely nothing about rewards. This is not loss of rewards but loss of one's life in eternal punishment. The ESV Study Bible says "The eternal consequences for those who deny Christ, in fact, will be far worse than the persecution that they sought to avoid." Gilbrant writes Jesus "said that whoever denies Him before men (that is, whoever does not acknowledge that he belongs to Jesus) the Lord himself shall reject before the angels of God. The “good news” is that whoever acknowledges Him before men, him the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God." Aparneomai - 11v - denied(2), deny(9). - Matt. 16:24; Matt. 26:34; Matt. 26:35; Matt. 26:75; Mk. 8:34; Mk. 14:30; Mk. 14:31; Mk. 14:72; Lk. 12:9; Lk. 22:34; Lk. 22:61 Luke 12:10 "And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. KJV Luke 12:10 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. Luke 23:34; Mt 12:31,32; Mark 3:28,29; 1 Ti 1:13; Heb 6:4-8; 10:26-31; 1 Jn 5:16 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:1-12 Confessing or Denying Christ? - Steven Cole Luke 12:10-12 A Certain Cure for Hypocrisy, Part 3 - John MacArthur Parallel passages in the synoptic Gospels Matthew 12:31-32+ Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. Mark 3:29+ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”– Acts 7:51+ (THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF BLASPHEMING THE HOLY SPIRIT - NOTE THE SOURCE IS THEIR HEART!) “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting (present tense = habitually) the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. BLASPHEMY OF THE SPIRIT "THE UNPARDONABLE SIN" And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man - Note the use of everyone used here and the next clause signifies there are no exceptions. As
Lucas 12
Cole - Verse Lu 12:10 has caused a lot of confusion and anxiety! They are scary words! Many people worry that perhaps they have committed the unpardonable sin. Jesus states that if a person speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him, but that the person who blasphemes the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven. What did He mean? First, it is helpful to consider what Jesus did not mean. Clearly, He did not mean that a person, whether a pagan or a professing Christian, who utters a word of blasphemy in a moment of temptation is forever beyond the reach of God’s grace. Peter horribly denied Christ and yet was restored. Paul says that he formerly was a blasphemer, yet he was shown mercy (1Ti 1:13). When Jesus drew a distinction between speaking a word against the Son of Man and a word against the Holy Spirit, He did not mean that somehow the Son of Man is not on the same level as the Spirit. The verse just before shows that if a person denies Christ, that person will be denied at the judgment. Rather, He was drawing a distinction between the level of the offense. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to bear witness to Jesus Christ (Jn 15:26) by convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn 16:8). During Jesus’ life on earth, the Holy Spirit bore witness especially through the miracles that Christ performed. The Jewish leaders, however, attributed those miracles to the power of Satan, not to the power of the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:22-30). This was the unpardonable sin, because these leaders had sufficient evidence from the Spirit that Jesus was the Messiah, yet they hardened their hearts against Him. This was not a case of men attributing Jesus’ miracles to Satan on any one occasion, but rather of men who set their whole lives and hearts against the witness of the Spirit to Jesus Christ. To turn away from the light God gives results in a searing of the conscience and hardening of the heart that has no remedy. Such a person has no capacity to repent. Can this sin be committed today? Some argue that since it specifically involved attributing Jesus’ miracles to Satan, it could only be committed during His life on earth. But it seems to me that the warnings of Scripture are applicable today, even if the exact sense cannot be duplicated. In other words, a person today can repeatedly turn his heart away from the witness of the Holy Spirit to Jesus Christ until he reaches a point where he is hardened beyond remedy. God only knows when a person crosses that line, but the point is, unbelief is nothing to fool around with. If the Holy Spirit has been convicting a person of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and has been showing the person that Jesus Christ is God’s anointed Savior, but the person rejects that witness, then he is on the path toward the unpardonable sin. He is in grave danger that God will withdraw the light he has been given and he will be hardened in unbelief. That is the unpardonable sin. So the lesson for us is, if the Spirit of God is tugging on your heart, do not resist Him! If He is drawing you toward Jesus Christ, but the lure of sin is drawing you the other direction, yield to Jesus Christ! Otherwise, you may cross the line and your time of opportunity will be lost forever! Thus Jesus’ words here show us that we must beware of hypocrisy because we will stand before God for eternal judgment. (Confessing or Denying Christ) ILLUSTRATION OF A MAN WHO COMMITTED THE UNPARDONABLE SIN - The famous (infamous) French philosopher (infidel) Voltaire (note - interestingly this reference has no record of his horrible last days!) is a tragic example of a "brilliant fool"... An aristocratic woman who was old and blind wrote to Voltaire in the hopes that he could dispel her pessimistic view of life and offer some comfort. He replied, "I think we [human beings] are indeed contemptible creatures.... I exhort you to enjoy as much as you can life, which isn't much" (Norman L. Torrey, The Spirit of Voltaire [N.Y.: Columbia University, 1938, p. 216). Voltaire once made a despicable, desecrating execration against our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (a quote I hesitate to even record because it is so heinous, and yet it so dramatically depicts the depths to which a man's depravity can plummet when he begins to suppress the truth of God in order to justify his unrighteous behavior!). Voltaire said..."Curse the wretch!" (And yet despite this horrible blasphemy, Voltaire could have been forgiven had he not persisted in resisting the Holy Spirit - see Mt 12:32+. How amazing is God's forgiveness and grace!!!). In the midst of that period of intellectual history called The "Enlightenment" (Ed: In regard to what transpired during this time regarding Christianity and the Holy Word, what a sad oxymoron - the "age of reason" gave birth in fact to the "age of fools"!), a philosophy known as deism (note) was sweeping Europe. In the midst of this development, the famous skeptic, Voltaire, proclaimed that within 50 years, the Bible would be forgotten and Christianity would be a thing of the past. Voltaire wrote..."I’ll show how just one Frenchman can destroy it within 50 years.In twenty years Christianity will be no more. My single hand shall destroy the edifice it took twelve apostles to rear." However, ironically some 20 years after Voltaire’s death in 1778, the Geneva Bible Society purchased his house for printing the Bible and other Christian literature! And it later became the Paris headquarters for the British and Foreign Bible Society. The Bible is still a best-seller; an entire 6-volume set of Voltaire’s works was once sold for 90¢ (Ed: "Methinks God has a sense of humor"!). Voltaire claimed to be a believer in God, but it was a "God" of his own imagination and not of the Holy Scriptures, for Voltaire clearly rejected the God of Holy Writ even to the point of ridiculing the idea of life after death. (Ed: Like the Russian cosmonaut who said something like this - "I went into space and I did not see Him!" Wrong! Had he opened his cockpit and stepped out into eternity, he would have met Him. And so did Voltaire when he breathed his last breath, even that breath being a gift from the God he despised, derided and decried!) On his deathbed Voltaire had some of his most intelligent revelations as he began to doubt his doubts! Would many skeptics follow his suit, but do so long before they draw their last breath! Voltaire apparently began to question (this time correctly) whether there might in fact be a heaven and a hell after all is said and done. He was indeed wise in one regard, for he clearly understood what would be his "eternal address". Just before his death, the noted atheist swore "I wish I had never been born!" Voltaire, on his deathbed, addressed his apparently Christian physician Trochim..."I am abandoned by God and man. I will give you half of what I am worth, if you will give me six months’ life." The doctor replied "Sir, you cannot live six weeks." Voltaire replied "Then I shall go to hell, and you will go with me." And so, as almost his last utterance, he cried out, "I am abandoned by God and man! I shall go to hell! O Christ! O Jesus Christ!" Apparently not long after the preceding declarations Voltaire breathed his last. The nurse who attended Voltaire on his deathbed said "For all the wealth in Europe I would not see another infidel die." What a tragic mixed up life Voltaire led as inferred from quotes during his life If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him...The world embarrasses me, and I cannot think that this watch exists and has no watchmaker. To one who claimed to have gotten rid of hell, Voltaire replied "I congratulate you, for I have not been able to do that myself." Voltaire, true to the spirit of skepticism, said "Now look at the mighty mind of Newton, who discovered gravitation; when he began to study the Book called the Bible, it seems in order to credit its fabulous nonsense, he believed that the knowledge of mankind will be so increased that we shall be able to travel fifty miles an hour! The poor dotard!" Today even a skeptic should be able to look at Voltaire's life and his philosophy and say "Newton was a wise philosopher; Voltaire a poor old dotard. (The foolishness of God is wiser than man)." Voltaire is reported to have said "If a miracle occurred in the market place of Paris and in the presence of two thousand men, I would rather disbelieve my own eyes than the two thousand." (IS THAT NOT SIMILAR TO WHAT THE PHARISEES SAID WHEN THEY WITNESSED JESUS' MIRACLES?) It is sad but true that no matter how many facts (truths) we present to skeptics/agnostics (I don't believe men can be atheists in the truest sense, because that would require that they have all knowledge, including the knowledge that there is no supreme being. And since they are not omniscient, they cannot in truth know with absolute certainty that there is no God. Upshot? Know God!) are not sufficient to bring a man to Christ (cp 1 Cor 2:4, 5), for only God's Spirit can do that (Jn 3:5, 6, 7, 8+, Jn 6:63, 8:24). And yet we should not grow weary in proclaiming the truth of the gospel (2Ti 2:9, 10+), for we do not know which of the hearers will receive the Word implanted which will save their soul from eternal separation (2Th 1:9, Mt 25:41, cp the first "separation" Ge 3:8+, Mt 7:21, 22, 23+; Mt 22:13, cp Re 6:16+) from their Creator (Jas 1:18+; , Jas 1:21+ ; Ro 1:16+ -- see the power of the Gospel in Col 1:5, 6+;cp 1 Cor 1:17,18, 2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Acts 6:7+, Acts 12:24+, Acts 19:20+, 1Th 2:13+) Peter McKenzie, the famous Methodist preacher, was being shown over Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks in London. Coming to one object, his guide said "This is the chair in which Voltaire sat and wrote his atheistic blasphemies." To which McKenzie replied..."Is that the chair?" Then, Peter McKenzie, without seeking permission, he stepped over the cord, sat down on the chair, and sang as only a real believer could Jesus shall reign where’er the sun Doth His successive journeys run; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore Till moons shall wax and wane no more. (Take a moment of respite and worship at His throne by singing this great Hymn to Him) The Christian physician Trochim who attended Voltaire during the last illness gave the following testimony in a letter to a friend "When I compare the death of a righteous man, which is like the close of a beautiful day, with that of Voltaire, I see the difference between bright, serene weather and a black thunderstorm. It was my lot that this man should die under my hands. Often did I tell him the truth.’Yes, my friend,’ he would often say to me, ’you are the only one who has given me good advice. Had I but followed it I would not be in the horrible condition in which I now am. I have swallowed nothing but smoke. I have intoxicated myself with the incense that turned my head. You can do nothing for me. Send me a mad doctor! Have compassion on me-I am mad!’ Trochim went on to say "I cannot think of it without shuddering. As soon as he saw that all the means he had employed to increase his strength had just the opposite effect, death was constantly before his eyes. From this moment, madness took possession of his soul. He expired under the torments of the furies. (Ed: May this tragic story of a "brilliant" man, motivate us to speak forth the gospel of Christ boldly to those who are in danger today of stepping into a Christless eternity. Amen) I cannot help but pause after writing these somber notes on Voltaire and be reminded of Paul's great truth that even the intractably rebellious infidel Voltaire will one day bow before the precious Lamb of God and proclaim that Jesus is Lord... Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Amen!) (Php 2:9, 10, 11+) Luke 12:11 "When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; KJV Luke 12:11 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: Luke 21:12-14; Mt 10:17-20; 23:34; Mark 13:9-11; Acts 4:5-7; 5:27-32; 6:9-15 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:1-12 Confessing or Denying Christ? - Steven Cole Luke 12:10-12 A Certain Cure for Hypocrisy, Part 3 - John MacArthur A WORD OF ASSURANCE FOR DISCIPLES When they bring you before the synagogues (sunagoge) - Notice Jesus says WHEN, not IF! This is going to happen, but it is just a matter of WHEN it happens. He wants disciples to adhere to the "Boy Scout" motto - "BE PREPARED! Jesus is warning His disciples of persecution, not from the lay folks but from religious folks! That has not changed much has it? Some of the most painful and intense persecutions I have received for the cause of Christ over the past 38 plus years have come from folks IN the church! I am sure many of you can identify with this sad truth! Synagogues is seen in a negative sense here and in Mt 23:34; 10:17, Mk 13:9, Luke 21:12. Jewish synagogues functioned as court, as well as schools and of course a place of worship (unfortunately hypocritical worship for the most part). THOUGHT - This warning was directly applicable to the first century disciples as they could literally be brought into synagogues. While this exact scenario would not happen to disciples of Jesus today, the principle of persecution for His Name's sake is definitely applicable to all of us who follow Jesus. Bock - The remark is an important one about relying on God during persecution and is the type of statement that would have been repeated. In fact, Luke 21:14–15 has a similar saying in his version of the eschatological discourse. (Luke 9:51-24:53 (Baker Exegetical Commentary ) NET Note on the rulers and the authorities - The saying looks at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to the rulers and the authorities suggests. (Luke 12) Corrie Ten Boom offered a great prescription for anxiety, worry and fretting... Look around and be distressed. Look inside and be depressed. Look at Jesus and be at rest.
Lucas 12
Cole - If I had been Jesus, I probably would have thought, “Where was this guy during my sermon?” The man was consumed with his problem and he had come to try to get Jesus to solve his problem. He wasn’t there to have Jesus change his heart. He wanted his problem fixed without confronting some deeper issues of sin in his life. In his mind, his problem was his greedy brother who wasn’t giving him his fair share of the inheritance. Surely, Jesus would see the injustice of this situation and right the wrong! But instead, the man got something he hadn’t bargained for! Jesus saw that his words revealed his heart. The man’s heart problem was not his brother’s greed, but his own greed. Yes, the brother may have also been greedy, and Jesus’ parable was not just directed to the man, but to “them,” which probably included the brother along with the whole crowd. But this man had his focus on getting what he wanted in this world. Jesus shows him that his true need was to be ready for the next world. So the Lord refused to take the role of judge between the man and his brother. Instead, He showed the man how to be really rich, namely, how to be rich toward God. (How To Be Really Rich) Teacher (1320) didaskalos, is a title of dignity and respect. In secular Greek didaskalos denotes “the teacher” who instructs his pupils. Most often this concerns cognitive learning (in a didactic manner) rather than practical experience. No less than 41 times the term is applied to Jesus. Didaskalos in Luke and Acts - Lk. 2:46; Lk. 3:12; Lk. 6:40; Lk. 7:40; Lk. 8:49; Lk. 9:38; Lk. 10:25; Lk. 11:45; Lk. 12:13; Lk. 18:18; Lk. 19:39; Lk. 20:21; Lk. 20:28; Lk. 20:39; Lk. 21:7; Lk. 22:11; Acts 13:1; Brother (80) See adelphos literally from the same womb as in this verse, but used figuratively many times in Scripture. Divide (3307)(merizo from meris = a part) means to divide, part, share, separate. To make an allotment (distribute, deal out, assign, apportion He 7:2, 2 Cor 10:13, Ro 12:3) An interesting (telling) figurative use of merizo is found in Hosea 10:2 "their heart is faithless (Hebrew = slippery, smooth" - TWOT says "Their heart is divided" (Hos 10:2KJV) is better taken as "is false" (RSV) that is, figurative of the fickle heart."). Here merizo translates the Hebrew word chalaq (smooth) with merizo, to picture their heart as divide. Contrast the prayer in Ps 86:22 "unite my heart" (Give me an undivided heart). Friberg - divide, separate; (1) as separating into component parts divide (Mt 12.25); (2) as apportioning out something to someone distribute, divide out, assign ( Ro 12.3), opposite sunago (gather); middle share with someone (Lk 12.13) (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) Gilbrant - The primary meaning of merizō is “to divide.” The suffix, -izō, involves the idea of causation, i.e., “to cause or make a division.” A secondary meaning of merizō is “to share something with someone,” such as the distribution of the tithe of produce to the priests or the distribution of parental property to the children. In the Septuagint merizō describes God’s command to divide Canaan among the 12 tribes (Joshua 13:7-27; 14:5). It is also used to describe the distribution of the spoils of battle (1 Sa 30:24) and how God provided “portions” for the priests (Levites) to live on since they had no part of the inherited land (Dt 18:8). In spite of all that God gave, Israel persisted in her unfaithfulness to Him and was punished for her divided heart (Hos 10:2). In addition to the Septuagint, the New Testament uses merizō to show that division may destroy (see Matthew 12:25,26). Thus, there is a moral element in the term. As in the Septuagint, the New Testament uses merizō to describe the spiritual problem of carnal hearts divided by devotion to God and to the world. However, merizō does not contain the judicial or legal aspect of separation as krisis does. Merizō is the most inclusive of its four related terms in the New Testament. It includes a simple separation as well as a violent tearing apart. Merizō and diaireō (1238) can be interchanged in the division and distribution of an estate (Luke 15:12). Two other related words appear to show different ways that division may occur. Aphorizō (866), “to divide by setting boundaries, to exclude someone or something,” and chōrizō (5398), “to divide by separation, divorce, or departure,” clearly are limited in their scope compared with merizō. Schizō (4829), from which the English word schism is derived, consistently involves a harsh or violent means of division. (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) Merizo - 14x in 13v - allotted(1), apportioned(2), assigned(1), divide(1), divided(9). Matthew 12:25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. Matthew 12:26 "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? Mark 3:24 "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. Mark 3:25 "If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. Mark 3:26 "If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! Mark 6:41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. Luke 12:13 Someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." Romans 12:3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 1 Corinthians 1:13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 1 Corinthians 7:17 Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches. 1 Corinthians 7:34 and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 2 Corinthians 10:13 But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. Hebrews 7:2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Merizo - 25x in 24v in the Septuagint - Ex 15:9 = " I will divide the spoil"; Nu 26:53 = "he land shall be divided for an inheritance" Nu 26:55 = "the land shall be divided by lot"; Nu 26:56 = "their inheritance shall be divided between the larger and the smaller"; Dt. 18:8; Dt. 33:21; Jos. 13:7 "apportion this land for an inheritance"; Jos. 14:5 = "they divided the land"; Jos. 18:6; 1 Sa 23:28; 1 Sa 30:24; 1 Ki. 16:21 = "he people of Israel were divided into two parts" 1 Ki. 18:6 = "they divided the land between them to survey it"; Neh. 13:13; Job 31:2; Job 39:17; Prov. 8:21; Prov. 14:18; Prov. 19:14; Prov. 29:24; Isa. 53:12; Jer. 12:14; Jer. 51:34; Dan. 11:4; Hos. 10:2; ILLUSTRATION - A story that my college English professor related to the freshman English class sounded like it had been scripted by Tennessee Williams, but it was her own real-life drama. She and her five sisters had grown up in a small Midwestern town during the Depression where her father, despite the difficulties of the time, rose to become a successful banker. She had gone off to a university, but her sisters stayed close to home, married, and settled down. She likewise married and taught on the West Coast. When her aging father died, she and her husband hurried home for the funeral. As they comforted her poor mother, they noticed in mute amazement that everything in the house had been tagged by the other sisters with their names—Judy’s, Margaret’s, Annie’s. She and her husband were appalled but said nothing. The table was set, and dinner was served amidst mounting tension and awkward conversation. There were long periods of acrimonious silence. Then her husband stood, stepped behind their mother’s chair, and said, “Everyone’s tagged what they want. We’re placing our tag on what we want.” And he placed his hands on their poor mother’s shoulders. Greed is always ugly. Covetousness can turn a family’s mutual mourning into an orgy of hatred. (Preaching the Word-Luke) Luke 12:14 But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" KJV Luke 12:14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? Man Luke 5:20; 22:58; Ro 2:1,3; 9:20 who appointed Me Ex 2:14; Jn 6:15; 8:11; 18:35,36 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:13-21 How To Be Really Rich - Steven Cole Luke 12:13-21 The Rich Fool - John MacArthur JESUS REFUSES TO ARBITRATE A FAMILY SQUABBLE But He said to him "Man, who appointed (kathistemi) Me a judge (krites) or arbitrator (meristes) over you?" - Jesus as He so often did, responded to the question with another question. But clearly, He used this question as a point to launch into a discourse warning against the dangers of greed. Jesus knew that the real problem was not the inheritance but the hearts of the two brothers, and so He uses this providential interruption to speak on the deadly danger of greed and covetousness. Man is not a cordial response. MacArthur in fact says it is "an unsympathetic response; the term, like the English word “mister,” was used to address strangers." Bock on man - The vocative anthrōpe, man, can be harsh (Lk 22:58, 60; Ro 2:1, 3; 9:20; Jas 2:20) or gentle (Lk 5:20; 1 Ti 6:11) depending on the context. Here it is a rebuke. (Luke 9:51-24:53 Baker Exegetical Commentary) Jesus "came to bring people to God, not to bring property to people!" -- Leon Morris As
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Cole - Jesus here answers the vital question, “How can we invest our lives wisely so as to be rich toward God?” 1. We all have a choice about how to invest our lives. The choice, simply put, is: Greed or God? Many might say, “Wait a minute! That’s too black and white. Life isn’t that neatly divided into separate categories. It’s more realistic to say that we can serve God and at the same time try to get rich.” But Jesus drew the line plainly when He said, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). He did not say, “should not,” but “cannot.” It is an impossibility to serve both masters at the same time. You must choose one or the other. In Mark 4:19, Jesus said that the thorns that gradually grow up and choke out the word are “the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things.” Greed often isn’t a deliberate choice, where a person decides, “I’m going to become a materialistic hedonist by spending my life for as much money and as many possessions as I can get.” Rather, it creeps up around us without our realizing it. It gets a slow stranglehold on our lives, like thorns growing up around a healthy plant. So how can we determine if we’re falling into the sin of greed? A TEST FOR GREED: Here are five questions to ask yourself: (1) Do my thoughts more often run after material things than after God Himself? If I am often thinking about that new car or that nicer house or that better computer, and I seldom think about how I can know God better, I am tainted by greed. (2) Do I ever compromise godly character in the pursuit of material gain? If I sometimes cheat or lie or steal to get ahead financially or to avoid loss, I am being greedy. If I am willing to shred relationships or to take advantage of another person for financial gain, I am being greedy. If I care more about making money than about being a witness for Jesus Christ, I am being greedy. (3) Do I enjoy material things more than I enjoy knowing God? If my happiness soars when I get a new car, but I am bored by the things of God, I am greedy. If I rejoice when I win a raffle or door prize, but I yawn when I hear about a soul being saved, I am greedy. (4) How do I respond when I lose material things? When the stock market drops, do I fall apart emotionally? If I get robbed or lose some or all of my things in a fire, does it devastate me? I’m not saying that we must be stoical about such losses. We will always feel some sadness when we lose things. But if it wipes us out, then we’re probably too attached to this world and its goods. (5) What would I do if I suddenly came into a fortune? I presume that none of you play the lottery, but what if you won the Reader’s Digest Sweepstakes? What if a distant relative died and left you a large inheritance? Would your first thought be, “Now I can get that better house or car or boat”? “Now I can take that trip around the world I’ve always wanted to take.” Or, would you think, “Now I can support dozens of missionaries”? “Thousands of people can hear about Christ because He has given me funds to invest in the spread of His kingdom!” THE PROBLEM WITH GREED: Some may be thinking, “What’s the big problem with greed? Sure, we all know that it’s wrong to live for things and to grasp after them like Scrooge. But success is the American way. As long as we’re not extreme about it, can’t we pursue the nice things in life?” Our text reveals three fundamental problems with greed: (1) Greed ignores the lordship of Christ over everything. The man in the parable saw himself as the owner of all that he had. Did you notice the prominence of the first person pronoun in his speech? Six times he says “I,” without any regard for God. He refers to my crops, my barns, my grain, my goods, and, most frighteningly of all, my soul. He would have been in harmony with the proud and defiant words of William Henley’s “Invictus,” “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” The Bible declares, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it” (Ps. 24:1). God rightfully owns the whole works! If He lets us use any of it, He still retains the ownership and we will give an account to Him of how we used it as stewards. Our lives are not our own. We have been bought with a price. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. If He has given you health, you will give an account to Him for how you managed your healthy body. If He has given you intelligence, He will demand an account of how you used it for His purposes. If He entrusts material goods and money to you, someday you will answer for how you invested it in light of eternity. The greedy man is proud. If you asked this man, “How did you get all this wealth?” he would have answered, “I got it all by hard work, using my head, and I had a little luck with the weather.” But he wouldn’t have acknowledged God’s grace as the source of it. The greedy man is self-sufficient. His confidence was in his many barns full of produce, not in God’s care. The greedy man is his own lord. He asks himself, “What shall I do?” He proudly declares, “This is what I will do.” He does not ask, “Lord, what would You have me to do?” (2) Greed ignores the priority of relationships over riches. You don’t have to read between the lines to see that this man and his brother were not best buddies at this point! The money had come between them. How many families have been divided over the settling of the family estate! How many brothers and sisters are so angry that they won’t speak to each other because they are at war over possessions or money that belonged to their parents! In this case, I presume that the man bringing the complaint had some justification for his case. His brother probably had wronged him. But Jesus confronted this man with his own greed. The Bible is clear that the number one priority is to love God and that number two is to love our neighbor as much as we do love ourselves. Our love of money and things is just a manifestation of our love of self more than our love of God and neighbor. (3) Greed ignores the shortness of life and the fact of eternity. The rich man made a deliberate, thought-out decision (12:18 19), but he left out one critical factor: eternity! He had his bases covered for many years on earth, but not for eternity in heaven. Alexander
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Cole - The old King James Version translated Jesus’ command in verse 22, “Take no thought,” which some have mistakenly taken to mean that we should not devote any mental effort or time or energy into providing for our future needs. These people would say that we should not store up any savings for the future, we should not buy insurance, we should not concern ourselves at all with money matters. Just trust God and He will provide.But in 1611 when the King James Bible was translated, the phrase, “take no thought,” meant, “don’t worry” or be anxious. The Lord was not encouraging a lazy, who-cares attitude about money. In fact, Scripture enjoins us to pay attention to financial matters (Prov. 27:23-24). While God provides for the birds, He doesn’t plop the worms in their mouths as they sit in their nests! They have to exert some effort to obtain the worms that God has provided. So here Jesus was speaking against inordinate, consuming, distracting worry. (How To Be Really Rich) Bruce makes a stinging but true comment that "You can be as unfaithful to God through care as well as through covetousness.” (Woe!)
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Cole - We should not worry about money because the core of life concerns the soul, not the body (Lk 12:22-23). Jesus is saying that the key thing in life is not things. And, Jesus is not just talking about trinkets and non-essentials, but rather, about necessary food and clothing. But even these things are not the key thing in life. The key thing in life is being rightly related to God. If your soul is rightly related to God, then He will take care of your body, as Jesus goes on to point out. But if you have a well-fed and nicely clothed body, but you are alienated from God, you are missing the main thing in life. So, in effect, Jesus is saying, “If you want to worry, worry about the most important matter in life.” Food and clothing should not be your main worry. Your eternal soul should be your main concern. If someone says, “Yes, but I’m going to starve to death,” Jesus replies, “But where will your soul spend eternity?” “But I’ll freeze to death because I don’t have proper clothing!” “Yes, but then you’ll be too hot, if you’re not rightly related to God!” Don’t worry about money, because the core of life concerns the soul, not the body. Joseph Stowell - True prosperity is not measured in cash or commodities but in our privileged relationship with the ever-present God. That is why we can sing with Fanny Crosby, “Take the world, but give me Jesus.” Take the world, but give me Jesus, All its joys are but a name; But His love abideth ever, Through eternal years the same. Refrain: Oh, the height and depth of mercy! Oh, the length and breadth of love! Oh, the fullness of redemption, Pledge of endless life above! Take the world, but give me Jesus, Sweetest comfort of my soul; With my Savior watching o’er me, I can sing though billows roll. Take the world, but give me Jesus, Let me view His constant smile; Then throughout my pilgrim journey Light will cheer me all the while. Take the world, but give me Jesus; In His cross my trust shall be, Till, with clearer, brighter vision, Face to face my Lord I see. In a similar statement Jesus had said "Man does not live by bread alone." (Lk 4:4+) Matthew's version adds "but by every Word which proceeds out of the mouth of God." (Mt 4:4+) R Kent
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Cole - We should not worry about money because God cares for us more than He cares for the ravens, whose needs He meets. This is the only New Testament reference to ravens. Some think that Jesus mentions them because they were unclean birds, so that His argument is, “If God cares for these lowest of scavengers, won’t He meet your needs?” When Jesus mentions that the ravens neither sow nor reap, nor store up their food, He does not mean that men should not labor for their food or that they should not store up necessary provisions. God’s Word clearly establishes labor as the means by which we provide for our families and ourselves. Rather, He is contrasting the lowly raven with the rich fool in the parable just before. This man was wrongly focused on storing up plenty for the future, but he stupidly ignored God. By way of contrast, the raven gets along just fine without all of the rich fool’s anxiety about the future, because God cares for the ravens. Then Jesus uses understatement to say, “How much more valuable you are than the birds!” Human beings are the apex of God’s creation, made in His image and likeness. Is it not reasonable to assume that if God cares for the lowly raven, then He will care for people, especially for those who are His own little flock (Lk 12:32)? The next time you see a raven, think about God’s care for those birds. You’ve never seen a starving raven! Even in the barren desert, they find plenty to eat. Then, banish your worries about money as you realize that God cares far more about you than He does about ravens. You can trust Him to provide. (How to Solve Worries About Money) R Kent
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Cole - We should not worry about money because worry doesn’t do any good anyway (Lk 12:25-26). Jesus points out the futility of worry. It never changes reality. If you worry, the outcome is the same as if you don’t worry. Actually, the outcome is worse because worry takes a toll on your health. But Jesus says that worrying won’t add any years to your life. Commentators are divided over whether He meant adding height to your bodily stature or years to your life. The cubit was a unit of linear measure, which supports the view that Jesus meant that you can’t grow physically by worrying about it. But, the cubit was about 18 inches, which isn’t a little thing when it comes to bodily height (12:26)! Since Jesus just talked about the rich fool whose life span was not his to determine, He probably meant here, “You can’t add any time to your life by worrying about it.” It has been estimated that 40 percent of our worries are about things that never happen; 30 percent of our worries concern things that are past that can’t be changed; 12 percent of our worries are needless worries about our health; 10 percent are petty, miscellaneous worries; and, only 8 percent deal with legitimate issues. It’s not wrong to think about things that we can do something to change, but it is futile to consume our thoughts with matters that we can’t change. Someone has observed that we need to distinguish between problems and facts of life. Problems are matters that we can do something about. Facts of life are matters that we can’t change and so we have to live with them. But in either case, worry isn’t productive and it runs counter to faith in God. (How to Solve Worries About Money) Related Resources: Anxiety-Worry-Quotes, Devotionals & Illustrations Jesus on worry --- Matthew 6:25-26 Paul on worry --- Philippians 4:6-7 How To Handle Fear (Part 1) What does the Bible say about worry? What does the Bible say about anxiety? What does the Bible say about stress? Luke 12:27 "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. KJV Luke 12:27 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. Consider the lilies, how they grow Luke 12:24; Mt 6:28-30; James 1:10,11 not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these 1 Ki 10:1-13; 2 Chr 9:1-12 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:22-34 How to Solve Worries About Money - Steven Cole Luke 12:25-31 Anxiety-Free Living, Pt. 2 - John MacArthur Related Passages: Mt 6:28-30+ And why are you worried about clothing? Observe (aorist imperative - katamanthano = gain ) how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 2 Chronicles 9:22 King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. Kings 10:4-9 When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her. 6 Then she said to the king, "It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7 "Nevertheless I did not believe the reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard. 8 "How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. 9 "Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness." (Notice what the recognition of Solomon's glory prompted in the Queen of Sheba? Was it envy? Clearly not. In fact it prompted in her an anthem of praise to the glorious God!) The Glory of God's Lilies AN ANTIDOTE FOR WORRY: CONSIDER THE LILIES Or as we might say "Stop and smell the roses!" Consider (aorist imperative - Do this now! katanoeo) the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil (kopiao) nor spin. Not even Solomon in all his glory (doxa) clothed himself like one of these - Consider means to notice carefully, study closely and is the same verb used for observing the ravens. Jesus has just referred to worry about other matters (Lk 12:26) and now addresses our clothing as one of those matters we worry about. Jesus charges them to ponder the plants, specifically the lilies and one can even imagine Him pointing to one of these beautiful flowers as He spoke. When was the last time you were experiencing anxiety and you obeyed Jesus' command to meditate His illustration of the lilies? Do you see any lilies toiling and straining? And yet even without human care they grow easily, freely and gorgeously! Neither do they spin one thread as Solomon's tailors had to do in order to decorate the king! Man made things cannot match the pristine perfection and beauty of God's creation! Here in a sense, Jesus reaches into His omniscience, for He was there when Solomon reigned in glory and He saw first-hand this great king's majestic robes. And then He also saw these delicate, beautiful Palestinian lilies which made Solomon's grandeur pale in comparison. He is not using hyperbole, but is stating a fact that He alone could know with absolute certainty. A man does not get much more glorious than Solomon, in terms of his material possessions. But his glory pales in the comparison to the Creator's creation of even one lily!
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Cole - We should not worry about money because we should trust in God who cares for us more than He does the flowers of the field (Lk 12:27-28). “Lilies” probably refers to different kinds of wildflowers, not to what we think of as “lilies.” Consider the beauty and delicacy of a wildflower! Last week Marla and I hiked down to Horseshoe Mesa in the Grand Canyon. In that harsh desert environment there was a cactus with a beautiful bright reddish purple flower. It was spectacular! Not even Solomon in all his glory could match the beauty of a single wildflower! If God clothes the insignificant grass of the field with beautiful flowers, grass that was bundled up when dead and used to fuel a furnace, then shouldn’t we trust Him to provide the clothing that we need? Jesus’ rebuke, “O men of little faith,” hits the heart of worry: our little faith in God. It is safe to say, is it not, that all worry stems from our lack of faith in God? When we worry, we are doubting that God truly cares for us. Keep in mind that Jesus here was addressing the disciples. He was talking to believers. And yet, believers who have trusted God with their eternal destiny can easily fall into a state of unbelief when it comes to the immediate problems they face, especially with regard to basic provisions. We all need to keep in mind Paul’s words, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). In other words, if God did the greatest thing in saving us, can’t we trust Him to take care of comparatively lesser matters on our behalf? The worst thing about worry is not that it makes us miserable, although it always does. The worst thing about worry is that it dishonors our loving Heavenly Father. Suppose that you saw my kids and they had worry written all over their faces. You asked, “What’s wrong?” They responded, “We’re not sure whether our dad is going to feed us tonight.” What would that say about my love for my children? You’d probably turn me in for child abuse. My kids certainly would not be a good advertisement for any orphans who were thinking about coming to live in our home! And yet so many of the Lord’s children live as if their Father in heaven either isn’t concerned or isn’t able to take care of their needs! Thus Jesus’ first point is that to solve our worries about money, we must trust in the God who cares for us. (How to Solve Worries About Money)
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Cole writes that "To solve our worries about money, we must seek for God’s kingdom above our own needs (Lk 12:29-34). This section falls into two parts. First Jesus tells us what we should not seek (12:29-30); then, He tells us what we should seek (Lk 12:31-34). A. We should stop worrying about our basic needs, because to worry is to mimic the world and God knows that we need these things (Lk 12:29-30). When Jesus says not to seek after what you shall eat and drink, He does not mean that we are not to expend any effort or energy in working for a living! Rather, He means, “Don’t be all-consumed with these things. Don’t make these things your main aim in life.” He’s talking about where our primary focus should be. He commands us, “Do not keep worrying,” using a different word than in verse 22. The word here means to be lifted up and so some take it to mean, “Do not be arrogant or haughty,” in the sense of thinking that you can provide these things without God’s help. But the earliest versions of the New Testament and the context argue for the meaning, “Don’t be lifted up or tossed about, like a ship on the water.” In other words, “Don’t be unsettled and insecure; stop worrying about these things, since God will take care of you.” Jesus says that when we’re consumed with making a living, we’re mimicking the world. The world lives in a constant frenzy of activity to get more and more. This should not be our focus. (How to Solve Worries About Money) R Kent
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Cole - Jesus says, “Don’t seek for the same things the nations eagerly seek.” There should be a distinct difference between us and the world regarding our pursuit of material gain. While hard work is a Christian virtue, anxiety about money is not! To get caught up with the world’s attitudes toward money is to forget that we have a Father who knows that we need all these things. (How to Solve Worries About Money) The Lord is implying that worrying over temporal, material necessities like the Gentiles do is unbecoming to a child of the King! The love of material things characterizes the Gentiles (the heathen, the pagans), and in fact is in one sense only reasonable. Since they are without God and without hope in this world, it is natural that they seek to accumulate possessions which are the only security they possess (albeit a deceptively empty security). They don't possess, nor would they understand the promises of God to provide and so it seems wise for the heathen to accumulate all they can (and "can all they get"!) On the other hand, when citizens of the Kingdom of heaven make the pursuit of material things the goal of their life and seek security in temporal treasures, they put themselves on the level of the heathen who has no god. What may be fitting for the heathen is unfitting for the children of the Living God.
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Cole - We should seek God’s kingdom and He will take care of our basic needs (Lk 12:31-34). Jesus gives a command (Lk 12:31a), an assurance (Lk 12:31a-32), an application (Lk 12:33), and an explanation (Lk 12:34). Command: Seek God’s kingdom (Lk 12:31a). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expressed it, “Seek first His kingdom and righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). What does it mean in practical terms to seek God’s kingdom? Does it mean that everyone has to become a missionary or full-time Christian worker? Obviously, not! God’s kingdom is where He rules. To seek His kingdom means to put God first as Lord of everything in our lives and to aim each day at furthering His rule over us and over others. The day is soon coming when Jesus will return and rule the nations with a rod of iron. But until then, we are to live under His lordship in every area of our lives. And we are to seek to further His rightful rule over others as they come to faith in Christ and then live under His lordship. In other words, God is not just to be a slice of life on Sundays or whenever we find Him useful to further our agendas. Rather, He is to be the center of all we think, say, and do every day. He is Lord over every facet of our lives, including our money. We live as His servants or stewards, seeking to glorify Him. That’s what it means to seek His kingdom.....(on these things will be added to you speaks of assurance) "The Father will provide for all our needs if we focus on His kingdom (Lk 12:31a-32). “These things” refers to the things the nations seek, namely, food, clothing, and other material needs. The thought of not seeking after these things, but rather of seeking God’s kingdom, causes some anxiety, even among God’s people. Thus Jesus says, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” (Lk 12:32) A little flock sounds pretty vulnerable in the midst of a dog-eat-dog world. But Jesus wants us to feel assured that none other than a loving Heavenly Father is watching out for us if we are committed to seek His kingdom. The full measure of kingdom blessings awaits us in the future, but even in the difficulties of this evil world, we can trust that the Father’s abundant mercies are on us because of His gracious choice of us. (How to Solve Worries About Money) David Guzik This must be the rule of our life when ordering our priorities. Yet it is wrong to think that this is just another priority to fit onto our list of priorities—and to put at the top. Instead, in everything we do, we seek first the kingdom of God.. For example, we rarely have to choose between honoring God and loving our wives or being good workers. We honor God and seek first the kingdom of God by being good husbands and good workers. We should also remember this statement in its immediate context. Jesus reminds us that our physical well-being is not a worthy object to devote our lives unto. If you think it is worthy that your god is mammon, then your life is cursed with worry, and you live life too much like an animal lives, concerned mostly with physical needs. Jesus didn’t just tell them to stop worrying; He told them to replace worry with a concern for the kingdom of God. A habit or a passion can only be given up for a greater habit or passion. (See Expulsive Power of a New Affection) This choice—to seek first the kingdom of God—is the fundamental choice everyone makes when they first repent and are converted. Yet every day after that, our Christian life will either reinforce that decision or deny it.
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Cole explains that the application of the above truths is to "Give generously and you will have lasting treasure in heaven (Lk 12:33). Jesus does not mean that we must literally sell everything we have and give away the proceeds. The Bible implies the right to private ownership of property in the eighth commandment, “You shall not steal.” Peter told Ananias that his property was his to do with as he saw fit (Acts 5:4). Ananias’ sin was not in holding back some of the proceeds, but in lying about giving all when he had not done so. Further, if Jesus meant that His followers must sell all their possessions, surely He would have rebuked those who owned homes, lands, etc., but He did not. Rather, Jesus here is saying, “Have a loose grip on the things of this world, since they won’t last anyway. Instead, be generous in giving to those in need, and God will reward you with lasting riches in heaven.” The contrast is between storing up temporary treasure for yourself on earth (Lk 12:21) instead of laying up eternal treasures in heaven. If you struggle with greed and with living for this life only, give away your stuff. Giving generously frees us from greed and puts our focus on God and eternity. (How to Solve Worries About Money ) Hudson Taylor stated a similar thought when he said "The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become." (cf Acts 20:35+) NET Note - "The call to sell your possessions is a call to a lack of attachment to the earth and a generosity as a result." (Luke 12) Bock writes - "The generosity this text calls for has often been questioned. Are we really called to sell all our possessions? Jesus' point is that we must give up viewing what we call ours, as if it were a private possession to be hoarded." (Luke 9:51-24:53 Baker Exegetical Commentary) Jesus made a similar statement in Luke 18:18-25+ - A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 20“You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’” 21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Comment - Jesus was not establishing a new requirement for being saved -- certainly Jesus was not saying that the rich young ruler's philanthropy would merit salvation. Jesus saw the heart of the problem which was the problem of his heart. In a word, the rich young ruler's possessions "possessed" him! And so he was unwilling to acknowledge that he was a guilty sinner, affirm that his good works could not save him, and cast himself wholly on the grace of God for eternal life. What this story demonstrates is that something usually stands in the way of a person coming to Christ. It may be pride, position, family, friends, a particular sin, or even wealth. In this man’s case, it was money. In the case of a brilliant young doctor with whom I shared the Gospel, it was his dogs! Yes, his dogs kept him, so to speak, from eternal life (although he is still alive as of 2017 and the seed was clearly planted 15 years ago). He was afraid that if he believed in Jesus, he would have to give up his beloved hunting dogs. I tried to reason with him but it was to no avail." Life Application Notes adds that "Jesus does not ask believers to sell everything they have, although this may be his will for some. He does ask us all, however, to get rid of anything that has become more important in life than God. If your possessions take first place in your life, it would be better for you to get rid of them. (Borrow online for an hour Life application study Bible) THOUGHT- Is something you possess holding you back from believing in Jesus? If so you need to think about your destiny 1000 years from now when you have no possessions if you do not have the greatest possession of all, eternal life in Christ Jesus! Tannehill - "The command to 'sell' and 'give' (or 'distribute') is not obsolete after Jesus' ascension, for the narrator portrays the life of the Jerusalem church in such a way as to indicate a particular kind of fulfillment of Jesus' command...The descriptions of this arrangement feature the words 'sell' and 'distribute' (using piprasko and diamerizo in Acts 2:45, poleo and diadidomi in Acts 4:34-35), which correspond to the commands of Jesus in Luke 12:33 (poleo and didomi) and Lk 18:22 (poleo and diadidomi)." (Abingdon New Testament Commentary: Luke) Allison Trites comments - Instead of just being concerned to build up a store of treasure for oneself (as in the parable of the rich fool, Lk 12:13-21), there was to be a willingness to part with possessions in order to meet the pressing needs of others, a point stressed by Jesus and buttressed by wonderful promises of blessing in the good time coming (Matt 19:29). In the stories of Acts, we see striking examples of people like Barnabas, the generous-hearted man from Cyprus who willingly shared his possessions for the sake of needy members of the Jerusalem church (Acts 4:34-37). By contrast, there were also people like Ananias and Sapphira who fell into the trap of duplicity; they wanted to appear to be generous, and so they deceptively inflated their account of what they had given. Their sad hypocrisy was revealed and exposed, with sobering results (Acts 5:1-11). By contrast, genuine concern on the part of disciples to meet the down-to-earth needs of people in the present life is to be viewed in the light of eternity, for “the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes” (Lk 12:33; cf. Lk 6:38) Jesus spoke the revealing and exposing truth: “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Lk 12:34). If one’s heart is on the eternal treasures, they will be more giving during their life on earth. (See context Luke, Acts - Cornerstone Biblical Commentary) NIV Study Bible - The danger of riches and the need for giving are characteristic themes in Luke (see Lk 3:11; 6:30; 11:41; Lk 14:13-14; 16:9; Lk 18:22; 19:8). (Borrow for one hour The NIV Study Bible) Make (poieo in aorist imperative - Do this now! Don't delay!) yourselves money belts (ballantion) which do not wear out (palaioo)- What did Jesus mean by this seemingly enigmatic statement? He had just said sell your possessions! The NLT paraphrases it "And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes." Earthly money belts wear out, so clearly Jesus is not speaking of earthly money belts, but heavenly money belts. What does He mean? Well, what is in a money belt? Money and if that money is unselfishly spent it is being "invested" in the "First National Bank of Heaven." The idea is when you use your money belt for the needs of others, your money belt will not wear out because it is focused on eternal values not earthly vanities. "Heavenly money belts" instead of being used to accumulate material possessions (which will wear out) and planning for time (which is passing away), disciples should seek to put their possessions to work for the Lord. Robert Stein adds this note on money belts which do not wear out - Money belts is a metaphor for the contents contained in them. One should use one’s purse, i.e., money, to lay up treasure in heaven so that it will not be wasted. How one’s money can be lost is given in the next two examples and was also illustrated in the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:20+). (See context Luke)
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Cole explains that what Jesus is saying is that "Your heart follows your treasure. We usually get this backwards: we think that we will put our treasure where our hearts are. But Jesus says that if we put our treasure somewhere, our hearts will be there also. Store your treasure in heaven by giving generously to the Lord’s kingdom and your heart will be drawn to heaven. Hang on to your earthly possessions greedily and your heart will be on this earth. I have seen this work with regard to prayer. If I give money to a missionary, it’s easier to pray for him. Why? Because my heart follows my treasure. If my treasure is with a missionary, my heart is there with him, too, and I find it easier to pray for him. So Jesus’ point is, if you want your heart in the things of God, put your treasure in the kingdom of God. It’s the only investment in this shaky world with guaranteed safety and a high rate of return. Conclusion - Underlying the Lord’s teaching and central to a biblical concept of money is the principle of stewardship. We do not own what we have; God does! He entrusts a certain amount to each of us to use for His purposes. Some of it He graciously allows us to spend for our needs and for our enjoyment. But our main focus must be, “Lord, help me to use what You have given me to further Your kingdom.” Stewardship frees us from worry. Once when I was in the Coast Guard, we put out a fire on Frank Sinatra’s yacht. I remember talking to the skipper and being surprised at how nonchalant he was about the great amount of damage done to the boat. He said, “It’s not my boat, it’s Mr. Sinatra’s boat.” Of course it was also insured. But he was somewhat detached from the loss because he didn’t view the boat as his own. Since then, when my car has gotten dented in a parking lot or when other things beyond my control happen to my money or possessions, I say, “Lord, it’s Your car, Your money, Your stuff.” I’m trying to be a good steward, but it doesn’t belong to me. So Jesus is saying, “Don’t worry about money. Trust in the God who cares for you and seek His kingdom above your own needs.” The Father will be glorified and you will have unfailing treasure in heaven. (How to Solve Worries About Money) Play and pray John Newton's great old hymn "Come My Soul" sung by Matt Foreman which has these poignant lyrics... Lord, I come to Thee for rest, Take possession of my breast; There Thy blood bought right maintain, And without a rival reign; And without a rival reign. Word Biblical Commentary - If one follows the trail marked out by a person’s use of money, it will lead to that person’s heart. MacDonald rightly reminds us that "The trouble with material wealth is that ordinarily you can't have it without trusting it (Ed: Or at least being tempted to place your trust in it!). If we send our money on ahead, then our affections will be weaned from the perishing things of this world. (Borrow Believer's Bible Commentary ) David Guzik The correlation between where your heart is and the location of your treasure isn’t a suggestion; it is a simple fact. If you regard your material possessions as your treasure, then your heart is set here on this earth.. “If a person’s primary interests are earthbound, that is where his or her commitment will be.” (Pate). We should not forget that this teaching about riches and greed came from the man who interrupted Jesus’ sermon with the request to settle a dispute between he and his brother. To this man (and to all), Jesus warned about the location of his treasure and his heart.
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Cole - The summer after I graduated from seminary, I worked as a furniture mover in Dallas. I learned that many of the men I worked with had worked at this job for years, yet they had no job benefits-no sick leave, no paid vacation, no retirement, and no raises for seniority. The only benefit was that the job was strictly day labor, so they didn’t have to show up for work if they didn’t want to. If you wanted to work, you showed up at 7 a.m. and they sent out those who showed up. Once in a while I noticed that one of the men wasn’t at work. When I asked where he was, the other workers would laugh and say that he got paid and got drunk. As soon as he needed more money, he would be back at work. I have since discovered that there is a common mindset shared by most of those who are perpetually poor, namely, that they rarely, if ever, think about the future. I call it a “welfare mentality.” They only think about today. If they get some money, they don’t think about the fact that rent will be due in two weeks or that other bills will be coming due. They only think about the fact that they’ve got money in their pocket today. Since they’re “rich” today, they will treat all their buddies to a round of drinks. They’ll gamble or spend it all in frivolous ways. But the one thing they will not do is save any money, because they don’t think about the future. Our Lord taught that we should not be anxious about tomorrow (Matt. 6:34), but He did not teach that we should ignore tomorrow! In fact, to the contrary, Jesus taught that our view of the future ought to be uppermost in our thinking about how we should live today. As followers of Jesus Christ, we should think often about the fact that He is coming soon and that every person must stand before Him to give an account. We should view ourselves as stewards who have been entrusted with time, money, and abilities, which we are to use for our Master’s kingdom. At some time-we don’t know when, but we do know that it is certain-our Lord will return and we must give an account to Him of how we used what He gave us. After telling His disciples to seek for His kingdom, Jesus goes on to exhort them to be ready for His return, because when He comes, He will judge everyone. We should be ready for the Lord’s return, because when He comes He will judge everyone. (Are You Ready for Christ’s Return?) ILLUSTRATION - After American troops were forced to surrender the Philippines in May, 1942, General Douglas MacArthur vowed to retake the islands, giving his famous “prophetic promise” “I WILL RETURN” which was printed on thousands of matchbooks, buttons, bars of soap and leaflets dropped by air all over the Philippines to encourage and give hope. MacArthur kept his promise! But even better the “Commander of the Lord’s army” (Josh 5:15NLT), Jesus our Messiah, made a similar “prophetic promise” to His disciples declaring “I go to prepare a place for you” and “I WILL COME AGAIN!” (Jn 14:3) As Hoekema rightly observes “The faith of the New Testament is dominated by this expectation.” Indeed, the NT has some 318 prophetic promises (direct and indirect) describing Messiah’s triumphant return as King of kings, and Lord of lords (Rev 19:11-16+), which means that there is approximately one prophecy on the Second Coming in every 20 verses! In fact it has been estimated that for every prophecy of Messiah’s First Coming, there are eight describing His Second Coming! As the old Scottish preacher said “The doctrine of Messiah’s Second Coming, as it appears in the NT, is like a lofty mountain that dominates the entire landscape.” John Walvoord adds that Messiah’s Second Coming is also “implied in hundreds of OT prophecies” often mingling them with His first coming as in Isa 61:1-2a+ which was fulfilled at Messiah’s first coming (Lk 4:18-21+) and Isa 61:2b which describes “the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn” to be fulfilled at Messiah’s Second Coming. And so just as MacArthur’s promise on leaflets gave hope during the dark days of WWII, the prophecies of Messiah’s Second Coming “give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises” (Ro 15:4NLT+). As this world grows darker and the promised return of Messiah grows brighter, we should continually be “looking (expectantly) for the BLESSED HOPE and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ (Messiah) Jesus.” (Titus 2:13+) Paul called Messiah’s return ‘the Blessed Hope’ and as our world unravels morally and ethically, indeed He appears to be the only hope for the world! And so it is interesting that the largest type used by newspapers for headlines of astounding events is called “second coming” type and is reserved for the most amazing front-page news (beginning or end of wars, moon landings, etc). One day soon every eye “will see Him,” (Rev 1:7+) the One for Whom “Second Coming” type was named! Messiah came first as the “Man of sorrows” (Isa 53:3), but will come again “with power and great glory” (Mt 24:30+) as Judge and King (2Ti 4:1+). Martin Luther well said, ‘I preach as though Messiah died yesterday, rose from the dead today and was coming back tomorrow.” How different our lives would be if we lived them in that spirit! As one has well said “Don’t complain about what this world is coming to. Proclaim the One Who is coming to this world.” ILLUSTRATION - A visitor to an elementary school told the children that upon his return he would give a prize to the student who had their desk in best order. “When will you return” they asked. He said, “I cannot tell”. A little girl, who was known for keeping a messy desk said she meant to win the prize. “You!” her schoolmates jeered, “your desk is always out of order”. “Oh, but I will clean at the beginning of every week!” “But what if he comes back at the end of the week?” “Then I will keep it clean every morning”. “But he may come at the end of the day”. She thought & then said, “I know what I’ll do, I’ll just keep it clean.” ILLUSTRATION - During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives. One day in 1789, the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, “The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought.” Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we’re to be lights as we watch and wait. (Harr Dressed in readiness (4024)(perizonnumi from perí = about or around + zonnumi = gird around especially with a belt) means to gird all around as preparation for work or activity. Figuratively, perizonnumi speaks of readiness for activity while ungirding denotes rest. This picture derives from the custom of shortening the long flowing garments of Orientals which were pulled up and knotted at the waist for freedom of movement. The idea is to tuck up one’s long garment by pulling it through a belt. From the belt hung the scabbard in which the soldier's sword was sheathed. The belt tied tightly around the waist indicated that a soldier was ready for combat. Conversely, to slacken the belt equated with the soldier going off duty, something that is never to be in a Christian soldier. We are always on duty, for our foe never rests. Perizonnumi - Used 6 times in NT - Lk. 12:35; Lk. 12:37; Lk. 17:8; Eph. 6:14; Rev. 1:13; Rev. 15:6 See discussion of gird your loins Lamps (3088) luchnos/lychnos literally refers to a portable lamp fed with oil and not to a candle. The lamp was usually placed on a stand in the house. Luchnos denotes a lamp (probably oil-burning) or the light of a lamp. Usually this consisted of a small ceramic open bowl which could be carried in the hand or placed upon a “lampstand” (luchnia, not “candlestick,” KJV; Hebrew mᵉnôrāh). The important role of lamps in everyday life led to its usage in figurative as well as literal language. The Septuagint indicates that luchnos translated nēr or one of its cognates. The gold lampstand with seven “lamps” played a significant part in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:37; cf. verses 31–40). These lamps were to be lit continually during the period of darkness (see Exodus 27:20ff; 30:7ff.; cf. 1 Samuel 3:3 [LXX 1 Kings 3:3]). Thus they were integral to religious life. A figurative use probably refers to David as the “lamp” of Israel; however, this may also be referring back to the lamp of the tabernacle which might be extinguished if David the warrior were to die (2 Samuel [LXX 2 Kings] 21:17; cf. 22:29, of God the light/lamp of David; cf. Psalm 18:28 [LXX 17:28]; Zechariah 4:2). The New Testament has both literal and figurative instances of luchnos (14 times). No one would place a lighted lamp under a container (Luke 8:16; 11:33; cf. Matthew 5:15; Luke 15:8), and in the New Jerusalem inhabitants will not need lamps or even the sun (Revelation 22:5; cf. 18:23; 21:23). Figuratively luchnos denotes some kind of inner quality or attitude (Luke 11:34), or it suggests preparedness to keep lamps lit (Luke 12:35). The prophetic word is like a “light that shineth in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19). (Complete Biblical Library) Lit (2545)(kaio) means to kindle or burn. It is used in an active sense and a passive sense - Active = light something, have or keep something burning or lit. Mt 5:15; Lk 12:35; Jn 5:35; Heb 12:18; Rev 8:8, 10; 21:8. Fig. Lk 24:32 Passive sense =. be burned Jn 15:6; 1 Cor 13:3. In Friberg on kaio - (1) active - light something, kindle, ignite (Mt 5.15); (2) passive be lit, burn (Jn 15.6); figuratively, of fervent emotion burn, have strong feelings ( Lk 24.32); (3) of consuming by fire burn (up); passive be burned; 1Co 13.3 is understood as either martyrdom or voluntary burning of oneself. (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) Thayer on kaio - 1. to set fire to, light: luchon (lamp), Matthew 5:15; passive participle kaiomenos (present tense), burning, Luke 12:35; Revelation 4:5; 8:10; 19:20; with puri added, Hebrews 12:18; Revelation 8:8; 21:8; in figurative discourse, a light showing the right way, Jn 5:35 (a comparison pointed at the Jews, to whom John the Baptist had been as a torch lighted for a merry-making); metaphorically, was glowing, burning, i.e. was greatly moved, Lk 24:32 (" our hearts burning within us"). 2. to burn, consume with fire: passive, John 15:6; 1 Corinthians 13:3 (see above); with πυρι added (cf. igni cremare, Caesar b. g. 1, 4), Mt 13:40 Gilbrant on kaio in Classical Greek and Septuagint Usage - The verb kaiō means “set on fire,” “burn,” or “consume by burning.” It is used both literally (of something “set on fire”) and metaphorically (of “passion, love”) in classical Greek and in papyri (cf. Liddell-Scott). Kaiō is used in the Septuagint over 70 times to translate 13 Hebrew terms, most frequently sāraph (“burn”). Lev 4:12 described how a bullock was to be “burned” for a sin offering, and in Jer 34:2 God instructed Jeremiah to warn Zedekiah that He intended to bring judgment upon Jerusalem by allowing the King of Babylon to “burn it with fire.” (Complete Biblical Library) Kaio - 12x in 12v - blazing(1), burned(2), burning(5), burns(2), light(1), lit(1). Matt. 5:15; Lk. 12:35; Lk. 24:32; Jn. 5:35; Jn. 15:6; 1 Co. 13:3; Heb. 12:18; Rev. 4:5; Rev. 8:8; Rev. 8:10; Rev. 19:20; Rev. 21:8 Kaio - 70x in 63v in the Septuagint - Ex. 3:2; Ex. 27:20; Ex. 27:21; Ex. 35:3; Lev. 4:12; Lev. 6:9; Lev. 6:12; Lev. 6:13; Lev. 24:2; Lev. 24:3; Lev. 24:4; Deut. 4:11; Deut. 5:23; Deut. 9:15; Deut. 32:22; Jdg. 15:5; 2 Sam. 23:7; 1 Ki. 13:2; Job 15:34; Job 27:21; Job 31:12; Job 41:19; Job 41:20; Ps. 7:13; Ps. 50:3; Isa. 4:5; Isa. 5:24; Isa. 9:18; Isa. 10:16; Isa. 10:17; Isa. 10:18; Isa. 30:27 (Burning is His anger); Isa. 30:33; Isa. 33:14; Isa. 34:9; Isa. 44:15; Isa. 44:16; Isa. 50:11; Isa. 62:1; Isa. 65:5; Jer. 7:18; Jer. 7:20; Jer. 15:14; Jer. 20:9; Jer. 21:12; Jer. 32:29; Jer. 34:2; Jer. 37:8; Jer. 37:10; Jer. 38:18; Jer. 43:12; Jer. 49:27; Ezek. 1:13; Ezek. 39:9; Dan. 3:6; Dan. 3:11; Dan. 3:15; Dan. 3:19; Dan. 3:20; Dan. 3:26; Hos. 7:4; Mal. 4:1; Isaiah 4:5+ (describing Mt Zion in the Millennium) then the LORD will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire (Lxx = pur - fire + kaio in present tense - continually burning) by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. FOUR WORD PICTURES TO EMPHASIZE "BE READY!" Steven Cole - Jesus uses four word pictures to emphasize the same point: Be ready for His return. “Be dressed in readiness” is literally, “let your loins be girded.” In that day, everyone wore long robes which were a hindrance if you needed to move quickly or freely. If a person planned to run or work, he would tuck his robe into a sash around his waist so that it would not interfere with his movements. The verb here indicates a state of perpetual readiness for action. The second figure, “keep your lamps alight,” comes from a day when there was no electricity. There were no streetlights or city lights outside and no nightlights to help you find your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. If you were expecting a midnight visitor, you would keep an oil light burning so that when he knocked on the door, you could see to let him in. Again, the idea is, be ready for the Master’s coming. The third picture is of servants who are awaiting their master’s return from a wedding feast. Such feasts could last for days, often for a week. The servants would need to be ready when they heard their master arrive to open the door and serve him. Scholars debate whether Luke is using a Roman or Jewish reckoning of the watches of the night, but the point is the same: the master could come in the middle of the night when you least expect him, so you must be ready. The fourth picture is of a thief breaking into a house in the middle of the night. If the homeowner had known when the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. He would have been ready and waiting. Then Jesus states the application of all four figures: “You, too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect” (Lk 12:40). Scoffers may say, “It’s been almost 2,000 years since Jesus spoke these words. Every generation since then has thought that it was the final generation before His coming, but they all died without seeing it happen. Face reality: It’s just not going to happen!” The apostle Peter points out (2 Pet. 3:3-13) that such foolish scoffers fail to note that God spoke the universe into existence by His powerful word and that He has given us an object lesson of the terror and power of His judgment in the flood. The present heavens and earth are being reserved, not for a judgment of water, but of fire. Also, with the Lord, a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years are as a day. His view of time and ours are vastly different! The only reason He has delayed judgment is His great patience as He waits for more to come to repentance. Peter then uses Jesus’ image of a thief: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God ...” (2 Pe 3:10-12a). An error regarding the Lord’s coming called Preterism is gaining popularity in evangelical circles. The basic teaching is that the prophecies of Matthew 24 and the Book of Revelation were fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the Roman general Titus destroyed Jerusalem and scattered the Jewish people. There are various degrees of this teaching. The more mild Preterists would say that there will be a double fulfillment of some of these prophecies, and that Jesus Christ’s bodily second coming is still future. While I disagree with many of their interpretations, this mild view is not heretical. But the extreme Preterists argue that Christ actually came back in A.D. 70 and that He is not coming again! Although those who hold this view say that they are attempting to deal with the biblical texts, I believe that the extreme Preterists go outside the bounds of orthodoxy and are guilty of heresy. Their view robs believers of the hope of the many promises of our Lord’s coming. While it is true that we all will stand before Him the instant we die, the Bible clearly teaches that we should live every day in the hope that He may come at any time: “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect!” HOW CAN I BE READY FOR HIS COMING? If you have any regard for Jesus’ words, you must be concerned with the question, “How can I be ready for His coming?” Our text suggests three things: (1) To be ready for Jesus’ coming, He must be your Master. There is a sense in which Jesus is the Lord of every person. In this passage, He clearly assumes the authority to be the rightful judge of everyone who has ever lived. But, also clearly, it will only go well for those who are rightly related to Him, who submit to Him as their personal Lord or Master. They will be blessed (Lk 12:37, 38, 43) when He comes; the rest will face His punishment. Some will say, “Jesus is my Savior, but I haven’t yet made Him my Lord.” Really? Can you find a shred of biblical evidence that gives you comfort with such a condition? I will grant that a person can truly be saved and yet fall into sin. Every saint struggles daily against the world, the flesh, and the devil, and many saints have not learned to have consistent victory over these enemies of the soul. But I deny that you can be truly saved and live in sin and yet be comfortable living like that! If you claim to know Christ as Savior and yet you’re shrugging off known sin as no big deal, you may be in for a serious reality check when Christ returns! The only people ready for His return are those who daily seek to bring every area of life under His lordship. It is a constant struggle, but if you are not engaging in the struggle, you need to examine yourself to see whether you are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5). Those who are ready for Christ’s return seek to follow Him as Lord. (2) To be ready for Jesus’ coming, you must be His servant. It should be obvious that a master is master of servants. His servants live to obey his commands and to do his bidding. Jesus here commends the servants who are up in the middle of the night, ready for their master’s expected return. They were not up at that hour because they didn’t like to sleep! They were up in the service of their master. Servants do not have a life of their own; they live to please their master. It is only after they have done what he asked that he might say, “You are free to have some time to yourself.” But even then, if he thinks of something else that he needs, he will call the servant and say, “I also need you to do such and such,” and the servant must drop what he was doing or change his plans and respond, “Yes, master.” Being a servant of Jesus Christ is first and foremost a mindset and secondarily a specific ministry. My ministry is to be a pastor, but I only work at that task about 50 hours a week. But I am a servant of Jesus 24-7. Whether I’m shopping at WalMart or mowing my yard or spending time with my family, I should see myself as a servant of the Lord Jesus, obedient to His will. As Paul says, “You are not your own, for you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). In addition to a servant mindset, servants of Christ should seek out an area of service in line with their spiritual gifts. God has given all of us a function to perform in the body of Christ and that body will be healthy and grow to the degree that every member functions as he or she ought (Eph. 4:16). If you are not serving Christ in some capacity or looking for a place to serve, you are probably living for yourself. Servants seek to serve their Master. When He comes, He doesn’t want to find them sitting on a hill waiting for His return. He wants to find them serving Him. (3) To be ready for Jesus’ coming, you must live in expectation of His return. “Blessed are those slaves whom the master shall find on the alert” (Lk 12:37). The homeowner should have been expecting the arrival of the thief. So, Jesus says, “You too, be ready” (Lk 12:40). If you’re expecting a guest, especially an important guest, you live differently than if you are not expecting anyone. On several occasions during President Carter’s time in office, he spent the night in the homes of common people. It was his attempt to portray himself as the friend of the average person, a leader who understood the problems we all face. Although you might not want our current President to spend the night in your home, imagine how you would get ready if a normal President announced that he would be coming to spend the night. Your house would be spotless. All the beds would be made. You might even put a fresh coat of paint on some of the walls or woodwork. You would want your yard to look presentable. You might go to the nursery and buy some flowers to plant. You would want things to be clean and neat because you were expecting the President. If you’re expecting the King of kings, how should your life look? Would you have been comfortable if He had come back during your activities this past weekend? Are there books or magazines or videos that you need to get rid of before He comes to your home? Do you watch TV shows (OR INTERNET PICTURES) where you would be mortified if the Savior knocked on your door while they were on? Jesus says that we should be ready immediately to open the door to him when he comes and knocks (Lk 12:36). We shouldn’t have to yell, “Just a minute,” while we shut off the TV and hide a bunch of embarrassing stuff in the closet. Spurgeon uses the analogy of his dogs to show how we should expectantly be awaiting our Master’s return. He said that at the very moment he was speaking, his dogs were sitting inside his front door, awaiting his return. At the first sound of his carriage wheels, they would lift up their voices with delight because their master is coming home. Then he adds, Oh, if we loved our Lord as dogs love their masters, how we should catch the first sound of his Coming, and be waiting, always waiting, and never happy until at last we should see him! Pardon me for using a dog as a picture of what you ought to be; but when you have attained to a state above that, I will find another illustration to explain my meaning (12 Sermon on the Second Coming af Christ [Baker], p. 141]). So to be ready for Christ’s return, make sure that He is your Master; be involved in serving Him all day every day; and, live as if you expect His soon coming. (Luke 12 - Exposition) J R Miller - Watchfulness Luke 12:35-48 Our Lord often taught the lesson of watchfulness. The duty is one which cannot too frequently be impressed. We are all apt to grow negligent concerning things which we do over and over, day after day, through many years. We need to have our thoughts often called to the duty ofunceasing watchfulness in service, instant readiness for anything that may come. The lesson opens with a wise counsel: "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning." These figures suggest readiness for instant and intense action. The loose garmentsmust be kept drawn up and tied, so that without a moment's delay we may be ready for the march, and may not be impeded in our journey. The lamps must be kept always burning, so that whenever the Master may come, we shall be ready to rise and go with Him. A characteristic phrase more than once reappearing in Paul's epistles is, "I am ready." Every Christian should hold himself ready at a moment's notice to do anything or go anywhere at the bidding of his Master. Men looking for their absent master, waiting for his return—is the figure used to illustrate the waiting of the Christian for his Lord. No promise of Christ's was given more often, or repeated more impressively, than that He will come again. The time of the return—is indefinite and unknown; but of the fact that He will come—there is not the slightest doubt. His coming is always imminent—any hour He may come. These truths are presented in the parable we are now studying. The master is away, and his servants are left in charge of his house. When he will come back, tonight or a month hence, they do not know. But they are so to conduct themselves that, at whatever moment he may return—they will not be confused, and he will not be disappointed. It is high honor which the Master shows to the servants whom He finds faithful. "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." No honor could ever be higher than this—that the master should bid his servants sit at the table, while he himself takes the servant's place and waits on them. Yet this is just what Jesus will do for His faithful ones, at the heavenly feast. He did it, indeed, at the Last Supper, when He washed His disciples' feet. He said also to them, "I am among you—as he who serves" (Luke 22:27). We cannot understand this—but we know that heaven holds for us surprises of blessedness far beyond our highest dreams. The picture suggests to us also—the dignity and nobleness of service. We may think it menial and degrading to serve—but in Christ's kingdom those who serve—are the highest. Love always serves, and love is divine. Christ sought to make it very plain to His people—that the time of His coming to them cannot be known. He may come in the second watch, or in the third watch, or in the dawning of the morning. The value of this uncertainty as a factor in life—is to press the duty of incessant watchfulness. "If the good man of the house had known in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have left his house to be broken through." Of course. But that is just what men cannot know—when the thief will come. Thieves do not send, beforehand, a notice of the hour when they intend to break into a man's house. They come when the master of the house is least likely to be watching. So Christ will come as a thief in the night. This means that His coming in the last days will be entirely unexpected and will be a surprise! The great lesson impressed in this passage, is the duty of readiness for the coming of Christ. While the words had special reference to the great and final return of Christ to the world—the lesson applies to every coming of Christ. We never can foretell any future, even the nearest to us. We never know what may happen in the next hour. We should so live—that any moment of our days and nights we may be ready for any coming of Christ, ready for any duty that may be most suddenly given to us; or ready to die if the call to go home should come to us. What does this mean? For one thing, it means that we must be at peace with God, reconciled to Him. It means that we must be faithfully following Christ, doing our work day by day, hour by hour—as it is given to us. One who is not saved—is not ready for Christ's coming. DEATH is a coming of Christ to men, for it ends their probation and ushers them into the presence of God. No one is prepared for death—who has not accepted Christ as Savior, and is not living in Him. There is a beatitude in our lesson which we should take into our lives. "Blessed is that servant whom the master finds so doing—when he returns." "So doing"—how doing? Doing his work with fidelity. If a man went away and left a servant in charge of a certain piece of work, fixing no time for his returning, what should the servant do in the master's absence? Sit in the doorway and watch to see his return? That is not the kind of watching that will please his master. He wants his servant to attend to the duties assigned him—and desires to find him, on his return, not idly gazing out at the window—but busy at his work! The way to be ready for Christ's coming, whenever and in whatever way He may come—is not to sit down in idleness and watch for His appearance—but to keep at one's tasks with unceasing diligence, so that when He comes He may find our work all finished! Again and again is repeated the warning to those who are unfaithful. "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!" There are several things said about this servant. For one thing, he is unbelieving. "My master is taking a long time in coming." As a result of his unbelief he is unfaithful to his duties and to the trust reposed in him. Then, besides unfaithfulness in duty, he is unjust to his fellow servants. He becomes selfish, grasping, domineering, and cruel. Then in his own moral habits he becomes debased. He is found eating, drinking, and drunken. The punishment of the unfaithful and evil servant is stated clearly in the last verses, "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 do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows!" It is a fearful thing to disregard life's solemn responsibilities. We should compare these two pictures—the faithful and the unfaithful servant—and know positively which one of the two is our own portrait. (Devotional Hours with the Bible) READINESS FOR THE SECOND COMING - Many evangelical believers have only heard preaching about the second coming of Christ that used fear as the motivation for readiness. As a result many people live with a certain resentment toward God and the idea of the second coming. But the dominant pattern of New Testament teaching is that Christ’s return will be a time of great joy for those who are prepared to meet Him. For those who are ready, that day will be a day of celebration and joy as Jesus’ followers enter His presence for unbroken fellowship with Him. Such a joyful possibility should also be a major motivation to be ready for that day. Luke 12:36 "Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. KJV Luke 12:36 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. Be like men who are waiting for their master Luke 2:25-30; Ge 49:18; Isa 64:4; Lam 3:25,26; Mt 24:42-44; Mark 13:34-37; James 5:7,8; 2 Peter 1:13-15; Jude 1:20,21 when he returns from the wedding feast Mt 22:1-14; 25:1-13 Song 5:5,6; Rev 3:20 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:35-48 Are You Ready for Christ’s Return? - Steven Cole Luke 12:35-40 Waiting for the Master's Return, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 12:35-40 Waiting for the Master's Return, Part 2 - John MacArthur BE CONTINUALLY READY FOR THE LORD'S RETURN! Be like men who are waiting (prosdechomai) for their master (kurios) - Men (and women) with a maranatha mindset. Men with "Vertical Vision". The men clearly refers to the servants of the master (mentioned in Lk 12:37-38). Waiting (present tense) speaks of our continual mindset. Ever ready. Ever expecting. Ever looking. He could return at anytime, but since ancient wedding feasts were often quite lengthy, the servants had to continually maintain an attitude of readiness to meet their master (lord) whenever he returns (cf Christ the Bridegroom coming to rapture His Bride the Church!). The clear application of this exhortation is that the believers as bondservants of their Lord (Master) Jesus Christ are to continually be in a state of readiness (why?) for He could return at any moment, not from the wedding feast, but to take us, His Bride, to the wedding and the feast that follows. O happy, happy day! O glorious day! Their master is kurios that is translated "Lord" in Lk 12:40, 41 where the context ("Son of Man") refers to Jesus.
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Cole - In answering Peter’s question, Jesus lists four categories of servants, each of whom will receive a different reward or punishment. As in the parable of the soils, there is only one good category; the other three face punishment, beginning with the worst and moving toward the least severe. You can draw your own conclusions about whether the two categories who receive a whipping are believers who are disciplined or unbelievers who suffer in hell, but I wouldn’t want to risk being in either of those categories in hopes that they will be saved! I want to be solidly in the first camp! (Are You Ready for Christ's Return? Luke 12:35-48) Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? KJV Luke 12:42 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? Who then is the faithful and sensible Luke 19:15-19; Mt 24:45,46; 25:20-23; 1 Cor 4:1,2; Titus 1:7 steward Luke 16:1-12; Mt 20:8; 1 Pet 4:10 whom his master will put in charge of his servants 1 Ti 3:15; 5:17; Heb 3:5; 13:7,17 give them their rations Jer 23:4; Ezek 34:3; Mt 13:52; Jn 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 5:1-4 at the proper time Pr 15:23; Isa 50:4; 2 Ti 4:2 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:35-48 Are You Ready for Christ’s Return? - Steven Cole Luke 12:41-48 Reward and Punishment at Christ's Return - John MacArthur Related Passage: Matthew 24:45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? See Chart comparing Mt 24:45-51 and Luke 12:42-46 THE FAITHFUL STEWARD Who then is the faithful (pistos) and sensible (phronimus) steward (oikonomos) whom his master will put in charge (kathistemi) of his servants (therapeia) to give them their rations at the proper time (kairos)? - As Jesus often did when asked a question, He responds with a question which leads into this parable. Notice that while this individual is first designated as a steward and then as a slave (doulos - Lk 12:43) one who is subjected entirely to the Lord's will, totally possessed by the Lord and completely dependent on the Lord for his very life.
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Cole - Some will be rewarded because they knew about the Master’s coming and lived as faithful and sensible stewards (Lk 12:42-44). The reason this parable especially applies to those in church leadership is that Jesus refers to the servants who have been put in charge of other servants to give them their rations at the proper time. The job of pastors is to feed the Lord’s flock (Ezek. 34:2). In Ezekiel 34, the Lord upbraids the shepherds of Israel because they dominated His flock and used them for their own purposes, just as those in the second category here were doing. But the faithful and sensible steward who will receive a reward regards the needs of the servants in his charge and remembers that he will give an account to his master. Three times (Lk 12:37, 38, 43) Jesus calls these faithful servants “blessed”. He makes the startling statement that He, the Master, will wait on such servants (Lk 12:37)! He literally did that when He washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-11). Here, Jesus is probably referring metaphorically to the honor that He will bestow on those who have faithfully served Him when He comes. He also states that He will put them in charge of all His possessions (Lk 12:44). This also is probably a metaphor of the rewards of heaven. We will not spend eternity sitting on a cloud. The Lord will give us meaningful responsibilities throughout eternity if we have faithfully served Him here on earth. While we cannot fathom the blessings that God has in store for His faithful servants, if Jesus three times calls them blessed, you know that they will truly be blessed!. (Are You Ready for Christ’s Return?) Wiersbe makes a statement which is generally true - Once a believer starts to think his Master is not coming back, his life begins to deteriorate. Our relationship with others depends on our relationship to the Lord; so if we stop looking for Him, we will stop loving His people. The motive for Christian life and service must be a desire to please the Lord and be found faithful at His return. (Borrow Be compassionate) ILLUSTRATION - When General Sherman went through Atlanta toward the sea in the Civil War, he left in the fort, back in the Kennesaw Mountains, around 1500 men to guard some 11/2 million rations that he brought there. General Hood, however, attacked the fort with 6000 troops. For a long time the battle raged furiously. Half of the defenders were either killed or seriously wounded. The general in command was wounded seven times. When they were about to run up the white flag of surrender, Sherman was within 15 miles of the besieged camp. Through the signal corps on a nearby mountain, he sent this message: "Hold the fort, for I am coming. W.T. Sherman." The message fired up the defenders of the fort and they held out for three more bloody hours until their reinforcements arrived, keeping their fort out of the hands of the enemy. This story was the basis for the famous hymn "Hold the Fort for I am Coming." Jesus gives the same message to us. We are to "hold fast till He comes." We are to be faithful until the Lord returns. If Christ returns in your lifetime, will He find you faithful in serving Him? Will you be making your life count for the Lord Jesus Christ? Realize beloved, that faithfulness is a big deal to the Lord. God does not ask how many talents one has. He asks for faithfulness. The world crowns success. God crowns faithfulness. (Mattoon Treasures from Luke) Horatius Bonar was born in 1808 in Exise, Scotland. After graduating from Edinburgh, he became the minister at Kelso in 1837 at the Chalmers Memorial Church. In addition to being a minister, he was a popular author and hymn writer. The hymn "What a Friend we Have in Jesus" was written by Bonar. Reflecting on being faithful, Bonar understood that the small things can either make or break the Christian. He wrote, "A holy life is made up of a multitude of small things. It is the little things of the hour and not the great things of the age that fill up a life. Little words, not eloquent speeches or sermons; little deeds, not miracles or battles, or one great heroic effort or martyrdom, make up the true Christian life. It's the little constant sunbeam, not the lightning, that are the true symbols of a holy312 life." Make it your goal, make it your aim to live every moment of every day for Jesus Christ. (Mattoon Treasures from Luke)) Luke 12:44 "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. KJV Luke 12:44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. that he will NLT Luke 12:44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. Luke 19:17-19; Lk 22:29,30; Da 12:2-3; Mt 24:47; Rev 3:18 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:35-48 Are You Ready for Christ’s Return? - Steven Cole Luke 12:41-48 Reward and Punishment at Christ's Return - John MacArthur Related Passages: Daniel 12:2-3+ “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 “Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Matthew 24:47 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. Luke 6:35+ “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Luke 19:17-19+ “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’ 18 “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ 19 “And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ FAITHFULNESS REWARDED WITH "PROMOTION" Truly (amen) I say to you that he will put him in charge (kathistemi) of all his possessions (huparcho) - It's as if Jesus has to "Amen" this (so be it!), because it is such an incredible promise that our ears can hardly believe that is what He said! Faithfulness will be liberally rewarded along the lines of "far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us." (Eph 3:20+) We see a similar statement in Paul's last known letter, which like Jesus' words, promises "good news" to the faithful and "bad news" to the unfaithful... If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; (2Ti 2:12+) Later in Luke Jesus declares to His disciples after sharing the Last Supper.. “You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; And just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Lk 22:28-30+)
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Cole - Others will be punished very severely because they ignored the Master’s coming and abused their stewardship (Lk 12:45-46). This is the worst category of punishment. These slaves wrongly thought that they had plenty of time before their Master returned and so they began to live for themselves by abusing those under their charge. They used their stewardship for their own pleasure and advantage, without regard for the Master’s purposes. But it is a fatal mistake. The Master will return and cut them in pieces (the word means “to dismember”). But, that isn’t the end of these unfaithful servants, because then they are assigned a place with the unbelievers, namely, hell (Lk 12:5). I believe that these frightening words especially apply to unfaithful spiritual leaders who have used their office for their own advantage. They usually teach false doctrine because they want to dodge their sin, which is exposed by God’s Word. They use religion to promote their own greed and immorality. Jesus pronounces this most severe judgment on them because they have taken that which should have benefited people eternally and used it to destroy them. Their final punishment shows that they never truly repented of their own sins and submitted their lives to the Master. But before you all say, “Whew, this doesn’t apply to me,” you need to realize that there is a secondary application to us all. If we know about the things of God, but we don’t repent of our selfishness and abusiveness toward others, especially in our homes, are we not just like these unfaithful stewards? This especially applies to every husband and father who professes to be a Christian. If we do not repent of mistreating our wives and children, whom God has entrusted to our care, woe to us when the Master returns! (Are You Ready for Christ’s Return?) William
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Cole - Others will be punished severely because they knew about the Master’s coming, but did not get ready (Lk 12:47). This category knew the Master’s will, but they did not get ready or act in accord with His will. They will receive many lashes. This refers to people who have been in religious circles enough to know the truth, but they don’t act on it. Maybe they procrastinate, thinking, “Someday I’ll follow Christ and serve Him, but right now I’ve got to devote myself to my business. Besides, to get ahead these days, you’ve got to cut a few corners, and so I’m not quite ready to follow Christ.” Beware: To sin against greater light means greater punishment! To hear the truth proclaimed in church every Sunday and to go out and ignore that truth the rest of the week is a risky way to live. What if the Master comes this week? (Are You Ready for Christ’s Return?) R Kent
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Cole - Others will be punished less severely because they did not know about the Master’s coming or live in light of it (Lk12:48a). The final category for judgment are those who did not even know the Master’s will. They will be judged less severely, with a few lashes, but judged nonetheless. Ignorance of God’s law is no excuse for not obeying it because we are responsible to know it. As J. C.
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Cole - We had better be quick to get on Jesus’ side (Lk 12:54-59). The link between 12:49-53 and this section is that of the coming judgment and the crisis of decision that Jesus’ message precipitates. This section falls into two smaller sections: If we analyze the weather and order our lives by it, we should analyze the times and order our lives accordingly (Lk 12:54-56). In Israel, a cloud from the west came from the Mediterranean Sea and thus brought rain. A south wind came in off the Sinai desert and thus meant a hot day. Jesus then calls them hypocrites because they are able to discern the weather, but they fail to discern the significance of Jesus’ presence in their midst. Geldenhuys (p. 368) explains, “On account of their unbelief and spiritual blindness they do not see the cloud of grace and blessings which appears with Him to all who believe in Him, nor do they observe the glowing heat of the judgment which He brings for those who are disobedient.” The point is, we hear a weather forecast and plan our day accordingly. If we hear that the Son of God has come, bringing salvation to all who believe, but judgment to all who ignore the message, should we not respond by immediately embracing Him? (The Divisive Jesus) Luke 12:55 "And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, 'It will be a hot day,' and it turns out that way. KJV Luke 12:55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:49-59 The Divisive Jesus - Steven Cole Luke 12:54-59 The Failure to Discern the Times and the Threat - John MacArthur Related Passage: Matt 16:2-3+ But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3“And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs (semeion) of the times? SIGNS OF THE TIMES: "IT WILL BE A SCORCHER!" And when you see a south wind blowing - The south wind comes from the desert, and thus brings hot winds/ It is called a sirocco and blows from the south southeastern desert bringing scorching heat. (cf. Hos 13:15; Jonah 4:8 = "a scorching east wind"). “It will be a scorcher!” There is a bit of tragic irony in their ability to be ability to recognize a hot day but not a hot hell! You say, 'It will be a hot day,' and it turns out that way - When the "sign" of the hot winds came it was not difficult to predict it would be a hot day. In other words it was obvious to anyone who had the ability to think. In the next verse Jesus implies with His question that it should have been "obvious" that He was the long expected Messiah of Israel, neither from the west (cloud) or the south (wind) but the Son of God Who came from the "direction" of Heaven at the direction of His Father! Luke 12:56 "You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time? KJV Luke 12:56 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? You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky 1 Chr 12:32; Mt 11:25; 16:3; 24:32,33 But why do you not analyze this present time? Luke 19:42-44; Da 9:24-26; Haggai 2:7; Malachi 3:1; 4:2; Acts 3:24-26; Gal 4:4 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:54-57 Signs of the Times - C H Spurgeon Luke 12:49-59 The Divisive Jesus - Steven Cole Luke 12:54-59 The Failure to Discern the Times and the Threat - John MacArthur JESUS APPLIES THE TEACHING ABOUT NATURAL SIGNS You hypocrites (hypokrites)! You know how to analyze (dokimazo) the appearance of the earth and the sky - Analyze (dokimazo) means they would come to a conclusion after examination. What Jesus is saying in essence is that their (the crowd's) sin was not the sin of ignorance, but of willful rejection. They had the prophecies and said they knew the Old Testament but in fact they did not know it and thus they failed to see the 300+ Messianic prophecies fulfilled in Jesus. They were proud that they were people of the Book, but they were hypocrites, play actors who actually missed the truth of the greatest drama played out in all of history. And it was not that they could not believe but that they were unwilling to believe. We hear a weather forecast and plan our day accordingly. If we hear that the Son of God has come, bringing salvation to all who believe, but judgment to all who ignore the message, should we not respond by immediately embracing Him? -- Steven Cole But why do you not analyze (dokimazo) this present time? - They could analyze the natural signs, but not the supernatural, in fact claiming they did not have enough signs (as noted above). They could not analyze the Supernatural One Who was performing countless miraculous signs in their midst. In a warning about the coming destruction of Jerusalem Jesus predicted that the enemy "will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation." (Lk 19:44+). Notice the critical term of explanation "because". Jesus explains that the destruction of Jerusalem was inevitable because they missed the time of His arrival or visitation. They could have and should have known because the prophecy of Daniel, Daniel 9:24-27, even gave them the time of Messiah's arrival. I have known some Jewish men who have been saved by reading this prophecy and understanding (as the Spirit opened their eyes) that it spoke of their Messiah (See story of Leopold Cohn) This present time (kairos) - What was this present time? This was the three year "slice of time" in which God invaded earth becoming a Man, for all Israel to see and consider as to whether He was the Messiah. This opportunity (meaning of "kairos" - see below) would soon pass to see the Messiah in person. In essence the opportunity was from His birth to His death, but especially the last 3 years of His ministry filled with miraculous signs like fingers pointing to Him, saying "This is God. This is the Messiah!" From the very outset of His ministry Jesus made it clear Who He was and what His mission was. We see His first "official sermon" in Luke 4 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 18 “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD (MESSIAH'S FIRST COMING).” 20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21+) Comment: However when Jesus made a reference to the Gentiles (Lk 4:25-27+) "all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things." (Lk 4:28+) The Jews were spiritually prideful and His indictment infuriated them so after just one sermon they sought to kill Him (Lk 4:29+), the One Who came to show them the favorable year of the Lord and how to find favor with God! (cf similar reaction in John 8:58, 59)
Lucas 12
Cole - The second section underscores the need to get on Jesus’ side quickly, before it is too late: If we are quick to settle an unfavorable case against us in civil matters, how much more quickly should we settle God’s case against us before it is too late (Lk 12:57-59). Jesus asks a rhetorical question and then illustrates His point. When Jesus asks the crowd, “Why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right?” He is not implying that unbelievers can, of their own free will and intelligence, decide to follow Him. Jesus taught (Lk 10:22) that “no one knows who the Son is except the Father and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Jesus is not contradicting Himself here. Salvation depends on God’s sovereign will, not on man’s darkened human will or intelligence. What Jesus means here is, “You don’t have to blindly follow the Pharisees on spiritual matters.” He is urging them to consider His claims for themselves. Then He uses an illustration. (Lk 12:58-59) The assumption is that your opponent has a good case against you so that if it reaches the judge, you’re going to get thrown into prison and you never will get out. The Roman Catholics use this illustration to argue for Purgatory (See Does the Bible say anything about purgatory?), where a sinner can pay off his sins. But that only shows how hard pressed they are to come up with support for such an unbiblical concept! Jesus’ point is simple: If you know that someone has a case against you, settle up before it is too late. From the context we know that Jesus wants us to apply this spiritually. God has a case against every sinner. We owe Him for our debt of sin. Jesus’ death on the cross is the only acceptable settlement. If we discerned the times, we would know that now is the day of salvation. God is offering to settle in full His claim with any sinner who will trust in Jesus Christ. But if we do not settle, there will be no escape on the day of judgment. We will never get out of hell because our debt is infinite since it is against an infinitely holy God. The person who discerns the true situation will be quick to get on Jesus’ side. Conclusion - During a training session for soldiers who were about to make their first parachute jump, the sergeant explained how to open the reserve chute if the main chute didn’t open. A private nervously raised his hand and asked, “Sergeant, if my main chute doesn’t open, how long do I have to pull my reserve?” The sergeant looked directly into the young private’s eyes and replied earnestly, “The rest of your life, soldier. The rest of your life.” (In Reader’s Digest, February, 1982.) If you have not trusted in Christ as your only hope for forgiveness on the day of judgment, you are like that soldier plunging toward earth. Either you accept Jesus as your sin bearer and you are reconciled to God; or, you will come into God’s court of justice and pay your own debt, which is eternal separation from Him. How long do you have to get on Jesus’ side? The answer is, the rest of your life! Jesus has drawn the line. Will you trust Him now before it is too late? Discussion Questions 1. Why is the theme of judgment a necessary part of the gospel? 2. Which doctrines are so essential to the faith that we must divide when others deny these doctrines? 3. Why is the message of the cross offensive to sinners? What is the difference between people being offended at the message versus the messenger? 4. Where is the balance between being urgent about the gospel and giving people the necessary time to respond? (The Divisive Jesus) Luke 12:58 "For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. KJV Luke 12:58 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. For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate Pr 25:8,9; Mt 5:23-26 on your way there make an effort to settle with him Luke 14:31,32; Ge 32:3-28; 1 Sa 25:18-35; Job 22:21; 23:7; Ps 32:6; Pr 6:1-5; Isa 55:6; 2 Cor 6:2; Heb 3:7-13 so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer Luke 13:24-28; Job 36:17,18; Ps 50:22 the officer throw you into prison Mt 18:30; 1 Pet 3:19; Rev 20:7 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:49-59 The Divisive Jesus - Steven Cole Luke 12:54-59 The Failure to Discern the Times and the Threat - John MacArthur We see a similar passage in Matthew in Galilee (whereas the current discourse in Luke 12 is in Judea) Mt 5:23 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. 25 (note) “Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 “Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent. SETTLE OUT OF COURT WHEN YOUR OPPONENT IS GOD! For - term of explanation. What is Jesus explaining? The point is that if they understood the signs of the times and that they pointed to Jesus, they would be in a hurry to make peace with their adversary, who is reality was God! While you are going with your opponent (antidikos) to appear before the magistrate (archon) - The magistrate refers to one who received complaints and possessed higher authority than the judge, to whom the he remitted the case if he found sufficient evidence. Having been in a lawsuit, this sentence congers up all manner of horrible memories and sleepless nights. It would doubtless stir emotions in the pit of the stomach of many in the crowd. But it would be so easy to miss Jesus' point here, for He is not referring primarily to earthly courts but to the ultimate heavenly court, the Great White Throne judgment of God in Revelation 20: 11-15! He is using the earthly picture to drive home the point that as bad as an earthly lawsuit can be, a "lawsuit" with God is incomparably worse and does not have temporal but eternal consequences! You want to settle this case with God before you have to stand trial at the Great White Throne! And there is only one way to "settle" to be reconciled to God. Paul explains the way to be reconciled to God writing And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. (Col 1:21-22) And writing to the saints at Corinth Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (2 Cor 5:18-19) John alludes to the One Who reconciles us in his first epistle writing My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2+) THOUGHT - If Jesus is your Advocate, your divine "Lawyer," then the charges against you will be imputed to His infinite account and you will be set free and reconciled with God forever and ever. Amen On your way there make (aorist imperative - Do not delay! Do it now! This is urgent!) an effort (ergasia) to settle (apallasso - passive perfect - be released permanently) with him - Settle before you appear before the judge. The Greek word for settle was used of a judicial settlement, and so to get oneself delivered from, to come to an agreement with regard to some dispute or issue, to settle with or to come to terms with. Thus it was a technical term with pictured satisfaction of a plaintiff by the defendant, especially of the creditor (plaintiff) by the debtor (defendant). This would avoid having to appear before the judge and risk an adverse outcome when the judge issued his verdict. THOUGHT - Because the judgment has fallen on Jesus, God offers an "out of court" settlement to those who owe a debt they could never pay. Believe in Jesus who paid a debt He did not owe. Every unbeliever is on their way to appear before the magistrate at the Great White Throne judgment of God and there is only one way of avoiding that horrible judgment day -- believe TODAY in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved from THAT JUDGMENT DAY! Stein - If this is a “parable” (or a similitude), however, then the reality part would refer to the present eschatological situation. God’s kingdom has come! Therefore make peace now with God, the Judge, while there is yet time. If you delay, it will be too late. The adversary, magistrate, and officer in the picture part of the parable do not have a corresponding reality but are simply part of the story’s local coloring. In light of the eschatological context given in Lk 11:54–56, it is best to interpret this as a parable. (See Luke) So that (term of purpose or result) he may not drag you (katasuro - using force to draw away) before the judge (krites), and the judge (krites), turn you over (paradidomi) to the officer (praktor) and the officer throw (ballo) you into prison (phulake) - The judge would decide the case and if the accused was guilty he would be turned over to the officer who functioned like a bailiff and was in charge of the "debtor's prison." Prison could be avoided if one had made an effort to settle with the opponent. We owed God an unpayable debt and the wages of sin is death, so the prison for sin debtors is eternal hell. Stein - It is better to seek a settlement with one’s accuser than to appear before a judge. A decision should be made while there is time. Because of the arrival of God’s kingdom (Lk 12:53–56), it is time to get one’s life in order and be reconciled to God (Lk 12:58). (See Luke) John Martin - Jesus used an illustration of a law court to drive home the point that people need to be rightly related to God. Even in the earthly sphere it makes sense to make an effort to settle with an opponent—even on the way... to the magistrate—in order to avoid being thrown into prison and having to pay the last penny. How much more important it is to "be reconciled" when the opponent is God! (See The Bible Knowledge Commentary) Opponent (Adversary)(476)(antidikos from anti = against + dike = a cause or suit at law) was used first as a word for an opponent in a lawsuit and then came to mean an adversary or enemy without reference to legal affairs. It describes one who is actively and continuously hostile toward someone. An adversary is one that contends with, opposes, or resists. Antidikos - 4x in NT - adversary(1), opponent(3), opponent at law(1). Matt. 5:25; Lk. 12:58; 18:3; 1 Pet. 5:8 = "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Magistrate (758)(archon from present participle of archo = to rule) describes one who has eminence in a ruling capacity, referring to earthly figures ( Mt 20:25) such as rulers (Acts 4:26), Moses ( Acts 7:27, 35), of Christ as the ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev 1:5). Archon refers to one who has administrative authority (Ro 13:3; Titus 1:9), including Jewish leaders (Acts 23:5 = reference to the high priest, Lk 8:41 = "an official of the synagogue;" Mt 9:18, 23 = ruler over a synagogue), members of the Sanhedrin (Lk 18:18, 23:13, 35, 24:20), of Gentile officials (Acts 16:19). Archon refers to the devil as ruler over the demons in Mt 9:34; 12:24; Mk 3:22; Lk 11:15 and Eph 2:2 "the PRINCE (archon) of the power of the air." In classical Greek archōn functions primarily as a term for a civil official (e.g., a city magistrate), but it could denote a leader or commander in general (Liddell-Scott). Gilbrant on archon - The Gospels show that archōn could mean “leader” in the civil sense (e.g., Mt 20:25; Lk 12:58; Jn 3:1) or religious sense (Mt 9:18,23; Lk 23:13; 24:20). But they also reveal that the writers understood archōn in the “supernatural” sense to refer to unseen, demonic powers which “ruled” the world (e.g., Mt 9:34; 12:24; Lk 11:15; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11 [“the ruler of this world”]). Acts reflects the official civil and religious understanding (Acts 3:17; 4:5,8; 14:5). Paul used archōn of Roman government officials (Ro 13:3). But in 1 Cor 2:6,8 it is unclear whether he was referring to demonic forces which rule the world (cf. “of this world,” Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11, with “of this age”) or to civil powers which actually control the affairs of men. Perhaps both the spiritual “powers” as well as their human vessels were in view. In Ephesians 2:2 the reference is to the “prince” or “ruler” (NIV) of the power of the air (realm of evil forces). Revelation 1:5 archōn is applied to Jesus Christ, the “ruler of the kings of the earth” (Complete Biblical Library) Archon - 37x in 36v - authorities(1), leaders(1), magistrate(1), official(2), official's(1), prince(1), ruler(1), ruler(13), rulers(16).Mt. 9:18,23,34; 12:24; 20:25; Mk. 3:22; Lk. 8:41; 11:15; 12:58; 14:1; 18:18; 23:13,35; 24:20; Jn. 3:1; 7:26,48; 12:31,42; 14:30; 16:11; Acts 3:17; 4:5,8,26; 7:27,35; 13:27; 14:5; 16:19; 23:5; Ro. 13:3; 1 Co 2:6,8; Eph. 2:2; Rev. 1:5 Gilbrant says the Septuagint usage (used over 500 times - Ge 12:15, 14:7, Ex 2:14, etc) largely conforms to classical usage. Archōn denotes the leaders of tribes or nations (e.g., Numbers 2:3ff., 34:18ff.); often it was equal to nāsî’ in those cases. Two other Hebrew terms translated by archōn are rō’sh and sar (both meaning something like “chief, governor, ruler”). There is also a trend in the Septuagint to associate archōn with religious duties (Isaiah 43:28). Daniel begins to link the idea of archōn and celestial beings (Daniel 10:13). “To a large extent the archontes are opponents of the people of God” (Complete Biblical Library) Settle (525) apallasso from apó = from, any separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed + allásso = change form or nature of a thing, to make otherwise) means to change from, and so to release, deliver, set free or liberate. It meant to transfer from one state to another, to remove from. Strictly speaking apallasso spoke of a change by separating or by break up an existing connection, setting the one part into a different state or relation. In a word apallasso meant to give absolute freedom. In Greek secular writings apallasso was used for release from the place of responsibility -- of wife who desired release from marriage contract; of a superintendence of land under lease release from a municipal office. The word was used in the papyri for the release from a position of responsibility; e.g., a marriage contract, the superintendence of land under lease, the release from a municipal office, or the release of a slave Apallasso - 3v = free(1), left(1), settle(1). Lk. 12:58; Acts 19:12; Heb. 2:15 11v in the non-apocryphal Septuagint - Ex. 19:22; 1Sa 14:29; Job 3:10; 7:15; 9:12, 34; 10:19; 27:5; 34:5; Isa. 10:7; Jer. 32:31 Judge (2923) krites from krino = to judge) is one who decides, the one who makes decisions based on examination and evaluation. Krites is used of of human beings (Mt 5:25; Lk 12:14, 58; 18:2.Ac 24:10). Krites is used of God (Heb 12:23; Jas 4:12; 2 Ti 4:8; Acts 10:42; Jas 5:9) Krites was a leader of the people in the period of the Judges (Acts 13:20). BDAG - (1) one who has the right to render a decision in legal matters (2) one who rules in a special sense in the accounts of Israel’s theocratic period- Krites - Matt. 5:25; Matt. 12:27; Lk. 11:19; Lk. 12:14; Lk. 12:58; Lk. 18:2; Lk. 18:6; Acts 10:42; Acts 13:20; Acts 18:15; Acts 24:10; 2 Tim. 4:8; Heb. 12:23; Jas. 2:4; Jas. 4:11; Jas. 4:12; Jas. 5:9 Turn over (commit, hand over) (3860) paradidomi from para = alongside, beside, to the side of, over to + didomi = to give) conveys the basic meaning of to give over from one's hand to someone or something, especially to give over to the power of another. Paradidomi in Luke and Acts - Lk. 1:2; Lk. 4:6; Lk. 9:44; Lk. 10:22; Lk. 12:58; Lk. 18:32; Lk. 20:20; Lk. 21:12; Lk. 21:16; Lk. 22:4; Lk. 22:6; Lk. 22:21; Lk. 22:22; Lk. 22:48; Lk. 23:25; Lk. 24:7; Lk. 24:20; Acts 3:13; Acts 6:14; Acts 7:42; Acts 8:3; Acts 12:4; Acts 14:26; Acts 15:26; Acts 15:40; Acts 16:4; Acts 21:11; Acts 22:4; Acts 27:1; Acts 28:17 Officer (4233)(praktor from prasso = to practice, do) is strictly, an agent for carrying out a task and thus an official. In Luke it refers to the court officer who carries out an imposed sentence in a debtor's prison, bailiff, constable. Only here (Hapax legomenon) Throw (put, cast, thrust)(906) ballo - English "ballistics") in all its applications retains the idea of impulse (the idea of force and/or effort). The primary senses are to throw or to put. Ballo means to throw, hurl, in contrast to striking. Prison (5438)(phulake from phulasso = to guard, watch) means a guarding (the act of guarding or keeping watch - Lk 2:8, Nu 1:53, 3:7, 28) or guard (the person doing the watching - Acts 12:10) , a prison as a place where someone is guarded (Mt 5:25, 14:3, 10, 18:30, 25:36, 39, 43, etc). Phulake - 45v - guard(1), imprisonment(1), imprisonments(2), prison(34), prisons(3), time of the night(1), watch(4). Matt. 5:25; Matt. 14:3; Matt. 14:10; Matt. 14:25; Matt. 18:30; Matt. 24:43; Matt. 25:36; Matt. 25:39; Matt. 25:43; Matt. 25:44; Mk. 6:17; Mk. 6:27; Mk. 6:48; Lk. 2:8; Lk. 3:20; Lk. 12:38; Lk. 12:58; Lk. 21:12; Lk. 22:33; Lk. 23:19; Lk. 23:25; Jn. 3:24; Acts 5:19; Acts 5:22; Acts 5:25; Acts 8:3; Acts 12:4; Acts 12:5; Acts 12:6; Acts 12:10; Acts 12:17; Acts 16:23; Acts 16:24; Acts 16:27; Acts 16:37; Acts 16:40; Acts 22:4; Acts 26:10; 2 Co. 6:5; 2 Co. 11:23; Heb. 11:36; 1 Pet. 3:19; Rev. 2:10; Rev. 18:2; Rev. 20:7 Rod Mattoon - The Jews did not heed the warning of the Lord. They rejected Christ as their Messiah and judgment came upon these people. Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. The prophecy of Christ was fulfilled. Luke 19:43-44.... For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, [44] And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. In 135 A.D., the Jewish people believed that Bar Kokhba was their Messiah. He led the people into an insurrection against Rome and the Jews were totally defeated and expelled from Israel. The national life of Israel came to an end. The Jewish people were scattered all over the world for the next 1800 years, until 1948, when they became a nation again. The prophecy of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 37 was fulfilled. God's people, however, are still paying the price for their rejection of Christ and will continue to do so until He returns. In the Tribulation period, two-thirds of the Jewish people will be destroyed by the Anti-Christ. The remaining one-third will be rescued by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Zechariah 13:8-9 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. Jesus' message to urgently make matters right with God applies to us today. If you do not know Christ as your Savior, you have a sin debt that must be paid. The price is death. The only hope for any sinner is to seek Christ's forgiveness and accept His gift of eternal life. Make your choice today! (Rod Mattoon - Treasures from Luke) Luke 12:59 "I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the very last cent." KJV Luke 12:59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite. you will not get out of there until Luke 16:26; Mt 18:34; 25:41,46; 2 Th 1:3 the very last cent Mark 12:42; Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:49-59 The Divisive Jesus - Steven Cole Luke 12:54-59 The Failure to Discern the Times and the Threat - John MacArthur NO REPRIEVE OR RELEASE I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid (apodidomi) the very last cent (leptos) - Will not is a strong double negative (ou me) indicating strong prohibition! This is a severe sentence. And if Jesus is indeed referring to the "prison" of eternal punishment, there is no getting out of there. Last cent (leptos) refers to the smallest Jewish copper coin, about 1/128 of a denarius (a day's wage) and so worth very little (cf Lk 21:2). Luke records Abraham's answer to the rich man's question (in hell) in Lk 16:26+ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ Note the repetition of Jesus' words "I say to you" in Luke 12 - Lk. 12:4; Lk. 12:8; Lk. 12:22; Lk. 12:37; Lk. 12:44; Lk. 12:59. NET Note on cent - Here the English word "cent" is used as opposed to the parallel in Matt 5:26 where "penny" appears, since the Greek word there is different and refers to a different but similar coin. This cent was a lepton, the smallest coin available. It was copper or bronze, worth one-half of a quadrans or 1/128 of a denarius. The parallel in Matt 5:26 mentions the quadrans instead of the lepton. The illustration refers to the debt one owes God and being sure to settle with him in the right time, before it is too late. Some interpreters, however, consider it to be like Matt 5:26, which has similar imagery but a completely different context. (Luke 12) Anyone will do whatever is necessary to stay out of prison, but how many people will apply that same concern and diligence to stay out of hell? -- Warren Wiersbe