Luke 12 (1)

Pray Psalm 10.1-5.
Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.
The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.
His ways are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

Sing Psalm 10.1-6.
(Aberystwyth: Jesus, Lover of My Soul)
Why stand off, O Lord, afar? Why in times of trouble hide?
Wicked men in foolish pride seek Your precious flock to harm.
Many plots do they devise; catch them in their wicked schemes!
Greed and lust fill all their dreams, while they curse You, God most wise.

Read and meditate on Luke 12.1-7.

Preparation
1.Of what did Jesus warn His disciples?

2. Whom did He tell them to fear?

Meditation
As multitudes of people were pressing in to see and hear Jesus, the Lord offered His disciples a reality check.

Perhaps they were saying among themselves, “Wow, this is going great! Look at all these people!” (v. 1) But Jesus knew where this was leading and how this mob would eventually call for His death. The reality Jesus wanted His disciples to see was that these people feared their hypocritical religious leaders more than they were excited about Him. The religious leaders, after all, could have them thrown out of the synagogue. That would mean complete disfellowship from family, friends, and community.

Jesus warned His disciples not to fall prey to that hypocrisy, which one day would be fully exposed for what it is (vv. 2, 3). Yes, the religious leaders can kill the body (v. 4). Jesus would experience that and so would James, Peter, and other of Jesus’ disciples. But kill the body is all they can do. God, on the other hand, can destroy body and soul (v. 5). Best to fear Him, that is, to regard His Word as true and His power as absolute.

We must fear God, but at the same time we relate to Him with trust and gratitude, because He loves us and cares for all our needs (vv. 6, 7). The religious leaders and the fickle mob cannot be relied on for anything other than to watch out for their own interests. Only God watches out for us completely, continuously, and unfailingly. Fear Him. Rejoice in His provision. Love and trust Him only.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.
Christians don’t really do mayhem. At least we shouldn’t. This crowd that Jesus and His followers were near was antithetical to everything He was about. It was an innumerable amount of people trampling one another (Lk. 12.1). And amid the mayhem Jesus said to His disciples, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Lk. 12.1). Because everything that is spiritually hypocritical will one day come to light. All the false teaching, all the faux love, all the wrongly placed hero worship, all that is seemingly done and not brought to justice, all the killing either by word or deed, all of this will one day be known. Therefore, don’t fear what these people can do to you, but fear God; because His damage is eternal.

“My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments” (Ps. 119.120).
“Then they will cry to the LORD, but He will not hear them; He will even hide His face
from them at that time, because they have been evil in their deeds” (Mic. 3.4).
“Therefore thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them” (Jer. 11.11).
“Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Lk. 12.5)

Displeasing God is no joke. Even verses that we take as a comfort, when read from a different perspective are daunting: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3.20, 21).

The last two verses in our reading today also can be taken in a different light: Yes, how sweet that not one sparrow is forgotten by God; and all the hairs of our head are numbered and remembered. If that is so, wouldn’t it also be true that all the hypocrisy and things spoken and done in the dark and in inner rooms will also be remembered?

But the last part cannot be read in another light: “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Lk. 12.7). We are loved, and when we sin and are repentant, we are forgiven. And when we set our path on the way that pleases the LORD, we needn’t fear because we are striving to please Him in all that we do.

Living for Jesus a life that is true, striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, gladhearted and free, this is the pathway of blessing for me.
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, for Thou, in Thy atonement,
Didst give Thyself for me; I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
(Thomas O. Chisholm, 1917/C. Harold Lowden, 1915)

For reflection
1. How can you tell when the fear of man is creeping into your life?

2. We fear God, but we also love Him. How are these complementary and not opposing affections?

3. What is hypocrisy? How can you know when there is hypocrisy in your life?

A firm belief of the doctrine of God’s universal providence, and the extent of it, would satisfy us when in peril, and encourage us to trust God in the way of duty. Providence takes notice of the meanest creatures, even of the sparrows, and therefore of the smallest interests of the disciples of Christ. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Luke 12.1-7

Pray Psalm 10.11-18.
What fears stalk you or the people in your Personal Mission Field? Give them to the Lord. Call on the Lord to help you fear and love Him more, and to trust Him to meet your every need.

Sing Psalm 10.11-18.
(Aberystwyth: Jesus, Lover of My Soul)
“Where, oh where, is God?” they say. “He has hidden out of sight!”
Rise up, Lord, in all Your might! Rescue those who You obey.
Wicked men Your judgment scorn; You observe their sinful ways.
Be our refuge, be our stay! Break the oppressor’s evil arm.

Evermore, Lord, You will reign! Nations perish from Your land.
You will with Your people stand; hear our cries of woe and pain!
Strengthen now our hearts, O Lord; vindicate Your people dear.
Drive away our every fear; help and preserve us by Your Word.

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available free by clicking here.