The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 12
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Luke Chapter 12:1-3
The Warning Against Hypocrisy [see MT 16:5,12]
This
passage serves as a transition to a new theme on persecution and Judgment.
There is a large crowd which has gathered, no doubt nodding their heads in agreement
with Jesus' criticism of the Scribes (Lawyers) and Pharisees. Here Jesus names
the leaven of the Pharisees as their hypocrisy. It is that hypocrisy noted in vss. 11:39-44, 46, 53 which is
hidden behind the mask that is covered or secret but will be made
known in the age to come when the honor and praise they have received will be
their shame. Jesus then shifts the reference to the disciples. They also must
beware of such leaven. The couplings change from covered/uncovered to
darkness/light and secret/known to whispered/proclaimed. This would have been
meaningful in Luke's community. The church evangelists, as the disciples, must
"practice what they preach." There cannot be a dual standard between
teaching and action for such hypocrisy will see the light of day and be shouted
from the housetops.
Luke Chapter 12:4-12 The
Fearless Confession [see MT 10:26-33]
Vss. 4-7 is the first of four
sections of this passage which contain the phrase "I tell
you," as an exhortation on fear and a prelude to Jesus'
encouragement in the face of persecution. The disciple is not to fear the one
who can kill the human body, but the one who can cast into Gehenna (Hell); fear
God and God alone. In Old Testament - and early Christian use, "fear"
of God was understood as highest respect, the sense of reverent
awe or the act of obedience toward God. In some elements of Protestantism
the notion of fear took on a darker dimension as exhibited in the American
Clergyman, Jonathan Edwards' mid eighteenth century sermon, "Sinners
in the Hands of an Angry God." It's style and picturesque descriptions of
the sinner dangling like an insect over the hot fires of Hell were more the
stuff of John the Baptist than Jesus.
Luke
changes the tone with Jesus' words of reassurance, "Do not be
afraid," because even the sparrow sold in the market is not forgotten
in God's sight and we are of much more worth than a sparrow. If God so regards
the sparrow, Luke writes, God will surely regard the follower of Jesus. Whether
we believe in a literal Hell or not, we might question the threat of such
destruction as the best inducement to seeking a relationship with the God whose
loving kindness is characterized by the good shepherd who puts everything aside
to search for the lost sheep.
In
the last part of the passage Luke adds examples of those situations
when the disciples will be called upon to acknowledge him (bear witness to
Jesus as Lord). They will be called before Synagogues as well as Jewish rulers
and Roman authorities to defend themselves because of their faith. They are
neither to fear them nor to be concerned about what to say. It is the Holy
Spirit that will provide the words (the inspiration) they are to speak.
In
any field of endeavor, the closer we are to a subject the easier it is to find
the words when called upon to speak on that subject. Such spontaneity
does not necessarily come naturally. Some of the best examples are found in
music and sports. The inspiration to write or sing the Messiah does not fall
from the sky. The long pass receiver at the Super Bowl does not trust in blind
luck as he maneuvers the forbidding landscape of determined defenders to find
the right place to turn and embrace the ball; as Isaac Stern is said to have
replied to a passerby's question on how to get to Carnegie Hall,
"Practice, practice, practice." If we want to be inspired to speak on
behalf of our faith we, too, need to practice, practice, practice, that
faith. If we do, the words will come and they will have meaning to the one who
hears.
Luke Chapter 12:13-21 The
Parable of the Rich Fool
When
someone from the crowd tries to involve Jesus in settling an inheritance debate
between two brothers, he not only refuses to be their estate judge, he uses the
occasion to address the issue of the man's attachment to possessions. Jesus
understands the man's preoccupation with property to have arisen from greed. He
warns those listening to the discussion to be very careful of any kind of
greed, a form of coveting. An abundance of things cannot be the sum
and substance of a life well lived. He tells the people this well known parable
of the farmer who has done so well. He congratulates himself on the
extraordinary bounty of the harvest. It is so much he will need to build all
new barns to store it. He fantasizes about what he will be able to do with all
the wealth he will gain. He can retire from farming, take a life of ease,
relax, buy some choice wine, the best food and taste all the pleasures this
world has to offer. Such fantasies can be fleeting, Jesus warns. Who knows, he
says, what any moment might bring or what disaster lurks around the corner.
Then who will own all these "things" and enjoy the fruit of your
labor. Jesus reminds the crowd that there is another dimension to life. While we
should be gainfully employed in ways that will supply our needs, the
storing up of true treasure will be realized in doing the work of God,
showing mercy, compassion and doing justice. This is richness toward God
amassed aplenty by living in the satisfaction of loving God, neighbor
and one's self.
Luke Chapter 12:22-34 Do Not
Worry [see MT 6:25-33; 6:1-21]
The
basic theme and meaning of this passage on anxiety is shared by Matthew and
Luke. Put simply, we are urged to seek God's Kingdom as of first
importance in our lives. To do so is to free ourselves from worry about
food, shelter and clothing. All such needs are amply met for it is God's wish
to give the Kingdom to those who seek it. Luke adds the suggestion that
we sell our possessions and give alms (charity to the poor). There are
elements of good sense in these words. Life certainly needs more than food
and the body more than clothing (vs.23).
Worrying can't add even an hour to our lives (although it certainly can
take hours away).
We
have to be cautious in our interpretation of these verses. We have to
understand the context of what seems to be an incredibly audacious disconnect
with reality. The meaning is to be found in the lesson of the parable of
the rich fool (vss.13-21 above).
These words are aimed at those who do have enough to eat and clothes to wear
but who are not satisfied with enough. Their sense of
security must be found in possessions, engaging in a never ending spiral
of acquiring, grasping and acquiring more for fear of running out. These are
the ones who are driven by their anxieties. For them honestly seeking the
Kingdom of God, not as another possession but as the center of one's
being, may put a new perspective on life. The lens through which
we see the Kingdom allows us to see the world and the people who inhabit
it through new eyes. It may now be possible to sell some possessions
for the sake of the poor. It might be more sensible to think in terms
of what we need rather than what we want. Maybe instead
of anxiety about how long we will live we can now live the life we have to
its fullest and in its own richness.
There
are two other understandings of Jesus' teaching on worry that would have had
meaning to his audience and to the earliest church. One is found in the example
of the twelve disciples as persons chosen to be with Jesus in
fellowship and sharing. This was applied as a model for later
developing communities of other followers of Jesus'. The word that describes
that relationship is commensality. It refers to table fellowship, to the
sharing of what one has with others. This was the foundation upon which
the first waves of Jesus' followers went out into the towns and villages to
share the good news and built the small gatherings which would become the
Church. It was the heart of the Eucharist table. Those who are the least
anxious about possessions/resources are the usually the best in sharing them.
When people share what they have there is always enough to go around.
The
other understanding that would have evoked a feeling of shared emotions would
be that of the coming Kingdom of God. Especially for the very poor the image of
the abundance of the new age was one of hope. The Prophets wrote of
the time of God's Reign and the transformed world in which the happiness
of the poor and hungry would be realized. But even this vision of the
future was already beginning. The stories of feeding the four and five thousand
are stories of sharing one's meager possessions with others as they
offer their own to share in the fellowship of believers. Even among the poor
the Kingdom seed had been sown and would flourish. What was shared today
was but a precursor of what was to come, in God's time.
Luke Chapter 12:35-48
Watchfulness [see MT 24:43-51]
The
two stories of this passage are in parable form, imparting lessons rooted in
the relationships between master and slave and the need for being prepared when
the important time comes. As such they relate to the end times and the
coming of the Son of Man at the beginning of the new age. The question they ask
is whether or not the believers will be ready for that hour. The
opening phrase, "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit," will
remind us of the Andre' Thomas spiritual, "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed
and Burning," based on the Parable of the ten virgins in MT 25:1-13. In the first parable it
will be the slaves who are alert and ready no matter what time of
the night the Master returns home who will be blessed and rewarded. In the
second it is the faithful steward of the Master's house who knows what the
Master wants and who is found doing his duties as instructed when the
master returns and will be rewarded.
Luke
adds an interesting reference to the two servants who did not do what the
Master wanted done while he was gone. One knew what he wanted but didn't
prepare himself for the task or do it. The other did not know what the
Master wanted done and therefore what he did was wrong. The former deserves a
severe beating while the latter deserves a light beating. Lest we think this
odd, the Old Testament calls the first slave's sin "High
Handed" and it deserved a beating. The latter has committed a
sin without knowing it and deserves a light punishment, usually a small
sacrifice will do.
The
subtext of these stories of readiness is common sense in the work place. It is
the employee who is actively involved in productive work when the manager walks
by who gets noticed and (hopefully) rewarded. It will not be the one hanging
around the water cooler. Not exactly high theology, but...
Luke Chapter 12:49-53 Jesus,
The Cause of division [see MT 10:34-39]
Many
of the passages in this chapter (and the next) deal with the
timing of the coming Kingdom of God. The rich fool, freedom from anxiety,
the watchful and faithful/unfaithful slaves are meant to focus followers of
Jesus (and church communities) on being ready and found doing God's work while
waiting. This passage explores the stress of family divisions which will
occur in the interim as a sign that the Kingdom is near.
Matthew's
version of the common source is briefer and with less detail than
Luke's but lacks Luke's important introduction. To appreciate Luke's
description of this time of the approaching Kingdom read again Luke's
story of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-14). Bringing
the fire is symbolic of the coming of the Holy spirit. We will recall from John
the Baptist's preaching that "the one who is to come" will
baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (vs.
3:16), with the purifying fire as a definer of the Spirit. Here In vs. 49 Jesus speaks of this Spirit
fire he has come to bring and the urgency he feels to fulfill that
work. The time will be one of turmoil and divisions not of peace. Jesus will be
one of its first casualties. Luke's community has suffered this fire that
divides as families are fractured by allegiances to this new belief challenge.
The "sword" mentioned by Matthew will sever family bonds among Jews
and Gentiles alike. It will be a time when pagan temples and Jewish Synagogues
will lose their supporters to a new way of understanding
religion. God has set the dividing stake firmly in the ground and
proclaimed the new future starts here. The signs are as obvious as the
predicting the weather from the color of the sky; so obvious only the
spiritually blind will fail to see them.
Luke Chapter 12:57-59
Settling with Your Accuser [see MT 5:25-26]
The
situation described above is desperate. Time is running out and the signs must
be heeded. The parable of the accuser and the accused emphasizes this urgency.
Before time runs out the accused could avoid being sent to prison by settling
his case with the accuser before he is handed over to the judge, then to
the officer and finally sent to prison from which there is no release. The
parable emphasizes the warning that the Kingdom and Judgment are so
near that immediate repentance is vital before it is too late. Once the day has
passed and the opportunity missed, one's fate is sealed.
Such
a warning was part of the evangelists' preaching. Although the Day of Judgment
could not be predicted, the message pressed the issue of readiness before
that time arrived. We can hear this message repeated in tent revivals,
evangelistic crusades and on television. It is the basis for a myriad of end
times books and calculations, Internet sites, street corner pamphlets and
poorly disguised fiction. Repent now, before it is too late. To
whatever degree anyone might be anxious about the timing or any of the
certainly misguided predictions, we will miss the real message within the
message: It is not the time that is important. It is not the day or
hour. The issue for us is whenever and if ever the day arrives, and until
it does, are we now and will we then be engaged in work set before us, doing
justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with our God.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
1) The Greek word
translated as hypocrite (hypocrisis), literally "play
acting," refers to an actor who wears a mask as part of the
performance. Jesus says the Pharisees are wearing a mask of outward
piety to cover, hide their inner corruption. This is the corrupting leaven
to be avoided by ignoring their teaching, at least to the degree that their
teaching is from their oral tradition of the Holiness Code.
2) In vs. 10:28 Matthew alludes to the
destruction of both body and soul in hell, something only God can do. The
concept of the immortal soul as separate from the body was not
known in Judaism as it was in Hellenistic (Greek) religious
thought. For Judaism the soul referred to the life force within,
represented by blood. The idea in sacrificing animals was the offering of
the animal's life to the one who gave life, to God. In later
Jewish understanding of resurrection, the body and soul (life blood) would
be rejoined in the age to come. It is not clear exactly when early Christianity
adopted the concept of the immortal soul, but it begins to appear in the
writings of Christian philosophers and theologians by the third century.
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