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12
Beware of hypocrisy
1 Meanwhile, when a crowd of thousands* That is what the Text says, ‘thousands’. had converged, so that they were stepping on each other, He began to speak first to His disciples: “Guard yourselves from the ‘yeast’ of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the ear behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops.† When you think about that does it make you feel uncomfortable?
Don't fear assassins
4 “Further, I say to you, my friends: do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 Rather, I will advise you whom you should fear—fear Him who after He kills has authority to cast into Gehenna;‡ ‘Gehenna’ was a euphemism for Hell, or the Lake of Fire. One's eternal destiny is far more important than a ‘premature’ physical death. yes indeed, fear Him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?§ The Greek term here is assaria. Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Even the hairs of your head are all numbered! So do not be afraid; you are far more valuable than sparrows!* Maybe that is why “the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1). [How many ‘lions’ do you know?]
You confess Christ, He'll confess you
8 “Also I say to you, whoever claims me before men, the Son of the Man will also claim him before the angels of God. 9 But whoever disclaims me before men will be disclaimed before the angels of God.† Revelation 21:8 includes the ‘cowardly’ among those destined for the Lake of Fire. When persecution comes for being a Christian, the cowardly will cave in and disclaim the Lord. 10 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of the Man, it can be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit it will not be forgiven. 11 Now whenever they bring you before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what you will answer, or what you should say. 12 Because the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you need to say.”‡ This advice is presumably for martyrs, not preachers, but don't you wish that more preachers would listen to the Holy Spirit?
Beware of materialism
13 Then someone from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter over you?” 15 Then He said to them, “Keep alert and guard against covetousness, because one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”§ Christians who live in materialistic societies tend to forget this important truth.
Parable of a rich fool
16 Then He told them a parable, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man produced well. 17 And he reasoned within himself saying, ‘What shall I do, because I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said: ‘This is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my produce and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul: Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and enjoy yourself!’ 20 But God said to him: ‘Stupid! This very night your life is being taken back from you;* ‘Taken back’—we have our life on loan, like a trust, and an accounting will be required. then who will get the things you have prepared?’ 21 Just like that† “Just like that” = “Stupid!” To be rich toward God is to invest in His Kingdom. is he who accumulates treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
The mentality of the Kingdom
22 Then He said to His disciples: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storeroom nor barn, and God feeds them. You are far more valuable than the birds! 25 And who among you can add one cubit to his height by worrying? 26 So if you cannot do even such a little thing, why worry about the rest?
27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; I say to you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of these. 28 So if God so clothes the grass that today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into an oven, how much more you, O little-faiths! 29 Do not concentrate on what you may eat or what you may drink; do not be anxious. 30 All these things really occupy the nations of the world, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Rather, concentrate on the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be provided for you.‡ Note that what is promised is just the basics—food, drink, covering. Everything we invest in the Kingdom will be on deposit in heaven.
32 “Do not fear, little flock, because it pleased the Father to give you the Kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to charity. Make for yourselves ‘purses’ that will not wear out, an unfailing treasure in the heavens, where a thief cannot approach, nor a moth destroy. 34 Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.§ There is the crucial question: Where is your treasure?
Watchfulness enjoined
35 “Let your waists be belted and your lamps burning, 36 and you yourselves like men waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find watching when he comes. Assuredly I say to you that he will gird himself and have them recline, and will come and serve them.* He is doubtless in a very good mood, and for his servants to have stayed awake for hours when they wanted to be in bed, just so they could receive him when he came—he probably figures they need some refreshment. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those slaves. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also be ready, because the Son of the Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”† Everyone who has predicted a date so far has had to eat humble pie. But being ready all the time is a different matter. The trouble is, it's hard to stay ‘ready’ all the time.
41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, are you directing this parable to us, or to everyone?”‡ The Lord's answer is indirect, but it includes everyone. 42 So the Lord said: “Who then is the faithful and prudent steward whom his master will place over his household to give them the food allowance at the right time? 43 Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 I tell you truly that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.§ He was director of food services; if he proved faithful and competent there, he would be made general director. 45 But if that servant should say in his heart, ‘My master won't come for a while,’ and should begin to hit the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in two and appoint his portion with the unbelievers.* What is involved here is two deaths: physical (cut in two) and spiritual—the ‘portion’ of unbelievers is the Lake of Fire.
47 “That servant who knew his master's will, but neither got ready nor did according to that will, will be beaten with many blows. 48 But he who did not know, yet did things worthy of blows, will be beaten with few.† Note that even sins done in ignorance are punished. However, the more one knows, the more severe the punishment. Everyone to whom much has been given, from him much will be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him much more will be asked.
Christ causes division
49 “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do you imagine that I came to provide peace on the earth? Not at all, I tell you, but rather division.‡ So why is He called the ‘Prince of Peace’? On several occasions, after healing someone, He said, “Go into peace” (not ‘in peace’). Jesus offers peace with God, but you must believe into Him in order to receive it. 52 Because from now on there will be five in one house divided: three against two and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”§ This is precisely true.
Discern the time
54 Then He also said to the crowds: “Whenever you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A rainstorm is coming,’ and so it does. 55 And whenever a south wind blows, you say, ‘It will be hot,’ and it happens. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky and of the earth, so how can you not discern this time?* To be able to discern what God is doing requires intimate relationship with Him. 57 Also why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?† Good question!
Pay your debts on time
58 “When you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him,‡ The point seems to be that the ‘adversary’ has exhausted all other means of getting his money back; which would indicate a serious flaw in the character of the ‘debtor’. lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the bailiff, and the bailiff throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny.”

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*12:1 That is what the Text says, ‘thousands’.

†12:3 When you think about that does it make you feel uncomfortable?

‡12:5 ‘Gehenna’ was a euphemism for Hell, or the Lake of Fire. One's eternal destiny is far more important than a ‘premature’ physical death.

§12:6 The Greek term here is assaria.

*12:7 Maybe that is why “the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1). [How many ‘lions’ do you know?]

†12:9 Revelation 21:8 includes the ‘cowardly’ among those destined for the Lake of Fire. When persecution comes for being a Christian, the cowardly will cave in and disclaim the Lord.

‡12:12 This advice is presumably for martyrs, not preachers, but don't you wish that more preachers would listen to the Holy Spirit?

§12:15 Christians who live in materialistic societies tend to forget this important truth.

*12:20 ‘Taken back’—we have our life on loan, like a trust, and an accounting will be required.

†12:21 “Just like that” = “Stupid!” To be rich toward God is to invest in His Kingdom.

‡12:31 Note that what is promised is just the basics—food, drink, covering. Everything we invest in the Kingdom will be on deposit in heaven.

§12:34 There is the crucial question: Where is your treasure?

*12:37 He is doubtless in a very good mood, and for his servants to have stayed awake for hours when they wanted to be in bed, just so they could receive him when he came—he probably figures they need some refreshment.

†12:40 Everyone who has predicted a date so far has had to eat humble pie. But being ready all the time is a different matter. The trouble is, it's hard to stay ‘ready’ all the time.

‡12:41 The Lord's answer is indirect, but it includes everyone.

§12:44 He was director of food services; if he proved faithful and competent there, he would be made general director.

*12:46 What is involved here is two deaths: physical (cut in two) and spiritual—the ‘portion’ of unbelievers is the Lake of Fire.

†12:48 Note that even sins done in ignorance are punished. However, the more one knows, the more severe the punishment.

‡12:51 So why is He called the ‘Prince of Peace’? On several occasions, after healing someone, He said, “Go into peace” (not ‘in peace’). Jesus offers peace with God, but you must believe into Him in order to receive it.

§12:53 This is precisely true.

*12:56 To be able to discern what God is doing requires intimate relationship with Him.

†12:57 Good question!

‡12:58 The point seems to be that the ‘adversary’ has exhausted all other means of getting his money back; which would indicate a serious flaw in the character of the ‘debtor’.

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD