Luke 12-13
What I Noticed Today (Luke 12-13)
Luke 12
In verses 1-3, Jesus taught the disciples, saying it was important to be on guard against the hypocrisy (yeast) of the Pharisees. Ultimately, what the Pharisees had covered up or hidden will be made known.
Note: In scripture, yeast is often referred to as something evil that quietly permeates society.
In verses 4-12, Jesus continues teaching the disciples saying they should not fear those who can kill the body. Rather, they should fear the One who has the authority to throw people into hell after death. Jesus encourages the disciples, saying God cares for the sparrows, and they are worth more than many sparrows.
Anyone who acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before God, but whoever denies Me will be denied before God. Anyone who speaks a word against Me will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
Note: To blaspheme means to speak impiously about, to completely reject. So to blaspheme the Holy Spirit means to completely reject the teaching of God.
Note: Contrast two groups who rejected Jesus: The Pharisees rejected Jesus despite the activity of the Holy Spirit and God’s plan for salvation, while others who rejected Jesus initially came to faith later on.
In verses 13-21, a man came to Jesus, asking Him to tell his brother to divide their inheritance. Jesus, speaking to the disciples, warned them to be on guard against greed, because life is not about the abundance of possessions.
Jesus went on teaching the parable of the rich man and his barns. The man built bigger and bigger barns to store his grains, thinking he could relax and enjoy himself. Yet that very night, his life was over. The point of the parable is we do not know how much time we have in this life, and we should invest our time and treasures into the kingdom.
In verses 22-34, (See also Matthew 6:25-34), Jesus continued teaching the disciples saying they should not worry about their lives, food, or what they would wear because worrying doesn’t change anything. God takes care of and provides for all the birds and animals. He will do much more to care for us. It is most important to seek the kingdom of God because the Father wants to give you the kingdom. He then tells them to sell their possessions and give to the poor and thus have a treasure in heaven.
Note: Jesus’ teaching stands in stark contrast to the views of many Jews who considered the wealthiest people as a sign they have been especially blessed by God. Or the pagans who concern themselves with the accumulation of possessions rather than matters of God.
In verses 35-40, (See also Matthew 24:45-51), Jesus warned the disciples always to be ready for the Master’s return. If they are watching and ready when He returns, then the Master will bless them.
In verses 41-48, Jesus continued to teach the disciples with the parable of the master and the manager. The master returns from a trip and finds his slave working, and so the master will reward the slave and make him the manager over his possessions. But if the master returns and finds the slave neglecting his duties, he will be punished.
Note: This parable emphasizes the importance of stewardship. To whom much is given, much is required. The more you have been given, the more that is expected of you.
In verses 49-53, (See also Matthew 10:34-36), Jesus said that he did not come to bring peace, but rather division as those that followed Him would result in the division of households between those that believed and those that rejected His message.
Note: Jesus' prediction certainly came true in His time as Jewish families and society divided over acceptance and rejection of Jesus. The same holds true today as families become divided between those who believe and those who reject Christ.
In verses 54-56, (See also Matthew 16:2-3), Jesus, teaching the crowds, called them hypocrites because they could interpret the weather by signs in the sky and the winds, but they failed to recognize spiritual signs and miracles occurring all around them.
In verses 57-59, Jesus admonishes the crowd to judge what is right. A dispute should be settled before you get to court, or you may lose and never get out of prison.
Note: Jesus is saying we need to settle our accounts with God, repent, and become reconciled to Him before judgment day. Otherwise, it will be too late.
Luke 13
In verses 1-5, Jesus, teaching the crowd, emphasized the need to repent or perish. Two examples of people who were killed unexpectedly are given:
- Pilate had killed some Galileans as they were making sacrifices in the temple area.
- Eighteen people were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them.
The lesson is that everyone dies the physical death regardless of their state of sinfulness. Only those who have repented will not perish.
Note: Jews often considered such deaths as punishment by God for sins, but Jesus said none of their sins were worse than others.
In verses 6-9, Jesus taught the parable of the fig tree. A man had a fig tree that had not produced fruit for three years and wanted to cut it down, but the vineyard worker said to let it be for a year, he would water and fertilize the tree and then if not product fruit cut it down.
Note: The fig tree is often used to represent the nation of Israel. Israel had not produced fruit in three years, suggesting they had one more year to produce fruit. In our lives, the fruit is the outward evidence of a heart committed to the Lord.
In verses 10-17, when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, a woman disabled by a spirit for 18 years came. Jesus laid hands on the woman and healed her. She straightened up and immediately praised God. But the synagogue leader took offense and rebuked her for coming to be healed on the Sabbath (this constituted work in their eyes). Jesus called them hypocrites saying they feed and water their animals on the Sabbath, isn’t it better to heal a daughter of Abraham?
Note: This example underscores what Jesus had taught about the religious leaders keeping the people from the truth of the kingdom of God (Luke 11:52).
In verses 18-21, (See also Matthew 13:31-33, and Mark 4:30-32), Jesus taught about the kingdom of God using the parable of the mustard seed and the yeast. The mustard seed is the smallest seed but grows into the largest plant. A small amount of leaven (yeast) will leaven a whole lump of dough.
Note: Both of these parables are reinforcing the same teaching that the Kingdom of God started small but will eventually grow and spread. Also note, often leaven (yeast) has a negative connotation in Scripture, but this is not the case here. It is used to demonstrate how the Gospel of Jesus will spread throughout the land.
In verses 22-30, as Jesus was traveling and teaching from town to town, someone asked Jesus if few were being saved. Jesus answered, make every effort to enter through the narrow door (faith in Christ). Then Jesus said a man giving a banquet would get up and close the door, and others will knock to be let in, but the master will say I don’t know you. Some will be thrown out (not allowed to enter) the banquet. Then Jesus said people would come from the four corners of the world to the kingdom of God.
Note: Jews thought of themselves as a privileged class, that they would be first in the kingdom of God. But Jesus is saying unless they accept His Gospel, they will not be able to enter the kingdom and, in fact, will be cast out to where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In verses 31-35, (See also Matthew 23:37-39), some Pharisees came and warned Jesus to flee because Herod wanted to kill Him. But Jesus told them to take a message back to Herod that He still had work to do, then He would come to Jerusalem.
Note: Jesus seems to consider the Pharisees as simply messengers of Herod because He tells them to take a message back to him. Perhaps they were trying to get Jesus to flee the area because of the threat. It seems unlikely that the Pharisees were trying to help Jesus when all along, they had been plotting ways to get rid of Him.
Jesus laments Jerusalem, who had killed so many of the prophets sent to her. He wanted the Israelites to be gathered together, but they kept rejecting His message. Their house (the temple) is abandoned (by God), and now they will not see him until His second coming.
Some thoughts for further consideration:
- The “yeast of the Pharisees” seems to be growing and having a greater and greater influence on churches who are standing for man’s law and against the righteousness of God.
- Treasure in heaven is built up by investing in God’s people, not by investing in “bigger barns.”
- No one knows the hour or the day, so we must be prepared at all times.
- Once we are spiritually mature, there should be evidence of the fruit we are producing in our lives and others.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.