Luke 12

Luke 12:1

Luke: The Man Christ Jesus Jesus on his way from Galilee to Jerusalem An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Luke 9:51 to 19:44

www.easyenglish.info Ian Mackervoy This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

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Chapter 12 Jesus teaches the people – Luke 12:1-59 Jesus warns against *hypocrisy – Luke 12:1-3 v1 Thousands of people crowded together, so that they were stepping on each other’s feet. Jesus began to speak to his *disciples first. He said, ‘Be cautious about the *yeast of the *Pharisees. By this, I mean their *hypocrisy. v2 Everything that people hide, the *Lord will show. Every secret, the *Lord will make public. v3 What you have said in the dark, people will hear in the light. What you whisper to an ear in a private room will be like a shout from the roof.’

Verses 1 The word for thousands really means more than 10 thousand. Here it does not mean that actual number. Luke used the word to mean a very large crowd. The whole crowd pushed in to hear Jesus. But Jesus spoke first to his *disciples.

Jesus told his *disciples to be cautious about the *yeast of the *Pharisees. He warns them not to let this kind of *yeast affect their lives. Most people in those days baked their own bread. They knew that a small amount of *yeast would affect the whole lump of the bread. In the same way, *hypocrisy can affect a person or a church. The effect of *yeast is good in bread but the effect of *hypocrisy is bad for people or the church.

Many *Pharisees did not do what they taught. This was their *hypocrisy. And they preferred to teach their traditions rather than the word of God.

Verses 2-3 We may try to keep secrets but in the end, nothing will be secret. The *Lord knows even the thoughts that we have. We can hide nothing from the *Lord. The *Lord will show in public all that people try to hide (1 Corinthians 4:5).

Houses were often of one floor, with a flat roof. A flat roof made a good platform from which to speak to a crowd. Be loyal to the *Lord – Luke 12:4-12 v4 ‘My friends, do not be afraid of those who can kill the body. After they have killed the body, they can do nothing more. v5 But I will show you of whom you should be afraid. Be afraid of God, who after your death has the power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you: be afraid of him.

v6 You can buy 5 *sparrows for two *assaria but God does not forget any of the *sparrows. v7 God has counted all the hairs on your head. So, do not be afraid. You are worth more than many *sparrows.

v8 Declare to other people that you belong to me. And I, the Son of Man will tell God’s *angels that you are mine. v9 But if a person denies me to other people, I will deny that person to God’s *angels. v10 If you speak against the Son of Man, the *Lord can forgive you. But if you speak *blasphemy against the *Holy Spirit, the *Lord will not forgive you.

v11 People will accuse you in *synagogues, in front of rulers or other judges. Do not worry about how you will defend yourselves. Do not worry about what you will say. v12 At that time the *Holy Spirit will teach you what you ought to say.’

Verses 4-5 It is natural to be afraid of those who can kill the body. Jesus tells his friends not to be afraid of them. They can do nothing more after they have killed the body. The death of the body is not the end of the person. Beyond death, there is heaven and hell. God has the authority to send a person to heaven or to hell. God controls the final fate of all people. Therefore, it is important to be afraid of God. So, Jesus tells his friends to be afraid of God rather than men.

Hell comes from the *Greek word: Gehenna. Gehenna was another name for the Valley of Hinnom. The Valley of Hinnom is outside Jerusalem city. In *New Testament times, this was the place where people burned their rubbish. It seems that a fire burned there at all times. So, it began to mean a place of *eternal punishment.

The Valley of Hinnom had been the place where people *sacrificed children to false gods (Jeremiah 7:31, 2 Chronicles 28:3). King Josiah stopped that practice (2 Kings 23:10). But the *Jews continued to consider that valley as an evil place.

Verses 6-7 Jesus tells them that God cares about his people. He speaks about the *sparrows. A person could buy these common little birds. Poor people bought small birds for food. They cost very little: just two *sparrows for one *assaria or 5 *sparrows for two *assaria (see Matthew 10:29). And God cares about each one of those little birds.

An *assaria was a very small *Roman coin. It was worth a 16th of a *denarius. A *denarius was equal to a day’s wage for a farm worker.

God knows each hair on the head of each of his people. He has such knowledge of each person. He knows more about us than we can know about ourselves. Therefore, his *disciples should not be afraid. They are worth more than many *sparrows to God. They can trust God to take care of them.

Verses 8-9 Our attitude to Jesus is very important. A Christian must not be afraid to say that he belongs to Christ. Then Jesus will tell the *angels that this person belongs to him. If a person denies Christ now, Christ will deny him in the future.

Verse 10 There is a *sin that is too serious for God to forgive. God will forgive all other *sins if we *repent of them. But this *sin, he will never forgive.

We cannot talk of one *sin as less bad than another *sin. *Sin is *sin and all *sins are bad. God can forgive us even if we *sin against Jesus. But God will not forgive the *sin of *blasphemy against the *Holy Spirit. It is important for us to understand what that *sin is.

The enemies of Jesus said that he did good deeds by the power of the devil (Mark 3:29-30). They called evil good and good evil. People who say these things have chosen on purpose to oppose God. They deny that God is good. If they continue with this attitude, they are guilty of the final *sin. These persons are not able to *repent because they will never change their minds. They cannot believe in the *Lord Jesus for *salvation because their final choice is to be God’s enemies.

God can forgive all kinds of *sin if people *repent. He can even forgive the *sin of *blasphemy. But it is possible for a person to continue with *sin until he is completely unwilling to *repent. Because that person will not *repent, God will never forgive that person.

Verses 11-12 However, the *Holy Spirit is with those who believe in Jesus. Their enemies will accuse them in front of rulers and judges. These enemies may be in the *synagogues or in the courts of law. When this happens, the Christians should not worry about it. They do not need to prepare to defend themselves. They can depend on the *Holy Spirit to teach them what to say. He will teach them at the right time when they need it.

He does not promise to free them from the situation. But in their defence, they will serve the purposes of God. They will declare the truth. The rich fool – Luke 12:13-21 v13 Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of my father’s property.’

v14 But Jesus replied to him, ‘Man, nobody has appointed me to be a judge in this matter. It is not my work to divide the property between you and your brother.’ v15 He told the people, ‘Be careful. Do not be greedy for material things. A person’s life does not consist in how much he possesses.’

v16 Jesus told them this story, ‘The land of a certain rich man produced a good harvest. v17 He thought to himself, “I must do something. I do not have enough room to store my harvest.”

v18 Then he said, “I know what to do. I will tear down my sheds. I will build bigger sheds. And there I will store all my grain and my other good things. v19 Then I will say to myself, ‘I have stored up many good things. They will last for many years. Life will be easy. I will eat and I will drink. I will enjoy myself.’ ”

v20 However, God said to him, “You are a fool. You will die tonight. Someone else will get what you have stored up."

v21 Some people store up wealth for themselves but they are not rich in their relationship with God. They will suffer the same fate as the man in this story.’

Verses 13-15 A person in the crowd had a problem with his brother. Their father had died and the brother had taken the father’s property. He asked Jesus to tell his brother to share the property with him. The person asked for a decision for his own benefit. Perhaps he expected the brother to hand over the property if Jesus told him to that.

There are rules in the *Old Testament about what the first son in a family should receive (Deuteronomy 21:17). These rules gave the first son twice as much as the other sons. A father had to give the first son his proper share. Maybe the brother here was the first son; if so, he had the right to a larger share of the property. However, he should not take everything. It seems that he had acted unfairly.

Jesus refused to make a decision in this personal matter. Nobody had appointed him to act as a judge of such matters. He warned the people to be careful about greedy attitudes. They must not be greedy for material things. Many people constantly worry about their possessions. But our life does not depend on what we own.

Verses 16-21 Then Jesus told a story to show what he meant. The story was about a wealthy farmer. The farmer had a very good harvest. His sheds were full and he had nowhere to store his harvest. So, he decided to replace his sheds with bigger sheds. Then he could relax and enjoy his wealth. He had enough for many years.

In all of this, there was no thought about other people or about God. He thought only about himself. He supposed that he would live for many years. He thought that he would live in luxury.

God called this man a fool. The man was stupid to think that he had control of his future. No man can know how many years he will live on this earth. God told this man that he would die that night. Then the man would have to give an account of his life to God. And all his wealth would belong to someone else. The man who depends on his wealth alone is a fool.

It is foolish to store up wealth on earth without God. What really matters is our relationship with God. We must store up wealth in heaven rather than on earth (Matthew 6:19-21). Do not worry – Luke 12:22-34 v22 Jesus said to his *disciples, ‘I tell you this. Do not worry about the food that you need to live. Do not worry about the clothes that you need for your body. v23 Life is more than food and the body is more than clothes. v24 Think about the *ravens. They do not sow and they do not harvest grain. They do not have buildings to store grain. They do not put the harvest into sheds. However, God feeds them. And you are much more valuable than birds. v25 You cannot add any time to your life even if you worry about it. v26 Because you cannot do a small thing like that, do not worry about other things.

v27 Think about how the *lilies grow. They do not work. They do not make their own clothes. I tell you that Solomon’s magnificent clothes were not as beautiful as one of these flowers. v28 That is how God dresses the grass. The grass is in the field today and tomorrow people burn it in the fire. If he dresses the grass like that, he will certainly provide clothes for you. Your *faith is so small. v29 Do not worry about what you will eat. And do not worry about what you will drink. Do not be anxious about these things. v30 People in every nation across the world try to get these things. But your Father knows that you need them. v31 But look for God’s *kingdom and he will give these things to you.

v32 I consider you as my little group of sheep. So do not be afraid. It pleased your Father to give the *kingdom to you. v33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor people. Get for yourselves purses that will not wear out. Make sure that your wealth is safe in heaven. There thieves cannot approach to steal it and *moths cannot destroy it. v34 Where your wealth is, there your heart will be also.’

Verses 22-26 Jesus told the story in Luke 12:16-20 to the crowd. Now he spoke to his *disciples. What he said to them follows from that story. The greedy person can never get enough to satisfy his own desires. Other people worry that they may not have enough. The *disciples of Jesus should not be greedy for possessions on earth. And they should not be anxious that they might not have enough. It is important in all circumstances to trust the *Lord. The *Lord knows that his people need food and clothes.

Birds like ravens do not farm for their food. Ravens are large black birds. God has provided for the birds. People are of more value to God than birds. He will take care of those people who trust him.

People cannot extend their life. The rich farmer (in Luke 12:16-20) could not change the time of his death even by one hour. It is not certain whether verse 25 refers to time or height. The verse could be, ‘You cannot add one cubit to your height even if you worry about it.’ A cubit was about 18 inches. Either way it shows that worry is of no use. These things are beyond the control of men. They are small things to God but they are impossible for men.

Verses 27-28 Jesus had used the birds as an example. Now he talks about the plants in the field. *Lilies grew in the grass. We do not know anything about these flowers, except that they were beautiful flowers. The word ‘lilies’ could mean flowers in general rather than one type of flower. Flowers do not have to work to be beautiful. They do not make their clothes as people do. They do nothing to achieve their own beauty. God gives to them their beauty. The skill of people made magnificent clothes for King Solomon. But they could not make anything as beautiful as a flower.

Flowers do not last long. They are in the grass. People cut the grass and they burn it. These flowers are so temporary. They are alive one day and they are in the fire the next day. God does so much for the flowers that last for such a short time. Certainly, he will give clothes to his own people. They are worth much more to him than the flowers. The *disciples do not need to be anxious about clothes. They need to have *faith in God.

Verses 29-31 Jesus commands his *disciples not to be anxious about food or drink. Life is so much more important than these things. They should give their attention to the *kingdom of God. God is their Father. And he knows what they need. God will take care of his people and he will provide these things for them.

Verses 32-34 Jesus calls his *disciples his ‘little group of sheep’. He is their *shepherd and the *shepherd takes care of his sheep. They do not need to be afraid because he will protect them. He has told them to look for the *kingdom of God. God their Father is happy to give that *kingdom to them.

We do need some possessions. Jesus does not say that his *disciples should have no possessions. He was speaking about our attitude to material possessions. They are not the most important things in life. It is better to sell our possessions than that we should allow them to take control of our lives. Trust in material wealth prevents trust in God.

What we possess on earth cannot last. We cannot have the benefit of such things permanently. Thieves can steal our possessions. *Moths are insects that fly. Some *moths eat clothes. *Moths spoil clothes when they make holes in them. In those days, clothes were valuable. When we die, we cannot take anything with us. Our true wealth is what we have with Jesus. God’s people have a new life now and a safe home in heaven. God is giving to them his *kingdom.

Where our wealth is will be the centre of (the most important thing in) our life. Our attitude to wealth governs our desires and thoughts. Our wealth can be the material things on earth that will fail. Or, our wealth can be the *kingdom of God in our life now and for the future in heaven. Be ready – Luke 12:35-48 v35 ‘Dress ready for action. And light your lamps. v36 Be like servants who wait for their master to come home from a wedding party. When he comes, he knocks at the door. The servants immediately open the door for him. v37 It will be good for those servants whom the master finds ready for him. I tell you the truth, the master will dress himself to serve. He will tell the servants to sit at the table. And he will come to serve them. v38 The master may come in the second or third part of the night. It will be good for those servants whom the master finds ready at that time.

v39 You can be sure about this. If the house owner knew when to expect the thief, he would not let the thief break into his house. v40 So, be ready. The Son of Man will come at a time when you do not expect him.’

v41 Peter asked, ‘*Lord, did you tell this story to us, or to everyone?’

v42 The *Lord answered, ‘This is the loyal servant and the wise manager. He is the person that the master makes responsible for his servants. He will give them their share of food at the proper time. v43 The master will return. And it will be good for that servant who is doing his work properly. v44 I tell you the truth. The master will appoint that servant to take care of everything that he owns. v45 But the servant may be less loyal. He thinks, “My master will not come back soon.” That servant starts to hit the other male and female servants.

He eats and he drinks a lot. And he drinks too much alcohol. v46 The master of that servant will come at a time when the servant does not expect him. The servant will not know the day or the hour in which the master will come. The master will cut him in pieces. The master will cause him to suffer with those people who do not believe.

v47 The servant knew what his master wanted. But he did not get ready. And he did not do what his master wanted. So, the master will strike him with many blows. v48 However, a servant may not know what his master wants. And he may do things that deserve punishment. But the master will strike him with few blows. From everyone who has received much, the master will demand much. And from the one to whom people have given much, they will demand much more.’

Verses 35-40 People wore long clothes that were not good for physical work. To dress ready for action, they would lift the skirts of the clothes into their belts. This would free their legs for easier movement. Their lamps burned oil. To be ready, they would need to light their lamps. We too need to be ready. In particular, we need to be ready for the time when Jesus will come again.

To show what he meant, Jesus told a story. The good servants were ready for the master to return home. As soon as he knocked on the door, they were ready to open it. It pleased the master very much to find that his servants were ready for his return. This master did something that was not usual. Most masters would expect the servants to prepare the master’s meal first. Then the servants could get their own meal. But this master changed his clothes. And he prepared a meal for his servants.

The servants did not know when the master would come. The *Jews divided the night into three parts. The first part was from sunset to about 10 o’clock in the night. The second part was until 2 o’clock in the morning. And the third part was until sunrise. The master may come very late, even after midnight. The good servants will be ready for him at all times. They would stay awake all night if necessary, because they did not know when to expect him.

Jesus spoke about a house owner. If he knew when to expect the thief, he would be able to stop the thief. If he did not know, he would have to be ready to defend his house at all times.

The *disciples do not know when Jesus will come again. The fact that he will come again is certain. So, we need to be ready for when he does come. We should live as if we expect him to come at any time.

Verses 41-46 Peter wanted to know if the story referred to the *disciples or to everybody. Jesus did not give Peter a direct answer. Instead, Jesus answered him with two examples.

In both examples, the servant was the manager of his master’s house. He was responsible for the other servants. And he had control of the house while the master was away.

The loyal servant was a wise manager. He took care of the other servants. And he did all that the master wanted him to do. The master came back home. He found that the servant had done a good job. So, he rewarded that servant.

The other servant was not a wise and good manager. The master was away for a long time. So, the manager could do what he wanted. He beat the other servants and he did not do his job. He ate too much and he drank too much. The master came back home when the servant did not expect him. The master saw what the servant had done. So, he punished that wicked servant. The wicked servant would suffer a terrible punishment. He would suffer as one who did not have *faith in Jesus.

Jesus was talking about the people who followed him. The story refers especially to those people who are leaders. But the same principles are true for all who follow Jesus.

We cannot know when Jesus will come back again. But we must look for his return, and we must be ready for him to come.

Verses 47-48 Punishment is certain for those people who do not do their duty. Here the punishment is not because of wrong deeds. It is because of failure to do what is right. A master expects much of those servants who have received much. They will receive the greater punishment for their failure. Those people who did not know will receive less punishment. A servant should try to find out what his duties are. That is why these servants deserve punishment. But their punishment is not as severe as if they had acted on purpose.

In those days, the punishment for a serious crime was up to 40 blows with a whip. For a smaller crime, the punishment may be just a few blows with a whip. Jesus uses this to express the idea of different levels of punishment. He does not mean that God will use a whip. So the answer to Peter’s question (verse 41) was this. Everyone should be ready for Christ’s return. But people who know more about it have greater responsibility. If someone with knowledge refuses to be ready for Christ’s return, that is a very severe matter. When we understand Christ’s message, it is very important to obey him. Jesus separates people – Luke 12:49-53 v49 ‘I have come to bring fire on the earth. And I desire that it were already on fire. v50 But I must go through a *baptism. And I suffer much until I have completed it. v51 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. No, I did not. Rather I came to separate people. v52 From now on there may be five people in one house. Three of these will be against the other two. And two will be against the other three. v53 A father will be against his son and a son against his father. A mother will be against her daughter and a daughter against her mother. A son’s mother will be against his wife and his wife will be against his mother.’

Verses 49-50 Jesus came to bring fire on earth. It is not clear what this means. Fire may mean to make pure or it may mean punishment. In a sense, it could mean both. Jesus came to die for the *sins of the world. In his death, he took the punishment for our *sins. Through his death and by *faith, God can make us pure. In other words, he can forgive us and he can give us a right relationship with him. But those people who refuse to believe will suffer the punishment because of their own *sins.

The water in *baptism is a picture of death (Romans 6:3). People rise from the water to live a new life (Romans 6:4). So, Jesus uses *baptism as a word-picture here. The *baptism that Jesus talks about means his death and his life beyond death. He looks forward to the time when that *baptism will be complete. Until that time, Jesus suffered with the knowledge of what was to come. He knew the awful and painful death that he would go through.

Verses 51-53 There is a way in which Jesus does bring peace. We can have peace (a right relationship) with God through *faith in Jesus. But that peace is not what he meant here.

The good news of Jesus Christ separates people. Some people accept the death of Jesus and they believe in him. Other people refuse to believe that Jesus died on their behalf. And the division often causes strong feelings. It can cause family members to fight against each other. Parents can turn against their children. Children can turn against their parents. There can be trouble between mothers and their sons’ wives. You do not understand the time – Luke 12:54-59 v54 Then Jesus said this to the crowd. ‘You see a cloud come up in the west. Immediately you say, “It will rain.” And it does rain. v55 You feel the wind that blows from the south. You say, “It will be hot.” And it is hot. v56 You are *hypocrites. You can look at the earth and the sky and you know what weather to expect. But you do not understand this present time.

v57 You should decide for yourselves what is right. v58 Suppose that you have done something wrong to someone. That person may take you to the courts in front of a ruler. Try hard to settle with him before you get there. Otherwise, he will bring you in front of the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to the officer. And the officer will put you in prison. v59 I tell you, it will not be easy to get out of there. First, you will have to pay all that you owe.’

Verses 54-56 The people in *Israel had learned how to interpret the clouds and the wind. From these, they could tell what the weather would do. The clouds from the west came over the sea and they brought rain. The wind from the south came from hot dry regions and it brought hot weather.

Jesus calls them *hypocrites. They understood what the clouds and the wind meant. But they were not able to see what was happening on earth. They did not understand that Jesus had come from God. They did not realise that judgement would come upon them. They did not see that this was a time of opportunity and responsibility.

Verses 57-59 It is better to settle out of court than to lose in the court. The one who owes money would be wise to make an agreement rather than to go to court. The judge would send the guilty person to prison. There would be no escape unless someone paid the debt.

We have all *sinned against God. Therefore, we would be wise to come to him now, before the day of judgement. He has made an agreement for us in Jesus. In this agreement, Jesus has paid the debt because of *sin on behalf of us all. If we accept this agreement by *faith then, by his death, Jesus paid the debt on our behalf. But if we do not accept it, we will have to pay for our own *sins. That is an impossible task. God as our judge will declare that we are guilty. We will have to suffer the punishment because of our *sins.

© 2013, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

November 2013

Visit our website: www.easyenglish.info

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