(Through the Bible) Luke 12-13 — Chuck Smith

Luke 12: Jesus’ Final Ministry and the Journey Toward Jerusalem

Shall we turn in our Bibles to Luke's Gospel, chapter 12. We are dealing with the final months in the ministry of Jesus. He has returned to Jerusalem. He will soon be leaving Jerusalem to go down to the area of the Jordan River beyond Jericho where he will sort of absent himself from the authorities until such a time as he comes back for the Feast of the Passover and makes his triumphant entry on the Sunday before the Feast of the Passover.

So, just where here in Luke's account does Jesus leave Jerusalem is not declared by Luke. John tells us about this little time that he spent down at the Jordan River. It was while he was there at the Jordan River that he got the message from Mariam Martha concerning the death of Lazarus, which perpetrated his return.

And then, of course, soon after that, his triumphant entry, his trial and crucifixion. Probably, chapter 12, no doubt, still happened while he was in Jerusalem. And around chapter 13, as he is there in a synagogue, it could be that he has moved from the precincts of Jerusalem at that point.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and the Danger of Hypocrisy

So, in the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, they were beginning to really press upon him and throng him, so bad were the crowds that they were stomping on one another, he began to say unto his disciples, first of all, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Now, leaven was that yeast, actually, that they used in the baking of their bread. And it caused the bread dough to rise by the process of fermentation. And so, actually, it was a rotting of the leaven, or of the yeast, that causes it, as it rots, to release these little bubbles of air which puff the bread up.

And all you need is just a little bit of leaven within the lump of dough, and that little leaven will exercise its influence upon the whole lump of dough. The whole lump will be putrefied or fermented by just a little piece of leaven.

So they have what they called their starters, like the sourdough, where they put just a little bit of it into the new dough, and then they'd always save a part of it to put in the batch that they would make tomorrow.

And just a little leaven was all they needed to leaven the whole lump. Paul warns about the leaven in the church, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, therefore purge out the leaven. Jesus is here warning of the leaven of the Pharisees, which he said is hypocrisy.

It's amazing how hypocrisy can spread, just a little bit of it. It has that effect of rotting and spreading. For there is nothing covered, Jesus said, that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known.

Therefore, whatsoever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light, and that which you have spoken in the air in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. Now, I don't know that I appreciate that.

There are some things that I have said in confidence that I really don't want published abroad. But the Lord is really just telling us basically to keep yourselves open and straight. Don't be hypocritical.

Somewhere, a story was spread that we had received some tape recordings of some private evangelist in Israel who had taken a tour over there. That, of course, in Israel, everything or a lot of things are bugged, your hotel rooms, all you never know.

But somehow, these evangelists got word that we received from our friends over there who are involved in the Israeli government that we had received from them some tapes that were made of some of the stories they were telling and things that they were saying about the people that were on their tours.

And they were quite upset because according to the story that came to them, we were going to use these tapes to expose them. Very interesting. I don't have any tapes. I never had any tapes. And I'm not interested in any tapes of private conversations.

But this thing of being one thing to a person's face, oh, you precious little darlings. And then when you get alone, say, did you see them? Can you believe that? You know, that's what Jesus said. But this business of hypocrisy, how tragic that it is one of those evils that seems to permeate the religious systems of man.

Years and years and years ago, before many of you were born, when radio was still in its infant stages, there was an announcer on a children's program that used to read the comic strips to the children.

And oh, he was so gushing and all, you know, in his talking to the children and so personable on his show. Well, it so happened that he thought that they had cut off his mic and they didn't. And he began to express his true feelings concerning kids.

Fear God, Trust the Father, and Confess Christ

And that was the end of his career. Beware of hypocrisy. That which is spoken in secret, Jesus said, will be shouted from the housetops. I say unto you, my friends, don't be afraid of those that can kill your body.

And after that, they have no more that they can do. I will forewarn you whom you shall fear. Fear him which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yes, I say unto you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings?

Now, two farthings equals about a penny. So sparrows aren't worth much. And not one of them is forgotten before God. Though they are so insignificant, yet your father, God, is concerned not one of them is forgotten before God.

God is very interested in you. Are not five sparrows sold for a farthing? None are forgotten before God. But even, he said, the very hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not, therefore, for you are of more value than many sparrows.

And so he is comforting now the disciples with the fact that the father knows our needs. The father is concerned with us. The father keeps interesting statistics about you. He's concerned with even insignificant things of your life.

Also I say unto you, whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God. But he that denies me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him.

But unto him that blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven. Now these are things that we have studied in other gospels of the sayings of Jesus. Luke is just sort of grouping together, and Jesus probably is just grouping together, a series of thoughts and principles that he has previously amplified upon.

And so in another occasion, Jesus amplified this subject of the sin against the Holy Spirit and the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. And in other places, he amplified on the confessing him and denying him.

Now when they bring you into the synagogues and unto the magistrates and the authorities, take no thought how or what thing you're going to answer or what you're going to say. For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say.

And so this divine inspiration of the Spirit in the moment of peril. One of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me. And Jesus said to him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

Covetousness, Possessions, and the Rich Fool

But he used the occasion to warn now against covetousness. He said unto them, take heed and beware of covetousness. For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of things he possesses. This is an opposite of the popular conception of the world around you.

As far as the world around you is concerned, a man's life does consist in the abundance of things that he possesses. And thus men are trying to amass more things to themselves. But Jesus is declaring that you've got to be careful of covetousness.

Because a man's life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses. What then does a man's life consist of? It consists of relationships which are more important than possessions. For what should it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

Your relationship with God is more important and more valuable than all of the possessions you could possibly amass to yourself. It is tragic that many people, in order to amass to themselves vast possessions, many men who have been caught up with this covetousness, because of their greed and covetousness, their drive to amass a fortune, they have alienated themselves from any meaningful relationships.

How many families have been broken because the husband was so driven by that desire to get ahead, to amass for himself vast possessions, that he neglected his relationships at home. How many men have driven themselves until they had a heart attack?

It's a very common ailment among executives. Men who drive themselves until they destroy their health. And covetousness is something that just can't be satisfied. It'll continue to drive you harder, harder, harder, until it destroys those things that are important.

Those things of which life does consist. Life consists of relationships, primarily your relationship with God, which then affects your relationship with others. And covetousness can destroy these things.

So beware of covetousness. And then to illustrate it, he gave them a parable. He said, the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do?

Because I have no room to bestow my fruits. And he said, I know what I'll do. I will pull down my barns and build greater. And there I will bestow all my fruits and goods. And I will say to my soul, soul, you've got it made.

You've got a lot of goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Interesting, the man's opinion of himself and God's opinion of himself.

His opinion of himself was, I've got it made. God's opinion of him was, thou fool. Now, notice this. This man was still in the dream state, not the fulfilled state. He had not yet built the bigger barns.

These were only plans. As soon as I have the bigger barns, as soon as I fill them, then I will be able to say, all right, you've got it made. Kick back, eat, drink, and be merry. Take it easy. You've got it made.

He never did arrive at that point. I would dare say that when, if he had not died that night, and he had continued to live, and he went ahead and tore down his barns and built the bigger barns and filled them, that he still would not have been satisfied, and at that point could not have said, well, you've got it made.

Kick back. Very few people ever arrive at that point in life where they can say, well, I have enough. There is a proverb about those things that are never full. And one of these is, you know, that desire.

Never full, never satisfied. The question then, of course, is propounded by the Lord. Tonight your soul is required of you, so who is going to be able to enjoy all of the goods that you have amassed? Whose shall these things be which you have provided?

So is he, the parable now, is of that man who lays up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God. This is whom the parable is addressed to. Those people who have been so careful to lay up treasures for themselves, but are not rich towards God, their relationship with God has suffered as a result or consequence.

Anxiety, the Father’s Care, and the Kingdom of God

And he said to his disciples, therefore I say unto you, don't be covetousness, don't be covetous. Take no thought for your life, what you're going to eat, for your body, what you're going to put on. That is, take no thought or take no anxious thought, or better translated, don't be worried about what you're going to eat.

Or what you're going to wear. For life doesn't consist in things. Life is more than meat. The body is more than clothes. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouses or barns.

And God feeds them. How much more are you better than the fowls? And which of you, by worrying, taking anxious thought, can add to his stature one cubit? Now, if you happen to have a pituitary gland that hasn't functioned at full capacity, and you happen to be short, and you're so concerned because you can't reach the top shelf in the cupboard, which of you, by facing this kind of a problem, sitting down and just being so worried and so concerned about, I'm so short, oh, I wish I weren't so short.

And which of you, by giving a lot of anxious thought of this, can add 18 inches to your height, is what Jesus is saying. You can't even add one inch to your height, much less 18. Now, if you're not able to do the simple things, then why are you worried about the rest?

Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don't toil, nor do they spin. And, of course, the idea is the woman at the spindle, making the yarn and making the cloth and all, making the, you know, using the spindle to make the threads to make the cloth and the whole thing.

But look at the lilies, how they grow. They don't toil, they don't work, their fingers aren't toiling and working at the spindle. Yet, Solomon, in all of his glory, with all of his wealth, with all of his grandeur, wasn't dressed as beautifully as one of these.

Now, if God so dresses the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is burned, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And so, really, in this whole area, Jesus is talking about life, and he is talking about the Father's concern and care for his children.

Sparrows are almost worthless little animals in the sight of man. You can buy five of them for a penny from the little boys in the streets. Yet, there's not a sparrow that falls to the ground, but your father doesn't take note of it.

Your father takes account of these little animals. Now, if your father takes account of these little animals, how much more does he take account of you? He knows the number of hairs on your head. And so, you don't have to worry.

You're going to have problems, but don't sit down and dream up your little speeches what you're going to say. The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say. The Father's going to take care of you in every situation.

Beware of this thing of covetousness. You don't have to worry about the material things. Now, here's the answer to the whole thing in verse 29, or going on from there. And seek not what you're going to eat or what you're going to drink, or be of a worried mind.

For all of these things do the nations of the world seek after. And your father knows that you have need of these things. I like that. Your father knows all about you. And he knows you have to eat. He knows that you've got to wear clothes.

He knows all about the issues in your life. Your father knows all about these things. So, rather than seeking these things as the primary issues of life, seek first the kingdom of God. And all of these things will be added to you.

Don't fear, little flock. For it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. You don't have to worry about these things. You just seek the kingdom of God. Because it's the father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

So, sell what you have and give to the poor. And provide yourselves bags which wax not old. A treasure in the heavens that fails not. Where no thief can approach, neither can moth corrupt. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Readiness for the Lord’s Return

And let your loins be girded about and your lights burning. This business of loins girded about is a phrase that was particular to their culture. For the men wore long robes. And to work in a long robe is cumbersome.

To run is cumbersome. And so, when a man was ready to go to work, he would pull his robe up and tie a sash around it. Making it knee length or above the knee length rather than down to his ankles. And this facilitated his ability to work or to run.

So, Jesus is saying, prepare yourself for service, for work. Gird up your loins and let your lights be burning. And ye yourselves liken to men that wait for their Lord. Now, here Jesus is giving to us a concept of life.

Which should be the concept of life of every child of God. A person's concept of life is extremely important because it determines his attitude and his actions. People express their concepts of life with various figures of speech.

Life is a journey. Life is a race. Life is a war. Life is a party. A man expresses his concept of life. Jesus said your concept of life should be, life is like a servant waiting for his Lord. That's what your life should be.

Like a servant who is waiting for his Lord, for his Lord may appear unannounced at any time. Therefore, you should be living your life with the anticipation of our Lord coming at any moment. And if you do live your life with this expectation, it will markedly alter your actions and your attitudes.

Especially towards the worldly things of which Jesus has just been speaking. What is my attitude toward material things? What if the Lord comes tonight? Then what value are all of those material things going to be to me?

If my master comes for me tonight, all of these things that I've been worried about, all of these things that I've been giving so much time to, what value will they be to me at that point? Now, the way to maintain my proper attitude towards the material world is to be as a servant who is waiting for his Lord.

If I am living with that concept of life, then I don't have to worry about an improper attitude towards material things. I'll have the proper attitude because I'm not going to be caught up in the material things because I realize that they're not important.

My relationship with God is all important. And I am like a servant who's waiting for his Lord. And when my Lord appears, I want to be ready for him and able to open the door immediately so that when the Lord knocks, they may open to him immediately, Jesus said.

That's the way you should be. Not a lot of unfinished business when the Lord comes. Oh, Lord, wait. Oh, I wasn't ready, Lord. Oh, you caught me by surprise. Would you mind waiting for a few hours while I get things cleaned up here?

Our Lord is coming at any moment. Every other concept of life has its goal in view. And you can pretty well ascertain when it will be achieved. Life is a race. If you're running a race, you know where the goal is.

You know how many laps you have to finish before you come to that finish line. Life is an education. You know how many more units you need to graduate. But I don't know when the Lord is going to come.

I don't know what is the climax. The climax can take place at any moment. It can take place before I get home tonight. It can take place before I wake up in the morning. And when he comes, there will be two sleeping in the bed.

It could be that I'll be asleep in bed when the Lord comes, knocking. And I want to be ready to just go immediately. Good thing to just clean the slate before you go to sleep at night. Take care of it, Lord.

I commit myself to you. He may come before morning. And that's the way the Lord wants you to live. Because it creates a greater urgency to everything I do. Because this may be my last opportunity to do it.

My last opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ. My last opportunity to serve the Lord. My last opportunity to lay up treasures in heaven. And so your concept of life is as a servant waiting for his Lord.

It has a lot to do with my life as far as purity is concerned. Are now the sons of God. But it doesn't yet appear what we're going to be. But we know when he appears at any moment, any time. We're going to be like him for we will see him as he is.

And he who lives by this concept, he who has this hope in him, purifies himself even as he is pure. It is a purifying influence living this concept of life. I want to make sure that I'm pure. I want to make sure that I'm right.

I want to make sure that I'm ready to meet my Lord at any moment. So that when he comes, you may open immediately. And blessed are those servants who when the Lord comes, he will find watching. Verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down at meat and will come forth and serve them.

Now, that's the thing that just absolutely is hard for me to really conceive. The Lord's reward for his faithful servants who are girded, waiting for their Lord, ready to open, watching for him to come.

What's he going to do? He's going to gird himself and serve them. The glorious marriage feast of the Lamb. And the Lord's going to be there to say, hey, you want some more, you know, and to serve you.

Oh, my. Now, if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch. And these are watches during the night. You don't know what watch he's going to come. The second or third. But the thing is, be ready so that whatever time the Lord may come, you will be ready.

And if he finds them girded, waiting for the Lord, blessed are those servants. And this know that if the good man of the house had known what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and he would have not allowed his house to be broken through.

So therefore, be ready also. For the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you think not. Now, how many of you believe that the Lord is coming in the next hour? Honestly. I don't think any of us believe he's coming in the next hour.

We probably wouldn't be sitting here. There's a little bit of unfinished business. I'd like to take care of, you know, a few calls I want to make. Watch out. The very fact that you don't think he's coming in the next hour makes it a good candidate.

For the Son of Man is coming in an hour when you think not. Then Peter said unto him, Lord, is this parable for us? Is it or is it for everybody? And the Lord said, who is that faithful and wise steward?

Who is Lord will make ruler over his household to give them their portion of meat in due season. Who is that faithful servant that the Lord is going to make a ruler in his household in the kingdom of God?

Blessed is that servant whom the Lord when he comes shall find him so doing. So doing what? Watching for the Lord. As a servant girded, waiting for his Lord of a truth, I send to you that he will make him the ruler over all that he has.

Jesus said, and in that day, I will say to them on the right hand, come ye blessed of the father, inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you from the foundations of the earth. As John is describing Jesus in the first chapter of Revelation one, he said unto him who loved us.

And gave himself for us who have made us unto our God, a kingdom of priests, and we shall reign with him upon the earth. He said, I will make him the ruler over all that I have. But here's a warning. If that servant says in his heart, oh, my Lord's going to delay his coming.

The Lord isn't going to come until after the revelation of the antichrist. He's going to delay his coming until the tribulation period. Or until after the tribulation period. Or he's going to delay his coming until Russia moves or whatever.

Hey, the Lord can come at any moment and he wants you to be ready for him to come at any moment. Now there is always a danger of saying the Lord is delaying his coming. That is a dangerous and a pernicious doctrine and thought.

Because the effect of it is so often slothfulness. The Lord's delaying his coming. Let's have a big party. And he begins to beat the men servants and the maidens and he begins to drink and be drunken.

The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he's not looking for him. At an hour when he is not ready. And he will cut him in two and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant which knew the Lord's will and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes.

But he that knew not and did not commit things worthy of stripes shall be. Who did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes. And here's the key for unto whom much is given. Of him shall be much required.

And to whom men have committed much of them, they will ask the more. God holds you responsible for your knowledge. Knowledge creates responsibility before God. And having the knowledge that you have brings you into a greater responsibility before God.

God holds you responsible. Now, there are oftentimes questions asked concerning that poor man in the jungles of New Guinea, who has never heard the name of Jesus Christ. And it was killed in a battle with other men and he is eaten by them.

What happens to him? Is he lost forever because he didn't believe in Jesus Christ? How could he believe in Jesus Christ when he never had a chance to hear? Is it fair that God would punish him with eternal punishment when he had never had a chance to hear?

Jesus answers that for us here, showing that all punishment is not going to be the same. Those who have heard have a greater responsibility and thus a more severe degree of punishment. Whereas those who did not hear yet did things worthy of stripes, because they did not know a lesser degree of punishment, they will be punished for the knowledge that they have.

So you better quit worrying about that poor little man in New Guinea and start worrying about yourself. Because you have heard, you do know, you are responsible for what you know. And having received the greater knowledge, if you do not act in accordance to that knowledge, then there shall come the greater degree of punishment.

The Gospel as a Divider of Men

I know there's a lot of issues in this you would like me to address myself to tonight, but I'm not going to. Jesus said, I am come to send fire on the earth. And what will I if it already is kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with.

And how am I straightened until it is accomplished? He's talking about the fire of hell that was really burning against him in the hearts of the people. It's already kindled, this fire, the fire of judgment.

And he has a baptism, that baptism of death. He was when the disciples said, the mother of James and John said, Lord, I'd like a favor. My one son said on the one side and the other on the other of you when you're sitting there in the glory of your kingdom.

And Jesus said, are they able to be baptized at the same baptism? Oh, yes, Lord. The boy said, well, you bet you we can. She said, well, that may be. But to grant that request is the father's prerogative.

Talking about his death, this baptism, and I'm straightened until it's accomplished. I've set towards it. Do you suppose that I've come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no, a division. The gospel of Jesus Christ divides men, those who are saved and those who are lost.

Those who believe and those who do not believe those who have a hope of eternal life, those who have no hope of eternal life. The gospel of Christ is a divider of men. Families are divided by it. And so from now on, there will be five in one house divided three against two, two against three.

The father divided against his son, the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

This division that the gospel created, and especially so in the Jewish home. Where so often to receive Jesus Christ brought a complete ostracizing from the rest of the family, what a division their faith in Jesus Christ did create in an Orthodox Jewish home.

Where many times they would have a funeral for that child and consider them dead because they dared to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the chosen one of God. The division. Now he is talking to his disciples up to this point.

Discerning the Time of the Messiah

Now he turns to the crowd and he said to the people, when you see a cloud rising up from out of the West, immediately you say, oh, there's going to be a shower. And so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, oh, it's going to be a hot day today.

And it comes to pass over there. Of course, from the West would be your, it would be coming from the Mediterranean sea. So like here, when, when you've got the clouds blowing in from the ocean, say, oh, we're going to have a shower.

And you get the Santana's blowing, you say, oh, it's going to be a hot one today. You know, so over there, much the same. Jesus said, you hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth.

But how is it that you can't discern this time? In other words, you're able to tell by the signs in the heavens, what kind of a day it's going to be rainy or hot. Why is it that you haven't been able to read the signs that God has placed for the time of the coming of the Messiah?

And he rebuked them because they had not known the time of his coming. They should have. Now, I feel that the same is true for us today. The Lord has given ample evidence by prophecy telling in advance the things that would exist at the time of the return of Jesus Christ.

Having given us the signs of these things, he said, now, when you see these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your head for your redemption draweth nigh. And yet there are people who are able to make predictions of the stock market, are able to make weather predictions, or they can predict and forecast many things.

But they're not aware of the fact that we are in the last days and in the end of time and the same kind of a spiritual blindness over the return of Christ. And even many ministers will sort of mock the idea of the imminency of the return of Jesus Christ.

How sad that people are just as ignorant of his second coming as they were his first. He said, yes. And why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? Why can't you yourself make a good judgment? Now, he said, when you go with your adversary to the magistrate, you've got problems.

You're being involved with a suit. As you're in the way, give diligence that you may be delivered from him. Seek an out-of-court settlement, what the Lord is saying, lest he hail you to the judge and the judge deliver you to the officer who cast you into prison.

I'll tell you, you won't get out until you've paid the very last mite, which is one eighth of a cent. Now, there were present at that season. And of course, now Luke may have gone on and a period of time.

Repentance, Tragedy, and the Barren Fig Tree

We don't know how much time elapsed between verse fifty nine of chapter twelve and thirteen one. It could be that this synagogue is somewhere down near Jericho. There were present at that season, some that told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

Now, the Galileans were often hotheaded. They were always chafing under the Roman rule, and most of the revolts against the Roman government came in the area of Galilee. So they are relating to Jesus how that there were some Galileans who were probably involved in a ruckus against Rome.

And Herod sent his soldiers, and when the soldiers came, they were in the act of offering sacrifices to God, and the soldiers killed them right there, and their blood was mingled with the blood of the sacrifices.

And of course, to the Jew, that was a very heinous thing. And so they had just informed Jesus about this, and Jesus answering said unto them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were sinners greater than all of the rest of the Galileans?