Luke 12

Written on 05/10/2024

Verses 1-3

Don't be a hypocrite, like the Pharisees, by hiding your sins beneath a guise of religious interest or an outwardly clean appearance.
- Know that everything hidden will be revealed one day anyway, so be open and honest about who you are today! Don't hide your sin!
- “He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

Verses 4-7

See teaching on Matthew 10 for more details.
Humans can bring physical death, yes, but this is momentary. Spiritual death (hell), which comes from God, is eternal.
- So, don't fear humans, persecution at their hands, or physical death. Fear God!
- And if humans ever threaten you, remember that your life is precious to God. God wouldn't let anything happen to you apart from His will (Matthew 10:29-31).

Verses 8-9

Knowing that you should not fear death, never be afraid to profess your faith in Christ to humans, even if they threaten to kill you. If you are ashamed of your faith, or afraid to profess it in front of people, be careful!
- This fear could lead to totally denying Christ, at which point Christ will deny you (2 Timothy 2:12).

Verse 10

Verses 11-12

Don't be worried about what to say when standing in front of people who will persecute you. Trust that God will give you the words that you need to speak.
See teaching on Matthew 10 for more details.

Verses 13-21

Don't covet money, and don't contend with people who won't share money with you that you think you should have.
- Stay joyful when people steal or take from you, because you have “a better and enduring possession in heaven” (Hebrews 10:34).
The value of your life doesn't come from the physical wealth that you have, because none of your physical wealth will go with you after you die.
- So don't make plans that are all about making money. Make plans that will lead to more people getting saved. Souls saved is the only value that you can bring to heaven with you.

Verses 22-31

Verses 32-34

Verse 32. Don't be afraid of losing earthly wealth. The treasure of God's kingdom is what matters, and that treasure God loves to share with His people. You can be sure of a far greater inheritance in heaven.
Verses 33-34. To fend off covetousness, be a giver. Give away money generously, and see such generosity as a tool that can be used to draw people to Christ. And that will bring you treasure in heaven.
- If you use your resources to help others come to Christ, that means you have treasure with God in heaven. And because your treasure is with God, your heart will be with God also.
  - In other words, how you use your resources shows where your heart is at! So, be careful how you use your money. If you want to keep your heart right with God, you must use your resources for God's purposes.

Verses 35-48

Verses 35-40. Knowing that Christ could come at any time, make sure that you stay focused on being obedient to the Word and undistracted with the things of this world. This is being a watchful, wise, faithful servant.
- This is why it's important to use your money the right way, otherwise it becomes a distraction.
Verses 41-46. Think like Jesus could come at any moment, so always be found using your time to serve and love others (verse 42).
- But if think that you have lots of time, and you procrastinate or delay the decision to be serious about your faith, it could end badly. You could even end up apart from Christ and treated as an unbeliever.
Verses 47-48. Also understand that, even as a believer, your actions will have consequences when Christ returns. This is another reason why you need to serious about your faith.
- When Christ returns, you will be painfully corrected for any sin that you did not repent of.
  - This correction looks like a purification by fire, which will be for your benefit as you enter the kingdom of heaven (Mark 9:49, 1 Corinthians 3:15).
    - See teaching on Mark 9 for more details.
  - And the more knowledge you have, the more painful it will be. More knowledge means you're more accountable.

Verses 49-53

Verse 49. Christ came once to burn up and destroy the works of the enemy (1 John 3:8), and He will be burning up the enemy when He returns again.
- Verse 50. But He had to suffer and be crucified before He could do all that He wanted to do.
Verses 51-53. Because Christ's work brings destruction to the works of darkness, it also disrupts the world and causes division.
- The more work you do for the kingdom, the more division and disruption you will cause. Paul and his companions were known as those who turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6)! How?
  - People who are saved will separate from the unsaved, and the wicked will hate the just.
- So, do not think that you, or Jesus, are supposed to bring peace on earth. Know that you are doing something right if your activity is dividing people from unbelievers because they become believers.
  - You are doing wrong if you try to intermingle believers with unbelievers and think that everyone should get along.

Verses 54-59

See teaching on Matthew 16 for more details.
Many take pride in their skills to discern the sky and the weather, to read the stars, to study many complex sciences of the world.
- And yet, we cannot discern the obvious matters of God or the urgency of the time we live in. More than that, even with all their knowledge, we can't seem understand or do what is right. We do wrong instead.
  - And we do wrong to each other, fighting and quarreling to our own demise.
  - We can build space shuttles, but we won't stop sinning.
All in all, focus on knowing God and obeying Him. Make that your passion and pursuit. Otherwise, all your other skills, without knowledge of God, only make you a hypocrite.
- Also, be quick to settle quarrels with people. Pursue peace in your relationships, or you will suffer (Hebrews 12:14).