Watch, Be Reconciled, and Be Ready

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 12:35) "Let your loins be girded about and lights burning,"

At the end of the last post, Jesus had been talking to His disciples about what was most important in life.  He continued here telling them to always be ready:

(36) "And you yourselves like men who wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately."

Jesus told them to always be ready like men who were waiting for their lord, or master as meant in this case, whom they were expecting to return from his wedding.  Jesus was telling them to be just as prepared, waiting on their Lord whom they knew would be returning.  When He came to them and called them, they were to be ready, immediately responding to Him.

(37) "Blessed those servants whom the lord when he comes shall find watching; verily I say to you that he shall gird himself and make them sit down to eat and will come forth and serve them."

Just as the master of the house might reward his faithful servants who were constantly watching for him and waiting to do whatever he asked, Jesus revealed that their Lord would serve them by inviting them into His kingdom and feeding them His living water and making them as His very own with every blessing, inheritance, and reward of a son.

(38) "And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants."

The Jews divided the hours of the night into watches.  The second watch was between 9:00 and midnight, and the third was between midnight and 3:00 in the morning.  Jesus's point was that even though they might have to wait a long time for their Lord to return, they would be blessed those who waited and were ready when He came.

(39) "And know this, that if the head of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken into."

Jesus warned them of a truth that if a man knew what time a thief was going to break into his house, he would have planned to keep watch at that time and not allow the thief to break in.  Anyone would do this, even those who were not always vigilant and ready.

(40) "Therefore, you be ready also, for the Son of man comes at an hour when you do not think."

Jesus's point was, of course, that they would not know when their Lord would return, but they should be as ready as if they did know the exact hour He was coming.  He would return at an hour least expected and they should be found ready for Him.

(41) Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable to us or even to all?"

Peter asked Jesus if He was directing His message to His disciples to always be ready, or was it a message meant for all people?

(42) And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household to give their portion of food in due season?"

In the 13th chapter of Mark, when Jesus spoke of always being ready, He said in verse 37 that His message was to all people.  At first glance, here Jesus seems to imply that His message was to His disciples who were the stewards of His gospel and gave to the rest of the people their portions when appropriate.  However, I believe this message was meant to anyone who was a faithful follower of Christ.  As His own follower and steward of His gospel message, He would give it to that faithful follower to give to the rest of the people as needed.

(43) "Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he comes shall find him so doing."

Still using the example of a faithful servant to the master of the house, Jesus said that the servant who was faithfully doing his work for his master when that master returned would be blessed.  The implication, of course, was that Jesus's servants who were faithfully doing His work would be very blessed when He returned and found them doing that work.

(44) "Of a truth I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all that he has."

Just as that master would be so pleased as to give that faithful servant charge over all his household, so would Jesus be pleased to give His faithful servants all that He had to offer in eternity in His kingdom.

(45) "But and if that servant says in his heart, 'My lord delays his coming,' and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink and to be drunken, (46) The lord of that servant will come in a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and will appoint him his portion with the unfaithful."

However, Jesus went on to say, if that servant saw that his lord delayed in coming and began to act wickedly, he would find that his lord came when he least expected him and would find him unfaithful in his duties and would cut him in two as was a cruel punishment in Biblical times.  This represented the Lord Jesus's patience that is often thought of as His delay in coming.  If the servant of Christ began to weary of waiting and decided he would rather indulge sinful and wicked pleasures, he would find his Lord coming when he least expected it and he would be cast into the eternal fire of hell.  

Most of the Bible translations translated the word that was here translated as "unfaithful" as "unbelievers."  The original word "apistos" can mean either.  Thayer's number one definition is "unfaithful," and that seems to be the more appropriate definition here.  I agree with Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, who wrote that this servant was not merely an unbeliever or infidel who had never known Christ.  He was someone who did know his Lord and had been given many blessings and privileges.  He knew the will of his Lord but chose to reject it and was unfaithful and therefore severely punished.

(47) "And that servant who knew his lord's will and did not prepare himself nor do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes."

Indeed, Jesus referred to this servant as one who knew the will of his lord, but did not do so accordingly and did not prepare himself for the return of his lord.  That servant would be beaten severely.  This represented the man who knew his Lord God's will and knew that He would be returning, but did not do what he knew he was supposed to do and instead chose sin and depravity.  He would therefore be punished severely in hell.

(48) "But he who did not know and committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For to whom much is given, of him shall be much required, and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

What Jesus said here confirms that Jesus spoke of the unfaithful rather than unbelievers in verse 46.  He distinguished the one who did not know his Lord and was therefore an unbeliever from the one who did know Him and was therefore granted more privileges.  The one who did not know Him and sinned out of ignorance, even though his sins were worthy of great punishment, would be given light punishment.  However, the man who had been given much and knew his Lord's will, and one to whom men had committed much as with a minister or teacher, would be held to a much higher standard and more would be required of him.

(49) "I am come to send fire on the earth, and what I will that it already be kindled!"

Jesus said He had come to send a fire on earth.  He came to bring the fire of the Gospel which was a light to those who received it and heat and torture to the wicked who rejected it.  In Matthew 10:34, Jesus spoke of Himself as bringing a sword, not peace.  His Gospel would divide people, those who received Him from those who rejected Him.  The word of God is said to refine men as gold and silver is refined by fire (Zechariah 13:9, 1 Peter 1:7).  Jesus would bring the Holy Spirit of fire after His death and resurrection.  His desire was that the fire of division would already be kindled, not that He desired evil and division, but He knew it must take place to bring about the greater good of salvation to men who accepted Him.

(50) "But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am constrained till it is accomplished!"

Jesus told them that He first had a baptism to be baptized with, this baptism being His great sufferings before He could set up His kingdom.  At this time He was constrained until His baptism of suffering was accomplished, but He seemed to long for it to come to pass.

(51) "Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division."

Jesus asked if they supposed He had come to bring peace on earth.  He told them that on the contrary, He brought division, not peace.  That is because the sword of truth would divide people, those who accepted His gospel of truth from those who rejected it and Him.  The sword would also divide the soul of man from its former self.  Jesus did not come to bring peace to all and to accept all as they were.  He came to have people die to their former selves that they might live.

(52) "For from henceforth there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three."

Jesus said that from that point forward there would be division within households.  There might be three who accepted Jesus's gospel against two who rejected it, or two who accepted against three who did not.

(53) "The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Jesus elaborated on how households would be divided, father against son, mother against daughter, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law.  This was fulfillment of a prophecy in Micah 7:6 which added that a man's enemies would be the members of his own house.

(54) And He also said to the people, "When you see a cloud rise out of the west, immediately you say, 'There comes a shower,' and so it is."

Jesus also told the people that when they saw a cloud in the sky rising out of the west, they understood right away that it meant a shower was coming.  And indeed, they were right.

(55) "And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be heat,' and it comes to pass."

Likewise, when they saw a wind coming in from the south, they understood it to mean that heat was coming, and indeed, it did.

(56) "You hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it that you do not discern this time?"

Jesus called them hypocrites, those who professed to be wise about the things of God and scripture.  They could discern the signs in the sky and on earth, but could not discern the time that they professed to know about when their much-anticipated Messiah would come.

(57) "Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?"

How was it that they from their own observations of what they had seen and heard, could not judge what was the truth?

(58) "When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, on the way be diligent that you may be delivered from him, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer cast you into prison."

I believe Jesus's point was that they should discern the time and reconcile with God before it was too late.  They should do all they could to be delivered from an eternal consequence of their actions, before they were before the judgment seat of Christ and then cast into the prison of hell.

(59) "I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite."

Jesus's point was that the condemned would not be able to leave that prison until he had paid the very last penny.  But of course, no one can ever repay their sinner's debt to the divine Judge.  The only solution is to work out their salvation with Jesus Christ while they are on the way to the judge, that is, still alive and on their path to eternity, just passing through this time on earth.  Let us now, before it is too late, take hold of the arm of the Lord in order to make peace with Him (Isaiah 27:5).

Caution Against Covetousness and Worry Over Worldly Things

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 12:1) In the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus had been pronouncing woes to the scribes, Pharisees, and lawyers, for their hypocrisy and wickedness, and now it seems more and more people had gathered to hear what He had to say, so many that they trampled one another.  Jesus spoke this statement first to His disciples before He continued talking to the crowd.  He told them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which He translated for the disciples to be their hypocrisy.

(2) "For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known."

In effect, Jesus told them that no sin covered by hypocrisy and lies would remain hidden.  Sooner or later, all things are revealed.  At the very least, nothing is ever hidden from God.

(3) "Therefore whatever you have spoken in darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in closets will be proclaimed on the housetops."

Jesus added that whatever was said in secret, if it did not align with the image one projected, would be found out and proclaimed.  The Light that is Christ will reveal those things hidden in the dark.  "You will know them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:16)

(4) "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do."

Although Jesus had told them to be beware of the Pharisees, He would not have them fear them.  The most they could do to them was kill their bodies, but then their souls would live forever in joy and glory with God.  As the apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:21, "...to die is gain."  It is possible that with the appellation "My friends" Jesus now turned His comments to the entire group of people.  Then again, Jesus's disciples were certainly His closest friends.  

(5) "But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear; fear Him who after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"

However, Jesus told them who it was they should fear, the One who could cast them into hell.  It was a statement that could have been meant for the general audience, but it may have been directed more to His disciples.  Men could only kill the body; therefore they should not fear those who came against them because of the Gospel nor should they let the fear of man deter them from their mission.  They should only have reverential fear of the One who held their souls.

(6) "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? And not one of them is forgotten before God."

A farthing was a coin of very little value, a tenth of a denarius, about half a penny.  Jesus's point was that even sparrows of such little value were known and cared for by God.

(7) "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

When it came to God's children, He knew every single detail and hair.  Therefore, men should not be afraid because they were of much more value than many sparrows.  In that sense, they were not to fear because God would take care of them.  However, even if they were killed, God cared for their souls in heaven.

(8) "Also I say to you, whoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God; (9) But he who denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God."

Jesus told them that if they confessed their belief and faith in Him and His gospel, He would acknowledge them as His own before the angels of God at the judgment.  However, if they denied Him before men, He would also deny them before the angels of God at the judgment.  I don't think of this as retribution or revenge for denying Christ.  God gives us all a choice and to deny Christ because one is afraid of the consequences of men, means they give more allegiance to man than God.  They fear man more than God and therefore have chosen an idol above God.  They made their choice and God will respect that.

(10) "And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven Him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Ghost, it will not be forgiven."

Jesus went on to say that if one did speak a word against Him, that could be forgiven upon repentance.  However, if one blasphemed the Holy Spirit of God, that went too far and could not be forgiven.  One might out of ignorance, not realizing the true identity of Jesus as God Himself in human form, speak against Jesus.  I can't help but think about the apostle Paul, whom when he was Saul opposed the gospel of Christ, tried to destroy the Christian church, and even approved of the killing of Christians.  However, after his encounter with the Holy Spirit of God, he saw the truth, repented, and became one of the most devout followers of Christ.  Once a person knows the Holy Spirit, thus knowing the truth of the gospel of Christ, and then denies Him, that is when he has made his fatal choice.

(11) "And when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and powers, take no thought how or what you shall answer or what you will say, (12) For the Holy Ghost will teach you in the same hour what you ought to say."

Jesus added that when they were brought before the courts because of their profession of Jesus (note He said "when" not "if"), they were not to be anxious or try to rehearse how they were to defend themselves or what they should say.  The Holy Spirit of God would give them the words that would best argue their case if that was the purpose, or to otherwise be solely for the honor of God and according to His purposes.

(13) And one of the company said to Him, "Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me."

Whereas we aren't sure exactly when Jesus turned His comments to the crowd, by now He was talking to the whole group of people, and one of them asked Jesus to speak to his brother about sharing with him the inheritance that was surely due him.  I'm sure he felt like he was only asking for what was fair and thought Jesus could make his case for him.

(14) And He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an apportioner over you?"

However, Jesus refused to help him in this matter, saying in effect, that that was not His concern and purpose for being there.  He was not there to settle civil suits, but if the man had asked Him to speak to his brother about the gospel in order to save his brother's soul, that would have been another story.

(15) And He said to them, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness, for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 

Jesus then turned His comments back to the group telling them to beware of being covetous.  Although the man may have been lawfully due his half of the inheritance, it was certainly not the most important thing in life.  He could not make his desire to have what his brother had, or his "fair share," the most important thing in his life.  It could end up making him greedy and bitter and corrupting his very soul.

(16) And He spoke a parable to them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully."

Jesus then began to tell the people a parable.  He spoke of a rich man whose land had produced plentifully for him.

(17) "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do because I have no room to store my fruits?'"

The man's land had produced so plentifully, in fact, that he began to wonder to himself what he could do because he had no room to store his enormous crop.

(18) "And he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my fruits and my goods.'"

The rich man decided within himself to tear down his barns and build greater ones in which to store all his crops and goods.  For one thing, he decided himself with no request to God to give him wisdom about the matter.  He considered everything his own, "my fruits and my goods."  He gave no thought to his blessings being from God, nor did he give thanks or seek guidance from Him.  He then made a rather foolish plan to tear down all his barns rather than just adding to them.

(19) "And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.'"

After the man had built his many fine larger barns, he would then feel he was set for life.  He put all his faith in his goods and buildings and decided that would give him a life of ease wherein he could eat, drink, and be merry, and have no concerns.

(20) "But God said to him, 'Fool, this night your soul shall be required of you; then whose will those things be that you have provided?'"

However, in this man's case, God called him foolish because he had put so much faith and work in his worldly goods, thinking they would satisfy his soul, and he was going to die that very night.  Then what good would all his worldly goods be and to whom would they then go?  If the man's first thought had been to God and not to himself, he could have thought to himself that since he had more than he needed and could even store, he could give his excess to the poor.  Instead, he had greedily determined that it should all be his and he should build new barns to store it all for himself and his security.  It's not that there is anything wrong with preparing for the future, but in this case, it seems the man already had more than enough for his security and should have been thinking about building those treasures in heaven.

(21) "So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

Jesus said that his parable told what was to be expected of a man who laid up treasure for himself and did not use his riches for the glory of God.  In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus said not to lay up treasures on earth, but to lay them up in heaven, and that where their treasure was in the scheme of things, there their heart was.  The man in the parable and anyone who acted the same way demonstrated that their heart was toward their own riches and security in themselves on earth and not toward faith and dependence on God and following His precepts.

(22) And He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, neither for the body, what you shall put on."

After what He had said about covetousness and worrying about worldly treasures, Jesus then turned His attention to His disciples, and told them that they should not worry about all the details of life.  Their focus should be on their heavenly Father and trust Him to provide what they needed.

(23) "The life is more than food, and the body than clothing."

Jesus told them that life was more than just food and the body was more than just its outer clothing.  They should trust in their Lord to give them all that was needed and not worry about trivial things.

(24) "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn, and God feeds them. How much more are you better than the fowls?"

Jesus told them to consider the ravens that neither sowed nor reaped and had no storehouses or barns to store provisions, yet they were provided for by God.  He asked them to consider how much more valuable they were to God, first as His creation given dominion over all the earth (Genesis 1:26), and second because they were His own chosen people.  Shouldn't they be able to trust in God's provision for them?

(25) "And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?"

Jesus's question was a rhetorical one.  Of course, even with much thought and worry, they could not add even one inch to their height.  So they ought to think of all things.  Worry does not solve anything.  Trust in the Lord will.

(26) "If you then are not able to do the thing which is least, why take thought for the rest?"

Jesus told them that if they could not change even the little inconsequential things, they certainly should not worry about the rest.  Worry is of no use and steals joy and time.

(27) "Consider the lilies, how they grow; they don't toil, they don't spin, and yet I say to you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Jesus told His disciples to also consider the lilies.  They grew with no work of themselves, yet God provided all they needed to grow.  Not only did He provide for them, but He made them more beautiful than even King Solomon in all his glory.

(28) "If then God so clothes the grass, which is today in the field and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more you, O you of little faith?"

If God gave even the grass everything it needed, something that was here today and gone tomorrow, how much more would He provide for them?  Jesus called them of little faith those who could doubt that God would provide even more for them than the grass.

(29) "And do not seek what you shall eat or what you shall drink, neither have a doubtful mind."

Jesus told them straightforwardly not to spend their time searching after food and drink, and not to have a doubtful mind, but have faith in God to provide.

(30) "For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you have need of these things."

They were not to be concerned about worldly things like everyone else was.  Their Father in heaven knew what they needed and would provide for them just as He provided for the ravens and the lilies and even grass or weeds.

(31) "But rather seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

Rather than seek after worldly things, even their needs, Jesus told them to seek God first and He would provide for what they needed.

(32) "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

Jesus told His disciples not to fear or worry because it was their Father God's pleasure to give them access to the kingdom of God.  If He was pleased to give them the greatest things, they had no reason to worry about the little things.  Even though this was directed to Jesus's disciples, there is a beautiful truth in it for us today.  When we accept Jesus's sacrifice for our sins and follow Him, God gives us entrance into His kingdom.  If He is pleased to do such a great thing for us, how can we doubt and worry about all the little things?

(33) "Sell what you have and give alms, provide yourselves bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys."

Jesus told His disciples to sell all they had and give to the poor and needy.  What He meant by providing themselves with bags that do not grow old was to put their treasure into something that would not rot or be stolen, a treasure in heaven by following Christ and doing merciful and loving things for others.

(34) "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Jesus concluded by saying that where their treasures were, whether stored up in their physical possession or stored up in heaven by their selfless and loving actions following Christ, that would be where the most important desires of their hearts would be.  

As this is a rather long chapter, I will end this post here and continue chapter 12 in the next post.