Reading Luke’s Gospel Ch 12 this week it struck me how much it contains. In fact it has sufficient content to ground your life in and secure your eternal destination. This is due to Jesus dominating the chapter directly, and speaking on this very theme. It starts with the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and ends with being ready for His return and being faithful to that which he has revealed in this time.
In many respects the chapter appears to have peculiar oscillations and revelations of Gods tender care, in the midst of danger!
Verses 4 & 5 are followed by verses 6 & 7! To the Greek mind the joining together of these themes is an offence. Jesus would appear to be asserting that an individual could be faced with death for being a light amidst darkness, & that God, who is omnipotent and all powerful, would not necessarily intervene.
Central to the title of these notes is this: God in this reveals his value system! Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered! You are of more value than many sparrows.
Consequently, we can conclude that God places great significance on that which he values! Therefore, we must ask what does God value? A correct interpretation of this chapter is that God is not materialistic in his value system. God does not view material acquisition and wealth creation as central to that which he values! Who made me a judge over you! ‘Thou fool’ for building bigger barns for yourself.
Peter later in the chapter asks if Jesus speaks these things for all people! Jesus then categorises unbelievers and those who are faithful. John Ch 3 V16!
Therefore, Jesus places man as the central thing that God values! God wants man to be ready for his return! Jesus himself states that he has come to bring division!
The division is therefore found at the foot of the cross. Jesus has a baptism to be baptised with. Jesus is baptised into death at Calvary. Jesus is sold for more than five Sparrows and has the hairs of his face pulled out.
Therefore, we have a clear demonstration of that which God values. Faithfulness to him in the midst of rejection, pain and suffering! Therefore, Jesus’ objective is to produce the same spiritual integrity in his disciples, as God values this!
It would be completely incorrect to conclude that God has designed death or suffering to produce faith. Jesus is very clear that man is not to fear death due to the faithfulness of God towards them who fear him. The death of the body Jesus endured was possible due to the Joy set before him. Jesus knew it would enable mankind to receive forgiveness of sins and through the power of the Holy Spirit an ability to be faithful. The apostle Peter is a prime example.
Man crucified Jesus. Man rejected His Lordship. And men denied him (Luke Ch12 V8)!
Peter, in his epistle speaks of knowing that “shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus showed me”. Peter was not now, like one who did not know the hour the thief would come! 2 Timothy Ch 4 V6.
This is an immense contrast! Previously Peter had not been able to receive Gods Word concerning this issue.
In summary, Jesus is a demonstration of his own Word and is able to produce the same quality in his disciples – God places great value on this.
The fault of Peter pre Pentecost was to undervalue that which Jesus spoke.
Gods Value system:
Once the Holy Spirit has come, the disciples are certainly not covetous or building barns for ones own personal soul! They had all things common and no man considered the things that they had as their own! All belonged to God.
Acts Ch 6 & 7 has a clear outworking of Gods word!
When we think of the world system, that of industry, it is commerce that is the cog of it! All around us is the visible infrastructure; houses, roads, shops and factories to increase commerce and provide for our needs. Which in the age of Globalisation and service sector are increasingly none essential.
Does this clash with that which is contained in Luke Ch12? Jesus informs his disciples’ verse 30 that all the nations of the world seek after these things & your Father knoweth that you have need of these things.
On that basis there is scope for how individual believers apply biblical principles to their vocational life. In that endeavouring to live a primitive ‘Amish’ life that resists the momentum of the age of industry is not necessarily the only means of living by faith!
What is clear in this passage of scripture is that to live by faith in Gods Word we must trust God to provide for our needs and to live constantly with eternity to mind. Verses 33 is quite remarkable, especially in view of the fact that disciples actually did this! Barnabase has great treasure in heaven!
When Stephen preaches his sermon he is asked by the Pharisees, those same people who were contesting the light that was Jesus Christ, if it was true concerning what the false witnesses said.
Stephen is full of the Holy Ghost and God affirms this even in his facial appearance! Therefore, what Stephen said must be the true word of God. Jesus in Luke 12 asserts that the Holy Spirit will instruct you what to say. And that he that confesses me before men shall Jesus also confess before the angels of God.
Stephens sermon starts with Abraham and ends with that which is his source of living; cooperation with the Holy Spirit. And his entrance into eternity!
It is a clear demonstration of Stephen having based his life on that which Jesus taught in Luke ch12.
Stephen, one of the 7, is ordained by the 12 to serve widows.
Gods system is not in direct opposition to commerce and industry. Yet, its foundation is the cornerstone of Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Therefore, the primary place is given to the ministry of the Word of God. This principle is evident even in those who are part of the industry of facilitating the meeting of those needs that all the nation of the world seek after. Stephen, is evidently grounded in Gods Word.
12 is symbolical of Gods Governance and 7 completeness! And so we have Gods value system being outlived in Acts Ch6 & 7 which is a fulfilment of Luke Ch12.
Stephen starts his sermon with Abraham, who is told by Gods Word to come out of Mesopotamia into the land that God would show him.
When you consider this their must be significance in it! Could God not have transformed Abraham’s life where he was? Therefore, the actually geography of the land must also have relevancy to what God had spoken to Abraham
Consequently, future generations passage across the Jordan, that which had inflows from Adam into death has significance!
This is affirming Luke Ch12 & Stephens life. Through geography God is making it clear that eternal life is found in the resurrection life of Jesus. Luke Ch12 V33 is not a call to irresponsibility but it is a laid down life giving what you have to others! The contrast to building bigger barns to fill dead seas.
We also see that Abraham had to leave family! Which is covered in Luke Ch12.
Once Abraham is in the land he also chooses the less lush plains. Consequently, a recurring principle is maintained in scripture. God’s provision for our needs is not grounded in our individual and independent pursuit of material gain within the world system. It is apparent that to be rightly related to God we must never absorb a philosophy of self preservation.
We see where Abrahams treasure is when he is waiting in the doorway of his tent! He is akin to the servant who is ready in Luke Ch12 V43. Abrahams’ response to the three men on the plains of Mamre is full of life. What a contrast waiting for God produces to the Dead Sea. Abraham is longing for fellowship & therefore does all he can to encourage his guests to stay. It is no coincidence that God shares with this man that which is to come. Genesis Ch 18 Verse 17, is the cornerstone of all that Jesus Christ is referring to in Luke Ch12 v30. That which is our eternal need is that which God had given us in Jesus Christ.
Paul speaks in Romans of the redemption of the body that is to come. John the apostle is also shown that which is to come. Revelation Ch21 is the penultimate division. Those seeking and waiting for God will find themselves in and with him.
This brings me back to Stephen. When Stephen is stoned for declaring the eternal truths of God he is a bridge between eternity and Gods system currently on earth.
Through his laid down life, Paul a Pharisee (Luke Ch12 v1), is brought into the eternal purposes of God. God places great value upon each and every hair of Stephens head. God, takes a dead sea and establishes the gentile church.
Through, Paul the gospel is taken to Rome. And subsequently History is defined by the reality of that which transformed him, lived in Stephen, and died for our sins to give us treasure in heaven at Calvary. AD & BC being the globally used calendar. The promise to Abraham was that all nations would be blessed through Jesus Christ.
God foreknew the kingdoms of Babylon, the carrying back into captive in Babylon, the Greek and the Roman empires etc. And Gods Word that had called Abraham out was also sent out once Gods eternal values were planted in men. This fits into Gods Geography.
The division of history is the axe being laid to the roots of the tree! Of family heritage and the primary pursuit of the things of this World.
Jesus Christ is the divison of history!
Modern history:
This is a laymen’s attempt to give a broad overview of modern history. It is obviously not an attempt to cover great detail but to draw on some trends to highlight the importance of Gods Word to humanity, the ultimate division of history. To recognise the centrality of Gods word in the context of history is to have your own personal; destiny & destination determined, thus, it is of great importance.
From around the 1500’s we had the start of a new era that has shaped the current world we live in. The era before was know as the dark ages, defined by intellectual and economic regression. The feudal system governed Western Europe, which has subsequently shaped the modern world.
After the feudal system we have had the start of capitalism, the freeing up of finance for individuals to build enterprises. The Dutch were the first to start the modern era of empire. Through commerce the empire was extended. The French, Spanish and British followed! Germany was slower of the mark and two world wars attest to that. Corporations have always been the capillaries of war and conquest. Material gain.
From the 1500’s to today we have had two major movements that have influenced the western world and hence the Global. Protestantism & the enlightenment.
Personally, I would associate the enlightenment as being a light without the light! Jesus is the light of the world. Humanism, evolution, the wealth of nations & the free market economy!
Is the free market economy the most effective wealth creation system for all! Perhaps, I’d be a fool to present an alternative for the world. And is economics to be how this world is changed or a concern to me, ‘fear not’ said Jesus.
Well what we do have is a western world driven by the bottom line and materialistic at its core.
To visit Madam tussauds or see the opening ceremony to London’s Olympic games is to see a clear contrast develop mid 50’s to an entertainment & materialistic society. It probably denotes the end of Nations and the start of Globalization too.
This has run parallel to the Jews returning to the Land of Israel! In the last days people will be lovers of pleasure and not God.
Yet, as it was in Jesus day Gods Word can convert Pauls and divide his history on the Damascus road.
As for me I simply want to apply Luke Ch12 to my life – it’s of eternal value.
Others posts that cover the aspects here
- Jesus Spoke In Darkness!
- Jesus, the ark of transition! From Judgement to Ointment!
- Living Epistles – The Holy Spirit in Stephen
eternalrays 