Luke 12
Typical to His ministry now, Jesus teaches a wide variety of topics before a multitude of people. The range of topics here may feel expansive at first and almost disconnected in reflection of a surface-level read. However, considering the implications and the emphasis Jesus is placing on His audience with each teaching, there are three core themes working together to solidify their place in our walk with the Lord. The core themes: Fearing the Lord, not being afraid while in this world because God cares for us, then understanding our faith in light of the responsibility of obedience.
Interestingly enough, when the crowds come, Jesus first turns to His disciples and gives them a mini-lesson for when they will be the ones doing the ministry. Given they had a hard enough time (as most of humanity did) comprehending the fact of Jesus’s coming resurrection, I find it likely they sparsely perceived themselves doing as Jesus is doing here; preaching to the multitudes. Jesus’s words are foreshadowing of the kind of works His disciples would become. In His teachings, we see two of the previously mentioned themes working together. We are to fear God (v.5), and therefore we ought not be afraid (v.6-7).
Ultimately, when we understand God to have the kind of power Jesus touches on here, we start to grasp just how terrifying that is and should produce in us a reverence for which we would esteem to no other name, cause, or desire. God can take our bodies at any moment… but He can also decide what to do with our souls too… Jesus doesn’t have to go on from here, because ultimately He is drawing our attention to the circumstances in which we find ourselves fearing the world much more than God. We may be tempted to think “well why the heck is Jesus talking about this when the disciples just aren’t there yet?” Valid question, but like any good leader who knows the people they are discipling, Jesus is feeding them insight as the work goes on. In this sense, Jesus is preparing the disciples not only in their personal walk with Him to strive for holiness and to be the children of the light, but also to be trusting in the Lord’s provision when ministry is difficult.
Let’s go back to this word real quick though: fear. If our fear of something ultimately is acting as the triumphant indicator of whether we act in one way or another, then that which we fear is ultimately what we are submitting to. Therefore we fear God in that we acknowledge Him to be all powerful. In all of this power, He is gracious and merciful, providing our every need as we seek to do His will. And even more so, the work we get to do with Him is joy-filled work set on living in love, where we get to be servants in His kingdom, and even get to be with Him. As good as this is, there is responsibility to it. Even in 1 John 4:7-21 which addresses fear in conjunction with love, tells of how there is great responsibility as we live out our faith. 1 John 4 might make Jesus’s comments look like a caveat on this subject, but Jesus’s attention is still set on warning us of the responsibility we bare and how it will be if we do not ‘keep watch’.
There is a lot to unpack in Jesus’s teachings through this chapter, especially when considering practical application walking away from it. Yet I encourage you to consider what Christ is inviting us to learn into with it. Is it that if we don’t do what we should that we are to be punished? No, instead, there is a work Jesus is graciously inviting us into which is unlike anything we could ever know.
Questions:
How does Jesus define His ministry and what does that mean for us as His servants?
Why is fear of the Lord so important in light of the difficulties we will face as Christians?
In verse 31, Jesus mentions seeking first God’s kingdom, and “these things will be given to you.” What does it look like for you to tangibly seek first God’s kingdom, and furthermore trust in His provision?
