096. Chapter 37 - The Fear of Men Versus Trust in God

Chapter 37 - The Fear of Men Versus Trust in God

Luke 12:1-34 The Crowd The scenes that follow in the Peraean ministry contain varied discussions which in the main concern the fear of men and the trust in riches as contrasted to trust in God. The encounter with the Pharisees in the home of one of them must have become known to the multitude by the hectic lobby which spilled out into the midst of the crowd. The disciples would have learned from Jesus more of the details. It was a most fitting time to issue stringent warnings against being afraid of men with their social prestige, and political and military power. The disciples were in constant danger of coming under the influence of these shrewd politicians. Crossing the Sea of Galilee after the day of controversy in the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus had warned His disciples severely against “the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees’ (Matthew 16:6). This occasion appears to be a similar one. Jesus repeats certain important warnings He had given in the commission to the twelve and in the Sermon on the Mount. The Excitement

“And in the mean time, when the many thousands of the multitude were gathered together, insomuch that they trod upon one another” (Luke 12:1). The perfect order which Jesus always kept in His assemblies seems to have been contravened here as the crowd in their excitement and determination to see and hear evidently began to shove one another and to seek a closer approach. The Greek text is of the greatest help at this point. Neither the a.v. nor the a.s.v. gives the reader required assistance here by way of a footnote. There are two types of result clauses in Greek, both introduced by the word hoste (1) With the indicative hoste shows the result actually produced. (2) With the infinitive it shows the tendency or that something was about to happen. The infinitive is used here and means actually no one in the dense crowd was injured; they did not tread upon one another; that sort of disorder frequently leads to the death of many who are trampled underfoot; but this was the tendency and the peril of the situation. The crowd was so great and so determined that it almost became unruly. The Warning

“Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). This warning sounds like an epilogue to the heated debate which had just taken place. These Pharisees were leaders who controlled the life of the nation and before whose wrath the common people faced ostracism and excommunication. A survey of the Book of Acts, with its record of the persecution of the early Christians by these Jewish leaders, confirms the urgent need for repeated warnings by Christ. In His commission to the twelve Jesus had said, “What I tell you in darkness, speak ye in the light: and what ye hear in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops (Matthew 10:27). While urging His disciples not to fear persecution and death as a result of proclaiming the gospel, Jesus was not telling them He was going to whisper in their ear what they were to shout aloud from the housetops and bear the consequences. Such an idea was silenced by the crucifixion. The proposition of Jesus was always for them to take up their cross and follow Him. In this sermon recorded by Luke, Jesus is renewing the assurance that “there is nothing covered up, that shall not be revealed” (Luke 12:2). The difficult and profound doctrines of the gospel, such as the deity of Christ and the atonement, could only be discussed now “in the inner chambers,” but the day would come when they would be proclaimed from the housetops. The Reasons

Jesus gave a number of reasons why they should not fear men as they went forth in His name to proclaim the divine message: (1) Men cannot offer ultimate harm. All they can do is kill the body. They cannot touch the soul without your consent. (2) God rather than man is to be feared because He has complete power. (3) God follows the course of even the sparrows. Therefore fear not men, for God cares for you. Even the hairs of your head are numbered. (4) If we confess Christ before men, He will confess us in heaven. (5) There is such a sin as the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit; therefore beware of apostasy. (6) The Holy Spirit would guide them in what they were to say when put on trial for their teaching. In these last reasons a sharp contrast is made between confessing and denying Christ, and between the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and their miraculous inspiration by the Spirit. In the detailed discussion of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (chap. 5) it has been noted that the sin may be committed both by enemies who assail from the outside, and by erstwhile followers who betray their Lord from the inside. The context here has nothing about Jesus’ being accused of association with the devil. The warning was directed to His followers lest they should turn against Him and become guilty of this fearful sin. Dark days of trial were ahead for them. They had to beware lest they denied their Lord. “Be not anxious how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say” (Luke 12:11, Luke 12:12). This is another of the great affirmations of the inspiration of the New Testament writers. It was much more impressive to have recorded these explicit promises of Jesus in their historical setting than for the writers to have given their own affirmations of inspiration. The New Testament abounds with both types of claims of the writers to miraculous, divine guidance.

Covetousness The Parable of the Rich Fool was given in answer to a man who requested Jesus to be judge in the division of an inheritance. It does not really change the general topic of trust in God. Evidently a young man was being dispossessed by his older brother, and the man felt Jesus should demonstrate the love of justice He preached by compelling the older brothel to share the inheritance properly. The text does not state whether the man was justified in his claim. The sharp rebuke Jesus administered to him closed the case. The man may have felt that he had been unable to get justice through ordinary legal channels. He evidently was sure of the truth and justice of Jesus, and felt He had the power of personality to enforce His decision. Jesus refused because He was engrossed in trying to turn the minds of men away from earthly possessions to heavenly pursuits. To have judged such a matter would have been out of place in His purely spiritual ministry. His warning against covetousness suggests that the man was being tempted sorely in this direction and needed such a rebuke. At least the quarrel had been caused by the covetousness of the older brother, and the world is full of strife because of covetousness. All those present and all the ages needed to hear His warning. The Rich Farmer The parable does not imply that the rich farmer had acquired his wealth in an unjust manner. Rather, he had become so completely self-centered, earth-centered, money-centered that he had no room in his heart and life for God. It was a love-of-money tragedy. This fact suggests that the worship of money may have been afflicting the man who made the appeal for justice. The rich man was foolish in the following ways: (1) He devoted all his energy to gaining earthly possessions. (2) He failed completely to realize his dependence upon God. He showed no gratitude toward God and imagined he was a “self-made man.” (3) He was guilty of hoarding instead of sharing. (4) He disregarded his duty toward God and man. (5) He even imagined he could feed his soul on mere earthly things. (6) He accepted his abundance as an excuse for luxurious, if not riotous, living. (7) He refused to consider that death ends all such plans and brings the judgment day. To have robbed and murdered, or to have spent his time in drunkenness and riotous living would have been still greater folly, but it was enough that he was covetous. Observe how this rich man looked forward to retiring. And we have talked as if retirement is a modern social development! He had no time now for anything but work, work, work, and more, more, more; but he looked forward to the time when he would retire. He planned finally that when he had enough, he would retire and eat, drink, and be merry. How long would he have lived under the ordinary course of nature when he stopped his work to turn to indulgence?

Egotism The egotism of this rich man is omnipresent and very oppressive. When the man spoke, he used I and my at every turn: “I do”; “I have not” ; “my barns” ; “will I bestow”; “my grain” ; “I will say”; “my soul.” He foolishly drew a circle about himself to shut out God and all mankind. He did not recognize that all his gain had been by God’s merciful help or that all he had belonged to God. He talked to himself as if there were no one else from whom to secure advice. He addressed his soul, but this may be hidden irony; he talked as if his soul could feed on material things. The Judgment

God’s patience and mercy toward the rich fool had been extended over many years, but the more God had blessed him the greater was his ingratitude and folly. He considered all his possession his own, gained solely by his own labors. God finally despaired of the man and demanded an accounting. God showed him by this tragic summons that even his own soul did not belong to him, but was subject to God’s final call. How about all the years of toil and planning bestowed on earthly goods? Wasted! It was left behind to curse some other family with a quarrel such as had just rent the home of the man who made request for judgement against his brother. The interesting plural form in the Greek text, “They are demanding thy soul of thee” (“thy soul Is required of thee”), may refer to tile angels sent forth to bring the man to judgment.

Death

God caused the end of this man’s life. Just how God said, “Thou foolish one this night is thy soul required of thee,” is not made clear, but He did cause the immediate end of the man’s life. He can cause the death of any person at any time, but to say that God directly brings the end of every man’s life is asserting more than we know. God does cause the end of every person’s life in the general sense that He has laid down the inviolable laws that sin brings disease, suffering, and death, that old age finally comes on since man no longer has access to the tree of life. But we cannot determine in the ordinary case of death whether God has permitted His laws of nature to take their usual course or whether He has intervened directly.

We can bit wonder what effect his encounter with Christ had had upon the man whose request had evoked this discussion. Was he brought to trust in God rather than in riches? The next sermon recorded by Luke is devoted to this very thing — trust in God. Did he desist in his quarrel with his brother, cease his endless yearning and striving for earthly treasures, and give his energy and effort to the doing of God’s will?

Trust in God

“Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on” (Luke 12:22). If this sermon followed immediately as it does in Luke’s record, then this man received further timely instruction. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus had given similar instruction to a different audience. All the world at all times needs to be reminded of our need to trust in God. It is specifically stated by Luke that this sermon was delivered “unto his disciples.” The rest of the vast multitude must have listened with rapt attention whether or not they were willing to change their way of life at such a startling challenge. From the fear of men and yielding to covetousness Jesus turned to the opposite: trust in God. He had just shown that there is no security or lasting joy in earthly treasures, even as there is nothing really to fear from men. He now showed that in trusting God there is absolute safety and blessedness. Observe how this sermon is interwoven in the most intricate way with the parable of the rich fool: sowing, reaping, abundant harvest, store chamber and barn. The word translated life in Luke 12:22 is psuche; it is the same word translated soul in the preceding parable (Luke 12:20). The Greek word can have either meaning. The translators have to decide which meaning is demanded by the context. Both the a.v. and the a.s.v. agree in their renderings here. “Be not anxious for your soul” might be thought to refer to the rich man who thought he could feed his soul on earthly goods, but the rest of Luke 12:22 seems to make the reference plainly to “life.” Life is sustained by food, and the parallel between “life” and “body” as between food and raiment is quite clear. The Ravens

“Consider the ravens” (Luke 12:24). Ravens are mentioned frequently in the Old Testament, but only here in the New Testament. We think of Elijah being fed by the ravens while he kept his vigil for many months in the dark canyon of the brook Cherith. The word raven “covers the whole of the crow tribe (including rooks and jackdaws) which is strongly represented In Palestine. Like the vulture, the raven acts as a scavenger. Jesus used the raven as an illustration because it was common and familiar to all. Some hold that since ravens turn their young out of the nest and leave them to fend for themselves, Jesus chose them as an illustration. But this is not true of ravens: “The raven is very careful of its young: and God feeds both old and young.”

Anxiety

“Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to the measure of his life?” (Luke 12:25). The a.v. has “can add to his stature one cubit.” The Greek word can mean either life or stature, but “add a span to his age” seems better than “to his stature.” Who wants to be eighteen inches taller than he is, unless it is an American college student seeking a basketball scholarship? On the other hand, how can one talk about adding, not eighteen seconds, months, or years to his life, but eighteen “cubits”? The choice between the two renderings inclines one to accept the a.s.v. as giving the more profound content to the statement. Children are anxious for more rapid increase in stature. They like to have a special place in the house where they can mark their height and their increase in stature every few months. But who is there, young or old, who does not ardently desire td increase the length of his life? If life is accepted as the preferred translation of helikia, then of necessity cubit must be considered a comical turn which gives a subtle color of humor to the passage. There is much more humor in the teaching of Jesus than is generally recognized. Just at the instant when His hearers expected Him to affirm that no one by anxiety can add a single day to the length of his life, Jesus said, “can add eighteen inches to the measure of his life.”

Lilies

“If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest?” (Luke 12:26). That which is least is the extension of the life by the slightest margin through anxiety. The rest sums up the necessities and luxuries of life which occupy so much of our anxious thoughts and efforts. From Luke 12:26 to Luke 12:32 the reasons given for not yielding to worry are similar to those in the Sermon on the Mount. Various conjectures have been made as to the particular flower which is meant by the more general term lily. “Some flower with a brilliant color is meant, and the color is one to which human lips can be compared (Song of Solomon 5:13).” Some think it is the poppy, which furnishes a riot of color to fields in Palestine; some favor the scarlet anemone. The wild flowers of Palestine are of surpassing beauty with more than two thousand varieties.

Grass

“The grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven” (Luke 12:28). The oven refers to the Outdoor ovens made of clay. Scarcity of wood or any ordinary fuel caused the gathering of sticks, weeds, and grass, which were stuffed into the oven and set on fire. When the roaring fire died out, the ashes were scraped out and the bread placed inside and the oven closed up tightly for the long, slow process of baking. “Seek not ye what ye shall eat” (Luke 12:29). This prohibition is condemning anxiety, not thrift. They were not to make the gaining of material things the first object of their stay in this world. Jesus explained in Luke 12:31 that He was admonishing them not to make the gaining of food, drink, and other material necessities the chief object of their efforts; they were to seek first the kingdom of God with the assurance that God would provide all the necessities of life for those who make the doing of His will their objective in life. Even if they meet a martyr’s fate, there is a heaven. Central in this entire discussion is Jesus’ exhortation, “neither be ye of doubtful mind” (Luke 12:29). It is a sermon on trust in God and matches in a marvelous way the sermon on the fear of men and the parable of the rich fool. How anxious the rich man had been to extend his life amid all conceivable abundance! How swiftly God brought an end to his selfish program! The Kingdom

“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Jesus Intertwines thoughts He had presented in the Sermon on the Mount with this tender reference to recent sermons on the Good Shepherd. Recorded only by John, the teaching about the Good Shepherd and the fold finds incidental confirmation in Luke’s account of the preaching in this Peraean period. The Good Shepherd will not only feed His flock, He will welcome them into His kingdom (the fold). Again we turn to the Book of Acts to see how much there was to cause the first Christians to be fearful of men who sought to destroy them and how God’s good pleasure gave the headership of the church into the hands of men who were scorned by the scholars as ignorant and unlearned. Verily, a little Hock, but how mightily their power by the Holy Spirit and how prodigious the spread of the kingdom!

Sharing with Others

“Sell that which ye have, and give alms” (Luke 12:33). Like so many of the declarations of the Sermon on the Mount this is a declaration of a principle of life. Jesus did not condemn earthly possessions, but we should be ready to sell and give to the poor. The Book of Acts is the inspired interpreter of the Gospel narratives. The inspired apostles led the early church in carrying out the teaching of Jesus. There was no denial of the right to private property. Even in the first enthusiasm of the Jerusalem church, Peter made it very clear that anyone who sold his possessions and gave the money into the common treasury acted in a completely voluntary manner. It was stewardship which was emphasized (Acts 5:4).

Matthew 5:40-42 is comparable to this passage in Luke. Christ and His apostles had a treasury out of which they bought food for themselves and gave alms to others. Christians are not to abandon what is necessary to maintain their own lives, but they are not to allow fear of poverty to keep them from giving alms. Mohammedan writers attribute some interesting sayings to Jesus on the subject of covetousness. They are evidently inventions developed from this passage and similar ones in the New Testament. “He that seeks after this world is like one that drinks sea-water. The more he drinks the thirstier he becomes, until it slay him.” “There are three dangers in wealth. First, it may be taken from an unlawful source. And what if it be taken from a lawful source? they asked. He answered: It may be given to an unworthy person. They asked, And what if it be given to a worthy person? He answered, “The handling of it may divert its owner from God” (see Plummer, Commentary on Luke, p. 329).

Heavenly Treasures

“Purses that wax not old.” Pocketbooks that grow too old may no honker keep the precious contents within. Thieves break through and steal with particular abandon in these modern times. Moths still destroy the costly raiment. Only heaven affords a secure treasury. The earthly possessions cannot purchase for us entrance into heaven, but they may help us on to glory if we use them for God’s good purposes. We are justified in spending some of our money for maintaining our own health and strength if first we have prayed, “Thy kingdom come,” and if we bring our conduct into harmony with our prayer. By giving generously to those in need, we store up in heaven the high favor of God upon our lives.