Stories from the Bible - Ep 25 Jesus Warns and Encourages (Luke 12)

Episode Date: December 20, 2022

A brief recap of Luke 11 and then we hear Jesus warn and encourage his followers about some important and kinda scary stuff. The link to the face-to-face storytelling I mention in the intro is here: https://youtu.be/eRvIPhGJUgA The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved

Beauty, perfection, desire, deception, rebellion, judgment, hope. You're listening to Stories from the Bible. Bible stories told in order, using the words of the Bible, with introductions to give a recap and provide context. At the end of each story, you might want to pause and take a moment to reflect on what you noticed in the story. Things you liked or didn't like. Something the story showed you about God or about people. Don't worry if not everything makes sense. Keep listening to each episode and sit with the journey. I'm stoked to have you on the ride. Hello and welcome to episode 25. Before

we get into things today, I want to let you know about a live storytelling performance that I gave the other day. It was very relaxed and low-key, but it was a chance to share the Christmas story with some friends and neighbours. If you're interested in seeing some face-to-face storytelling, I've put the link to the video in the show notes for today. So, later we'll be hearing stories from Luke 12, but first let's recap some of what happened in Luke chapter 11. The chapter began with Jesus teaching his disciples about prayer. And in the rest of the chapter, we saw Jesus responding to a couple of groups of people. The first group were some crowd members gossiping about him,

and the second group were some religious leaders who were astonished that he didn't participate in a washing ritual. So to begin with, Jesus taught his disciples how to pray to God. More than a formula, the words he teaches them are meant to shape their heart attitude towards their Heavenly Father and show them the kind of relationship God wants with them. It's a prayer that expresses a humble dependency on God for everything needed in this life and for eternity. After the prayer, Jesus tells a parable to encourage his disciples to never give up asking their Heavenly Father for the good gift of the Holy Spirit. Then Luke tells us about some crowd members who begin gossiping about Jesus, saying that he casts out demons by the ruler of demons,

that is, the devil. It would be kind of convenient for them if he was, because then they wouldn't have to take seriously any of the challenging things that Jesus says. But Jesus shows their idea is completely nonsensical. How can the devil still have any power if he is divided against himself? And by the way, if I'm casting out demons by the power of the devil, who do your people cast them out by? Jesus concludes by challenging them with the truth that the kingdom of God has undeniably come upon them. There's no way to avoid it. If they don't join him, if they reject him, they are the ones who will be siding with the evil one. Later in the chapter, Jesus is invited to attend a dinner with some religious leaders,

Pharisees and teachers of the law. These are the people who believe they are experts in knowing God and what God wants. At the start of the meal, his host is shocked when Jesus doesn't go along with the traditional hand-washing ritual, which was a standard religious practice in those days. This is an opportunity for Jesus to come out, guns blazing, in criticism of the religious leaders for their obsession with external religious practices that have no impact on the heart. What gets Jesus going is their hypocrisy. They have the appearance that they are right with God. Ordinary people believe that they are the ones who know the path to holiness, and these Pharisees and experts in the law love it that other people look up to them as leaders. But really, their hearts are full of pride and envy and greed, every kind of wickedness.

Their religious rules are totally ineffective for cleansing the heart before God. In fact, those who follow them and try and keep their rules will not find life, but rather death. It's certainly not a very tactful speech that Jesus gives to his dinner hosts, yet they don't oppose him to his face. They wait till he leaves, and then they start to plot against him, working out how they might be able to trip him up in public and catch him saying something that they can arrest him for. The story starts here. Meanwhile, when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples.

Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing is secret that will not be made known. So then, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have nothing more they can do. But I will warn you whom you should fear.

Fear the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid. You are more valuable than many sparrows.

I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before God's angels. But the one who denies me before men will be denied before God's angels. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. But when they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how you should make your defence or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you must say. Then someone from the crowd said to him, Teacher, tell my said to him,

Then he said to them, and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. He then told them a parable. The land of a certain rich man produced an abundant crop, so he thought to himself, What should I do? For I have nowhere to store my crops. Then he said, I will do this. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones. And there I will store all my grain and my goods.

And I will say to myself, you have plenty of goods stored up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, celebrate. But God said to him, Then Jesus said to his disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing. Consider the ravens. They do not sow or reap.

They have no storeroom or barn. Yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add an hour to his life? So if you cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the flowers grow. They do not work or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you people of little faith?

So do not be overly concerned about what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things. For all the nations of the world pursue these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, pursue his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your father is well pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out, a treasure in heaven that never decreases, where no thief approaches and keep your lamps burning. Be like people waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration,

so that when he comes and knocks, they can immediately open the door for him. Blessed are those slaves whom their master finds alert when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, have them take their place at the table, and will come and wait on them. Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, blessed are those slaves. But understand this. If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming,

he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Then Peter said, Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone? The Lord replied, Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his household servants servants to give them their allowance of food at the proper time. Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns. I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions.

But if that slave should say to himself, My master is delayed in returning, and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat, drink and get drunk, then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master's will, but did not get ready or do what his master asked,

will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know his master's will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required. And from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked. I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled. I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is finished. Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

For from now on there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. Jesus also said to the crowds, when you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, a rainstorm is coming, and it does. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, there will be scorching heat, and there is. You hypocrites!

You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how can you not know how to interpret the present time? And why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way so that he will not drag you before the judge and the judge hand you over to the officer and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you will never get out of there

until you have paid the very last cent. The story ends here. Thanks for joining us for today's stories. You might like to take a moment to pause and think about what you noticed, things you liked, things you didn't like, something the story showed you about Jesus. To read it for yourself, it's in the book of Luke chapter 12. If you can find someone willing to read it and talk about it with you, even better. You've been listening to Stories from the Bible. I'm Jen, and I look forward to sharing more stories with you. you