Luke 12:1-12
1 Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
3 Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
4 “Now I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.
5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed someone, has the power to throw that person into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!
6 Are five sparrows not sold for two assaria? And yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God.
7 But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.
8 “Now I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God;
9 but the one who denies Me before people will be denied before the angels of God.
10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.
11 Now when they bring you before the synagogues and the officials and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say;
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.
The Teaching to the Disciples
Be cautious of hypocrisy
Jesus first began speaking to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.” The leaven referred to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. In those days, when people baked bread daily in their homes, they well knew how a small amount of leaven could cause the whole lump of dough to rise. Therefore, they could easily understand this illustration of Jesus. The hypocrisy of the Pharisees gradually spreads its harmful influence on others and corrupts the entire community. A hypocrite is a fool. When what they say and what they do are in contradiction, their moral sense is eventually destroyed. And even if they can deceive people for a time, once the truth comes to light, they will lose the trust of others. Nothing can remain hidden forever. When the time comes, everything will be brought into the open.
Do not fear people
Jesus knew that persecution would one day come upon His disciples, and He taught them not to fear people. (1) All that humans can do is kill the body; they have no authority beyond that. But God rules even over the world after death, and He has the authority to cast the soul into Gehenna (hell). The one to be feared is not man, but God. In recent times, the message “Fear God” is not very welcome. However, without a sense of awe and reverence toward God, it is difficult to truly experience His love. This teaching of Jesus remains even now a source of comfort and strength for Christians who are facing persecution. (2) God understands us and watches over us. In Matthew 10:29, sparrows are said to be sold two for an assarion, but here it is five for two assarions. It was that if you bought double, one sparrow came as a bonus. Yet even such a sparrow is not forgotten by God. Even the hairs of our head are all numbered. This means that God knows everything about us, even the things we ourselves are not aware of. (3) For those who acknowledge the lordship of Jesus, honor is promised on the day of judgment. (4) There is the help of the Holy Spirit. If one rejects the Holy Spirit, no way of salvation remains. But if we rely on Him, the Holy Spirit will provide wisdom and the words to speak as needed. Is there anyone who you fear? Let us acknowledge that fear is unbelief, and therefore sin. Believe that God is the One who protects you, and fear, love, and follow only the One who is truly to be feared.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, within me there are fear of people, fear of the future, fear of death. Please set me free from all fear. Help me to see my life with an eternal perspective. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.