Jesus’ words are accompanied by deeds. Hence, after the sermon, he heals a crippled woman on the sabbath. His adversaries’ negative reaction further illustrates the contrast between Jesus and the “hypocrites” (13:15). The healing is a sign of the kingdom, which he then explains in two kingdom parables. The parable about the mustard seed highlights the growth of the kingdom, evident by the growing crowds, and the one about the yeast or leaven contrasts the kingdom with the different kind of “leaven” of the Pharisees (12:1; 13:21).
Fearless in the Face of Persecution (12:1–12)
1Meanwhile, so many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot. He began to speak, first to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven—that is, the hypocrisy—of the Pharisees.
2“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. 3Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. 4I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. 5I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one. 6Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God. 7Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. 8I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. 9But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.
10“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. 12For the holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”
NT: Matt 12:31–32; 16:6; Mark 3:29; 8:15; 13:11; Luke 8:17; 9:26; 21:14–15; 2 Tim 2:12. // Matt 10:19–20, 26–33
Catechism: secrets revealed at the judgment, 678; Gehenna, 1034; hierarchy of creatures, 342; angels serve at the judgment, 333; Holy Spirit, 1287, 1864
[12:1]
News about Jesus has spread widely (5:15; 7:17), so that more people are crowding together to hear him. He will soon address them (12:13–14), but first1 he speaks to his disciples: Beware of the leaven—that is, the hypocrisy—of the Pharisees. These Pharisees were hypocrites because on the outside they acted as if they were upright, but inside they were full of evil (see 11:39). They were quick to point out what they perceived as the faults of others but did not see their own (see 6:42). Jesus associates their hypocrisy with leaven, which the Israelites were told to remove from their houses at the time of the exodus (Exod 12:15). Moreover, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Cor 5:6; Gal 5:9 RSV). With this image, Jesus indicates that the Pharisees are a corrupting influence on the people.2 They are thus poor leaders. Jesus instead will teach his followers how to be genuine disciples and good leaders, so that they become a positive influence or leaven, as coworkers for the kingdom (see Luke 13:21; Col 4:11).
[12:2–3]
With a series of contrasting statements, Jesus explains that no one will get away with hypocrisy. Such inconsistency between external appearance and concealed reality will eventually be revealed or exposed. Earlier, a similar set of contrasts regarding what is secret coming to light was applied in a positive sense to the spread of God’s word from the believer’s heart to others (Luke 8:17). Similarly, Jesus’ words here can also be understood as referring to the disciples’ witness to Jesus and the gospel,3 as it would be another form of hypocrisy to believe in Jesus in one’s heart but deny him in public (see 12:8–9).
[12:4–5]
What might lead disciples to deny Jesus is fear of being persecuted (see 11:49). However, Jesus tells them, his friends (see John 15:15), that they should not be afraid of those who can only kill the body. Rather, the one to be afraid of is God, who has the power to cast into Gehenna. The word derives from the “Valley of Hinnom” (Hebrew ge-hinnom, Josh 15:8), located south of Jerusalem. Idolatrous sacrifices of children by fire were carried out there under the evil kings Ahaz and Manasseh (2 Chron 28:3; 33:6) before Josiah’s reform (2 Kings 23:10). Jeremiah prophesied that because of God’s judgment the valley’s future would also be marked by death and defilement (Jer 7:31–33; 19:2–13). The valley thus became an image for the place of final punishment of the wicked, described as a place of unquenchable fire (see Isa 66:24).4 This is the sense of “Gehenna” in the New Testament (Matt 5:22; 23:33; Mark 9:43; James 3:6), and hence it is translated “hell” in many English versions.
With these words, Jesus is putting the life of the body in relative perspective, since the inheritance of eternal life must be the ultimate concern of disciples (Luke 10:25; 18:18, 30). Hence, “the beginning of wisdom is fear of the LORD” (Prov 9:10). Such reverential fear guides believers to do what is right in obedience to God, without caving in. In Acts, Peter and the apostles, despite having been thrown in jail for the gospel, show that they have learned this lesson about whom to fear: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29; see 4:19).
[12:6–7]
Fearing the Lord also means trusting in his providential care (Luke 12:22–32), so there is no reason to be afraid of persecutors. Jesus reasons from the lesser to the greater. If God cares even for sparrows—so cheap that five of them are sold for two small coins totaling about one hour’s wage—how much more must he care for people, who are worth more than many sparrows? If God knows even the number of hairs on someone’s head, will he not also know and be attentive to that individual’s more serious concerns?
[12:8–9]
Rather than fear, a disciple should focus on being a witness who acknowledges or confesses Jesus (Rom 10:9–10) before men and women in this life. In this way, Jesus promises that, as the glorified Son of Man, he will acknowledge such disciples before the angels of God in the judgment in the next life. Along with the promise comes a warning that whoever denies Jesus now will be denied before the angels of God later (Luke 9:26; 2 Tim 2:12).
[12:10]
Nevertheless, the one who speaks a word against the Son of Man can still be forgiven, such as Peter, who indeed denied Jesus (Luke 22:57–60). Even those responsible for putting Jesus to death can be forgiven if they repent (23:34; Acts 3:17–19). However, the one who blasphemes against the holy Spirit will not be forgiven. This difficult saying seems to refer to the obstinate refusal to repent, which involves lying to, testing, or opposing the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3, 9; 7:51). The Holy Spirit’s grace brings about the forgiveness of sins, so there can be no forgiveness when the offer is deliberately rejected by a refusal to repent (see Catechism 1864). Jesus thus gives a warning to those who resist the Holy Spirit, thinking that they “have no need of repentance” (Luke 15:7).
[12:11–12]
Still advising his disciples about coming persecutions (see v. 4), Jesus tells them: do not worry about your defense. When they are put on trial, the holy Spirit will teach them the things they should say (see 21:14–15). The Spirit is indeed “the Advocate” who teaches everything needed in such situations (John 14:26). Disciples should thus keep asking “the Father in heaven” to “give the holy Spirit” (Luke 11:13)!
Reflection and Application (12:1)
Avoiding hypocrisy. Blessed John Henry Newman powerfully preaches against hypocrisy in one of his sermons:
How seasonable is our Lord’s warning to us . . . to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy: professing without practicing. He warns us against it as leaven, as a subtle insinuating evil which will silently spread itself throughout the whole character. . . . He warns us that the pretense of religion never deceives beyond a little time. . . . Let us ever remember that all who follow God with but a half heart, strengthen the hands of his enemies, . . . perplex inquirers after truth, an
d bring reproach upon their Savior’s name. . . . Woe unto the deceiver and self-deceived! . . . God give us grace to flee from this woe while we have time! Let us examine ourselves, to see if there be any wicked way in us. . . . And let us pray God to enlighten us, and to guide us, and to give us the will to please him, and the power.5
Parable of the Rich Fool and Treasure in Heaven (12:13–34)
13Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance wit me.” 14He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” 15Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
16Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. 17He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ 18And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods 19and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ 20But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ 21Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”
22He said to [his] disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life and what you will eat, or about your body and what you will wear. 23For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. 24Notice the ravens: they do not sow or reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn, yet God feeds them. How much more important are you than birds! 25Can any of you by worrying add a moment to your lifespan? 26If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest? 27Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of them. 28If God so clothes the grass in the field that grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? 29As for you, do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not worry anymore. 30All the nations of the world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides. 32Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. 34For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
OT: Tob 4:7–11; Prov 10:2; Sir 11:18–19; 29:12
NT: Luke 9:25; 11:41; 18:22; 1 Tim 6:18–19. // Matt 6:19–21, 25–33
Catechism: the focus of Jesus’ mission, 549; avoiding greed in the heart, 2534, 2536; trust in divine providence, 305; little flock, 543, 764; almsgiving, 2447; the Church’s treasury, 1475–77
Lectionary: Luke 12:13–21: Eighteenth Sunday Ordinary Time (Year C); Luke 12:32–48: Nineteenth Sunday Ordinary Time (Year C)
[12:13–15]
An interruption from someone in the crowd leads to a change of subject. From teaching the disciples not to “worry” or “be afraid” about facing persecution, Jesus now instructs the crowd and his disciples not to “worry” or “be afraid” about lacking material necessities (12:4, 7, 11, 22, 29, 32).
In response to the man’s demand that Jesus settle an inheritance dispute, Jesus declines with a question that hints at his identity: who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator? The question echoes the one put to Moses: “Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us?” (Exod 2:14), which Luke includes twice in Stephen’s speech in Acts in showing that, although some Israelites rejected Moses, God appointed him as their redeemer (Acts 7:27, 35). Similarly, Jesus will be rejected but will bring about God’s redemption (Luke 21:28; Acts 3:13–14).
Rather than resolve the dispute, Jesus uses the occasion to instruct the crowd to be on guard against all greed. As he just did with regard to bodily life (see Luke 12:4–5), so now he puts possessions in relative perspective by speaking about treasure in heaven (vv. 21, 33–34).6
[12:16–19]
He makes his point with the parable of the rich fool (vv. 16–21), unique to Luke. The man’s obsession with his material goods leads to self-absorption. He is only concerned about “me”: my harvest, my barns, my grain. The problem is not what he thinks it is—where to store his bountiful harvest—but rather his selfish greed. In contrast, Joseph in Genesis also “collected grain” abundantly (Gen 41:49), but the purpose was to feed others in time of famine. Here, the man’s focus on himself even extends into the future: I shall say to myself. The Greek word for “self” (in “myself”) is psychē, which refers to a person’s “life” (Luke 6:9). The man thinks he is in control of his life.
He also congratulates himself on having so many good things stored up. He can therefore rest, eat, drink, and be merry. It seems that he has misinterpreted the similar words of the teacher in Ecclesiastes, who advised finding joy despite life’s toil: “There is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad” (Eccles 8:15 NIV). Forgetting also the end of Ecclesiastes (see Eccles 12:5–7), the rich man thinks that his possessions give him security now and for many years to come.
[12:20]
However, God calls him a fool, a term Jesus earlier applied to the Pharisees (Luke 11:40). “The fool says in his heart, / ‘There is no God’” (Ps 14:1). Effectively, the rich man behaved as if there is no God, since he put his trust in his possessions rather than in God. He is an atheist in practice. However, his plans come to naught, because that very night his life (psychē) is demanded of him. The Greek word rendered “demanded” is used to call in a debt (Luke 6:30; Deut 15:2–3 LXX). The “life” that the man considered to be his own was really on loan from God. Though he wished “to save his life,” he ended up losing it (Luke 9:24).
[12:21]
The lesson of the parable is thus similar to what Jesus said earlier about persecution (12:4–5): keep God in the picture. One should view earthly things, whether negative or positive, from the perspective of eternity (sub specie aeternitatis, as the Latin phrase goes). This is precisely what the man did not do. He was too busy thinking about himself to think of God and to thank God for blessing him with a rich harvest. Thus he was also too busy hoarding his wealth rather than sharing it with the poor (see 18:22–23). He stored up treasure for himself rather than “treasure in heaven” (12:33; 18:22), and so was not rich toward God.
[12:22–30]
Addressing now the disciples, Jesus returns to the subject of God’s providential care (see 12:6–7), but considered now with regard to material goods rather than persecution. This is really the flip side of the same coin as the parable: the rich man had an abundance of goods and so could “eat” and “drink” (v. 19), and Jesus now speaks to those who lack material goods and so worry about what to eat and drink and wear. In both cases, it is a matter of entrusting one’s life (psychē) to God. Once again Jesus reasons from the lesser to the greater: if God feeds the birds and clothes the grass and flowers with splendor beyond that of Solomon, will he not much more provide for human beings, who are much more important? Therefore, disciples are called to put worrying aside and not be anxious, a message repeated four times (vv. 22, 25, 26, 29). Such worrying is a sign of little faith, with one’s behavior differing little from that of the unbelieving nations, or Gentiles, who seek after these things. One can thus fall into the same trap as the rich man: looking to possessions to provide security. God the Father knows what people need, so disciples should trustingly pray to the “Father” for their “daily bread,” as Jesus taught them (11:2–3).
[12:31–32]
Rather than worry, disciples should seek God’s kingdom. Those who strive to live “for the sake of the kingdom of God” will “receive [back] an overabundant return in this present age” (18:29–30),
as these other things will be given them. Moreover, the Father is pleased to give such as these the kingdom, already now in this life and in its fullness in “eternal life in the age to come” (18:30). By focusing on this “kingdom” perspective, disciples can learn not to be afraid, even if they remain little in the eyes of the world. Jesus here refers to the disciples as a flock (see 15:4–7), using the imagery of sheep and shepherd so beloved elsewhere in Scripture (Ps 23; John 10:1–18).
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND
Almsgiving and Treasure in Heaven
“Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, / but righteousness delivers from death” (Prov 10:2 NRSV). The parallelism between the two halves of this proverb suggests that the reference to “righteousness” refers to treasures of righteous deeds like almsgiving.a This is how later Old Testament books understood the proverb. For example, Sirach says: “Store up almsgiving in your treasury, / and it will save you from every evil” (Sir 29:12). And Tobit says: “Give alms from your possessions. . . . Give in proportion to what you own. If you have great wealth, give alms out of your abundance; if you have but little, do not be afraid to give alms even of that little. You will be storing up a goodly treasure for yourself against the day of adversity. For almsgiving delivers from death” (Tob 4:7–10).
Jesus’ teaching in Luke builds on these Old Testament texts. He refers to the cleansing power of almsgiving (Luke 11:41) and twice connects giving alms to the poor with storing up lasting “treasure in heaven” (12:33; 18:22). Such teaching is often misunderstood, as if self-interested people are presuming to tell God to save them for their good works. Rather, “the reason that scripture attaches a reward to charity is not simply to appeal to self-interest (though an element of that remains) but to make a statement about the nature of the world.”b To behave in this way is thus to act with faith (the opposite is “little faith,” 12:28). “Charity, in short, is not just a good deed but a declaration of belief about the world and the God who created it.”c “The economy of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus teaches, reflects the type of world God has created. Showing mercy to the poor taps into the larger font of mercy that governs God’s providential hand. It is for this reason and this reason alone that funding such a treasury leads to unimagined compensation.”d
The Gospel of Luke Page 32