Money Problems Series

Money problems Luke 12:1-21

Little Tommy was enjoying his seventh birthday party and when they served the cake someone forgot to tell him that they had put a quarter wrapped in wax paper as a surprise; so, first he choked and then he swallowed it.

Well, needless to say, everyone was upset and his mother turned to her husband and yelled that he should call a doctor as fast as he could. So, he picked up the phone, but instead of calling the doctor, he called the pastor. His wife said, “We don’t need a pastor, we need a doctor!” But her husband said, “Honey, the pastor can get money out of anybody!”

Luke 12:1 “In the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

4 And I say unto you my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him.

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

8 Also I say unto you, whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9 but he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12 for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14 And He said unto him, man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15 And He said unto them, take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 and he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, this will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Jesus was speaking to this huge crowd of people, possibly thousands; there were so many; it says in verse 1 that they were trampling over one another; and yet, we see Jesus focused His attention on His disciples; and He began by warning these men about the Pharisees.

Now, the Pharisees were the religious leaders of Jesus day and they all considered themselves to be better than everyone else, and Jesus was warning His disciples that even though these men looked good, they were hypocrites. And then He went on to say that there were three other things they needed to be aware of and we find them in verses 2-11.

First, He said in verse 2, ‘For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.’

But what does this mean? Well, you know that thing you did that nobody ever knew and the other thing you said about someone and thought, ‘Well, that’s a secret that no one’s ever heard.’ Well, Jesus said, “Someday, everyone is going to know.” And you remember that time you said to someone, ‘I’ll tell you something but I don’t want you to ever tell another living soul.’ Well, Jesus said, “Someday, everything that was ever said in the dark or that was to be held in top secret and everything that was ever whispered in anyone’s ear is going to be shouted from the housetops.” Did you get that? He couldn’t have been clearer. Everything we ever say in secret will be known to everyone.