What good thing ought the church to be known for, but sometimes neglects? Let’s learn something that is a high priority for God, in Luke 12:32-48.
Part 1
Luke 12:32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
Jesus said to his disciples, “Fear not little flock,” literally meaning don’t be “struck with fear, to be seized with alarm”. [1] The phrase “little flock” specifically refers to the small group of disciples whom Jesus was addressing (vs 22). That flock grew very large over time, to 3,000 on Pentecost and to millions more as the Gospel spread.
[1] THAYER'S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com
Literally, do we worry too much about things? Do we live in a culture of fear? Are we Christians called to fear religion, or faith? Morally, does Jesus encourage us to sell what we don’t need and give to the poor? By analogy, is hoarding the opposite of faith? Prophetically, why fear, when God will give us his kingdom!
Luke 12:33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.
Jesus told those who would become the top leaders of the church, “Sell your possessions.” He did not so instruct every wealthy Christian. Some wealthy people supported Jesus and his disciples. The apostles were to get rid of excess possessions. Contrary to the lifestyles of some televangelists and bishops, Jesus implied that church leaders should not be greedy for wealth.
What false prophets preach smooth things (Isaiah 30:10)? Does God condemn religious worship that neglects the poor (Isaiah 1:10-20)? Did Jesus teach us to deny ourselves and take up our cross (Matthew 16:24-26)? Is our religious activity worthless (Isaiah 1:10-20) if we are not involved in true religion (James 1:27), meaning “give to those in need?”
Luke 12:34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Where is our heart? The answer lies in where our treasure is. Though specifically addressed to the disciples, the principle is the same for all of us. The context is not about what we put in the offering plate, though that could be included as well. The specific context is giving to the needy, revealing a heart with kingdom values.
Historically, aren’t our hearts our innermost thoughts? Morally, does a materialistic heart, set on a false health-and-wealth gospel, miss the point? Allegorically, do our personal and national budgets reveal our collective and individual generosity or mean-spiritedness? Symbolically, does our money reveal whether our minds are on temporary or eternal things? How much do we give to needy causes?
Luke 12:35-37 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!
“Be dressed for service.” What service? We recall what Jesus said in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats, that when we help the needy, we are serving Him. A deeper meaning here is Jesus’ Second Coming along with his coming in the form of the needy.
Literally, did Jesus encourage us to be dressed, ready to serve Him? Morally, did he teach the Christian value of readiness to serve? Allegorically, do we let Him in, in the form of the poor? Prophetically, did he reveal that our service to the needy is readiness for His coming?
Luke 12:38-40 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready. “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
“He will reward,” says Jesus. The investment that we make in God’s kingdom, in the church, in the poor, will be rewarded. The reward may not be in this life, but certainly in the next. An investment in God’s kingdom, including its work in the church and among the weak is an investment like no other, with a heavenly guarantee.
Literally, does Jesus encourage us to give to the poor? Morally, is the strong helping the weak a kingdom value? Allegorically, do we see Jesus in the needy, because he became poor for us? Are we on his side? Prophetically, do we picture God’s future kingdom now, a reign that loves and values all human life, by helping the needy?
Part 2
This next part is not included in the Revised Common Lectionary, but is in Catholic readings and is also important.
Luke 12:41-46 Peter asked, “Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?” 42 And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 43 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
This lesson is for those who care for other people in church, whether in leadership or not. Shouldn’t we all be doing so? Moderns may not like the threat, and that’s probably why this passage is not in the lectionary because we are soft and find ancient expressions too shocking.
Luke 12:47-48 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
Abusive servants cut in pieces; unprepared servants severely punished; and unknowing servants punished more lightly. This is the stuff that universalism overlooks and modernism ignores. Yet, we cannot claim to preach the whole Gospel when we ignore such dire warnings, and only preach smooth and pleasant things (Isaiah 30:10).
Contrary to popular opinion, helping the needy is not a liberal agenda pursued by those denying the moral standards of Christianity. It is conservative, orthodox Christian morality. It is how God’s kingdom operates, putting self-sacrifice ahead of self-centeredness. Let's be known as a people who serve the poor and needy.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
