Luke 12:1-21
Wednesday, 07 June 2023
In the meantime when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together,...He began to say to his disciples first of all. -Luke 12:1
It’s very interesting to note at various occasions when Jesus was surrounded by a crowd excited to hear Him and see His miracles, His teachings were always directed to His disciples and not to the crowd. Why did He do this? He was separating a group of men who after His ascension would live radically different lives that would counter the Jewish and the world standards. As His disciples today, He expects to see this in each of us. If we have compromised on His teachings, may the Holy Spirit rekindle our hearts back to these priceless lessons taught by our Saviour, so that, though we are people living in the world, we would never be of it.
Depart from Hypocrisy– During Jesus’ days the common man was tired because of the hypocritical attitude and lives of the Pharisees. Jesus himself called them ‘White washed Tombs’ meaning that they were spiritually dead but imposing spiritual rules and regulations on the people. These Pharisees never lived up to what they taught. As disciples of Christ have we fallen into the same rut? How much of what we preach do we practice? Do our lives attract others to Christ or are we just people of empty words? We need to remember that our secret sins will eventually be revealed (Vs 2&3). So may we live lives worthy of God so that others may see our good works and praise our Father in heaven.
Fear God above others:[V.5] In each of our lives we have faced situations where we had to decide in a split second if we were to fear man’s threat or face God’s wrath. Many times we have failed God because of the fear of man. This was what happened to Peter on the night of Jesus’ trial. Fear overtook him at the simple questions of a servant girl, that he denied his Master. The love for his life outweighed the love for the Lord. This is a pressure test all of us will have to face someday. The only way we can face this test is by understanding God’s love for us (Vs. 6&7). He holds us in the palms of His hands and He will never let anyone pluck us out of His hands (John 10:28).
Depend on the Holy Spirit: [V.12] This is key for every believer. We are never to serve the Lord in our abilities and strengths. Jesus encourages his disciples in Vs.11&12 to rely constantly on the Holy Spirit in their walk and talk. Understanding it well, Paul in 1 Corinthians 2 states that he never shared the gospel with persuasive words but with the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. This same dependency on the Holy Spirit enabled him to testify before King Agrippa and to Felix (Acts 24 & 25). May we learn to seek the Spirit every time we venture out to serve the Lord, keeping step with Him all the time (Gal.5: 25).
Rich towards God: Jesus finishes off his teaching by encouraging His disciple to sow into the kingdom of God and not hoard wealth for their own selfish needs. 1Timothy 6: 17-19 tells us how we are to behave when God blesses us with riches:
i. Not to be obsessed with money that is here today and gone tomorrow
ii. Be rich in helping others and extravagantly generous to others
iii. Investing in the life to come that we may hold a share in the life that is permanent.
If all of us could live such radical lives we are sure to win souls [thirty, sixty, hundred-fold] for the Lord!
Quote for the Day : “All Jesus needed was to revolutionize the hearts of a few, and they would impact the world.” ~David Platt
Listen: 'Take my Life '