Luke 12: Fear of Lord and provision of Lord
Luke 12: Fear of Lord and provision of Lord, 1/14/2209
by Pastor Biao Chen
Are you worrying about your job security and immigration status or uncertainty of future in this worsening global economic meltdown? Have you asked a lot of questions of what if’s? If you do, I have some good news for you: Please re-read this portion of Luke 12 again and be encouraged in Lord.
Obviously, Luke’s writings in this chapter are quite different from Matthew 6, which is part of sermons on the mountain, despite we often call them the synoptic Gospels (Matt, Mark and Luke). From Chapter 9:51 to Chapter 19:27, Luke describes the teachings and works of Jesus as He leaves the Galilee marching toward Jerusalem. The Luke 12 has been sandwiched by Lord prayer (Luke 11) and Jesus teaching in a mustard seed parable for Kingdom of God. From the surface, we may see this passage as simply consisting of unconnected warnings and teachings of Jesus: 1) Beware of the Leaven of Pharisees, 2) Have not fear or Fear only One, 3) Acknowledge of Jesus before man, 4) Parable of the rich fool, and 5) Do not be anxious.
Why Luke groups these various teachings together here? What does Holy Spirit through Luke communicate to earlier church then and now to our times?
As Kingdom of God expands forcefully on the earth, beginning with Lord’s prayer as Vision of Kingdom, and ending with the Kingdom gradually expansion on the earth. From one perspective, our middle sessions are really communicating the message of “Hold on Your journey to the Kingdom of God”. You sees, the today’s false teachings probably as much spread as the false teachings of Pharises then; how many of followers of Christ are worries about daily lives in various hostile environments to the points may not longer fear of Lord and losing their testimony to Lord, even to mimic the life style of Rich Fool? Before the consummation of Kingdom of God, continuation of this Kingdom is always up and down. This is true then and true now.
My punch line is the this. In our daily lives how easy to us are overwhelmed by our circumstances (wars, economic pressures, deadlines, and bad relationships, or health), become the people who “fear of man” or “fear of the circumstances”. What is antidote Jesus for his disciples as they faced similar or even worse situations? Fear of Lord (not being fear Lord): “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body….Fear Him who after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell” (verses 4-5); “and I tell you, everyone who acknowledge me before men, Son of man also will acknowledge before the Angels of God (their judge according to Will of God, verse 8)” ; “do not anxious about your life & body on food &cloth, for life is more than food and body is more than clothing….For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”
You see, the encouragement of Jesus is not like the men, who normally sugarcoated hush reality, instead, Jesus told us that Lord is ultimate judge and provider to our soul and body. He counts all the hairs of entire human beings and provides needs to all his creations from flowers to sparrow. We are his friends and the image of God, his beloved bride!
May this passage remind us again the Lord of judge is the same Lord of provision, so trust Him is far better than relying on the princes on the earth.