Luke 12.13-28

13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”

14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself,  ‘My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ 21 Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? 27 Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

Comments

What was that guy thinking, asking Jesus to help divide his dad’s estate? Jesus let him off easy, he could have told both brothers to give it all to the poor. (Then again, Luke clues us in that this guy was not interested in being a disciple: he calls Jesus ‘teacher,’ not ‘Lord.’) 

This leads to the parable of the rich fool and perhaps the sharpest rhetoric we have seen in Luke so far. At first glance it may be difficult to determine where the rich man’s fault lies. Securing his own position and consolidating his power within his community are actions quite in line with the values of his day and our own. He owned the land and grew the crops, weren’t they his to store for a later day (when he could sell them at a higher price) if he wanted?  His own security, however, comes at the direct expense of those in his regional economy, who will likely become more dependent on the rich man when less abundant crop seasons come around.

The rich man decides to eat, drink, and be merry but the invitation is directed solely at himself. This is the exact opposite of what Jesus has already instructed his followers to do. The disciples have been taught to give freely without expecting any return. This wealthy landowner, by contrast, is closed off from other people refusing to practice justice, which we have already seen equated to sharing the love of God towards all people. We can see that other people are not a concern for the rich fool, because Luke constructs the parable so that there is no one else there. The rich fool speaks only to himself and claims personal ownership of every object he names, he does not even have someone to make merry with (and it is just plain weird that he calls himself friend). His complete lack of community is both a cause and product of his foolishness.

Jesus did not call his followers to live in such isolation, or with the fear-based worry that leads to such hoarding. We tend to hear a lot about the problem of greed in our culture, but I don’t think we hear enough about the underlying fear that drives much of it. Even the eating, drinking, and making merry are often attempts to cover, dull, or drown out a gnawing fear, an insatiable insecurity. We don’t have to live in such fear. We don’t have to hoard today’s crops, God will send more. We don’t have to worry. We can dress like flowers and eat like birds and enjoy the love of God among actual friends.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale HousePublishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Luke 12.1-12

1 Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees — their hypocrisy. 2 The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!

4 Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.

6 What is the price of five sparrows — two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

8 I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels. 9 But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels. 10 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11 And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said.”

Comments

When we read the warning about the yeast of the Pharisees in Mark and Matthew, the statement was embedded in narrative, coming after a mass feeding and just as the Twelve had forgotten to stop at the Piggly Wiggly for a loaf. Luke strips away the narrative frame and any explanation other than the rant we read yesterday and the rest of chapter 12 (which will fill the rest of this week for us). The Pharisees fail to practice justice and abuse the people they are supposed to care for (ch. 11). The disciples are not to be afraid of them or anyone or anything else (ch. 12). Luke wants us to consider what the yeast of the Pharisees is in his carefully constructed context.

Yeast is such a powerful agent. Once it is active it works its way through the dough changing the chemistry, texture, and taste of the bread. It starts small but it affects the whole, leaving no part untouched. It is self-replicating when fed and can lay dormant waiting for the right conditions to leap into action again. It adds volume to the dough, making it seem bigger than it is. Yeast is the ideal metaphor here because the root of the Pharisees’ hypocrisy, their yeast, was fear. Like a baker uses yeast as a tool, the Pharisees used fear as a tool to control and abuse people. Anyone who claims to speak for God and have the authority to adjudicate another’s spirituality can easily use fear to manipulate anyone who accepts their claim to authority. The Pharisees were master fear mongers. Which explains the content and placement of Luke 12.

But pay careful attention – Luke doesn’t just rail against the fear-yeast of the Pharisees. He keeps the basic warning – Jesus’ disciples need to actively avoid (the Greek is literally – “pay attention to getting away from”) this fear-yeast. Luke is already looking ahead to the troubles the early church experienced that his second volume reports on. Disciples of Jesus need to avoid the fear-yeast because we are just as prone the Pharisees to using fear to religiously manipulate others.

Jesus wanted nothing to do with any form of manipulation. Justice does not manipulate. Love cannot manipulate. Those who follow Jesus cannot, must not, manipulate either. And we don’t need to (that’s not to say some don’t anyway – the warning here is a very real warning), because perfect love drives out all fear. The way of Jesus is not the way of fear. It is the opposite. It is the way of freedom, the way of empowerment, the way of shouting from rooftops and going before magistrates unrehearsed, trusting the Spirit – the Spirit Who Is Love, the Fear Banishing Spirit – to fill our minds and mouths with the very words of God to the world, to the authorities, to every little sparrow of a person who feels worthless and is actually worth more than they could possibly imagine until the Love-Spirit begins to speak through you to tell them. Find a rooftop today and let the Spirit fill your mouth with fear-dispelling words.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale HousePublishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.