Luke Chapter 12 commentary

    1: In the mean time when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people insomuch that they trode one upon another he began to say to 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 whatever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light and that which you have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops 4: And I say to 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 you shall fear Fear him which after he has killed has power to cast into Gehenna yes I say to you Fear him[1] 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 you are of more value than many sparrows 8: Also I say to you Whoever shall confess me before mortals  them shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God 9: But they who deny me before mortals shall be denied before the angels of God 10: And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven them but to them that blaspheme against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven 11: And when they bring you to the synagogues and to magistrates and powers take ye no thought how or what thing you shall answer or what you shall say 12: For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say 13: And one of the company said to him Master speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me 14: And he said to him Man who made me a judge or a divider over you 15: And he said to them Take heed and beware of covetousness for a person's life consists not in the abundance of the things which they possess 16: And he spoke a parable to 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 store my crops 18: And he said This will I do I will pull down my barns and build greater and there will I store all my fruits and my goods 19: And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years take your ease eat drink and be merry 20: But God said to him you fool this night your soul shall be required of you then whose shall those things be which thou have provided 21: So are they that lay up treasure for themselves and are not rich toward God 22: And he said to his disciples[2] because of this I say to you Take no thought for your lives what you shall eat neither for the body what you shall put on 23: The life is more than food and the body is more than clothing 24: Consider the ravens for they neither sow nor reap which neither have storehouse nor barn and God feeds them how much more are you better than the birds 25: And which of you by worrying can add to your height one cubit 26: If you then be not able to do that thing which is least why take ye thought for the rest 27: Consider the lilies how they grow they toil not they spin not and yet I say to you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 28: If then God so clothe the grass which is today in the field and to morrow is cast into the oven how much more will he clothe you O ye of little faith 29: And seek not ye what you shall eat or what you shall drink neither be ye of doubtful mind 30: For all these things do the nations of the world seek after and your Father knows that you have need of these things 31: But rather seek ye the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you 32: Fear not little flock for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom 33: Sell what you have and give alms [to the poor] provide yourselves bags which wax not old a treasure in the heavens that fails not where no thief approaches  neither moth corrupts 34: For where your treasure is there will your heart be also 35: Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning [be ready] 36: And you yourselves like unto those who wait for their lord when he will return from the wedding that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately 37: Blessed are those servants whom the lord when he comes shall find watching truly I say to you that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to eat and will come forth and serve them 38: And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants 39: And this know that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not have allowed his house to be broken through 40: Be ye therefore ready also for the Son of Man comes at an hour when you think not 41: Then Peter said to him Lord do you speak this parable to us or even to all 42: And the Lord said Who then are those faithful and wise stewards whom their lord shall make ruler over his household to give them their portion of food in due season 43: Blessed are those servants whom their lord when he comes shall find so doing 44: Of a truth I say to you that he will make them rulers over all that he has 45: But and if those servants say in their hearts, My lord delays his coming and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens and to eat and drink and to be drunken 46: The lord of those servants will come in a day when they look not for him and at an hour when they are not aware and will cut them in sunder [off] and will appoint them their portions with the unbelievers 47: And those servants who knew their lord's will and prepared not themselves neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes 48: But they that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes For unto whomsoever much is given of them shall be much required and to whom much has [been] committed of them they will ask the more 49: I am come to cast fire to the earth and what [I] desire [is] that [it be] already kindled [3] ^{Malachi 4:1} 50: But I have a baptism to be baptized with [first] and how I am pressed till it be accomplished 51: Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth I tell you No but rather division 52: For from now on there shall be five in one house divided three against two and two against three 53: The father shall be divided against the son and the son against the father the mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother the mother in law against her daughter in law and the daughter in law against her mother in law ^{Malachi 4:5-6} 54: And he said also to the people When you see a cloud rise out of the west immediately you say There comes a shower and so it is 55: And when you see the south wind blow you say There will be heat and it comes to pass 56: You hypocrites you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth but how is it that you do not discern this time [4] 57: Yes and why even of yourselves judge you not what is right. 58: When you go with your adversary to the magistrate as you are in the way give diligence that you may be delivered from him lest he hale thee to the judge and the judge deliver you to the officer and the officer cast you into prison 59: I tell you [that] you shall not depart [from] there till you have paid the very last mite[5]

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[1] If Jesus is referring simply to the trash dump outside Jerusalem where the trash was burned (Gehenna), then there is essentially no difference between God and those who can kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But he is not. Scripture confirms that the Gehenna Jesus refers to is located in the heart of the earth (Hades) and will break through to the surface of the earth to form the Lake of Fire on the New Earth—Redemption: Bible Prophecy Simplified, by Jocelyn Andersen.

[2] Jesus’ disciples included more than just the Twelve. They included the 70 he sent forth to preach and do miracles. His disciples also included women who traveled with him and provided for him out of their personal possessions and income.

[3] Luke 12:49-53 aligns perfectly with Malachi chapter four

[4] There was no excuse not to be expecting Messiah at that particular time. Daniel 9:25-26 gave them a time-line from Cyrus' command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the Savior. The years could be counted. Anna and Simeon knew this. They not only knew the scriptures, but they also knew by the Spirit, who they were looking at when they saw SON OF MAN as an infant.

[5] For crimes we commit on earth and are convicted of, the sentences served usually pay the debt society requires, and have an end to them. But this is not the case in the sentence of eternal punishment for those who reject the sacrifice made by Jesus when he died on the cross for the sins of the world.  Only Messiah could pay the sin debt to God that was created at The Fall. And Christ gave his life so that all who would come to him might live forever. This passage also refutes the doctrine of Purgatory which implies that the sacrifice of Christ is not complete unless a believer also pays penance for an unspecified length of time after their death, by suffering in a place like hell for their sins. It is not possible for any one to pay God anything that can absolve themselves of sin. Jesus did that for us already—in entirety. When unbelievers die, they go directly to a place of torment the Bible calls Hades or Gehenna. This condition of suffering is forever. When a believer dies, they go directly to be with the Lord in a place Jesus called Paradise and live in eternal joy. This blessing is likewise forever.