Read & explore together

Warnings, Trust and Readiness in Luke

Jesus moves from a tense meal to urgent teaching for disciples and crowds. He exposes hypocrisy, teaches whom to fear, calls for trust in the Father, and urges people to recognise the time and repent.

Luke 11:37–12:12; Luke 12:22–34; Luke 12:49–13:5Read together with an adultTeaching
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Understanding the passage

Understanding the passage

A Pharisee invites Jesus to dine and is surprised by his practice before the meal. Jesus then speaks sharply to Pharisees and lawyers, warns disciples in front of a huge crowd, teaches against anxiety, and responds to reports of violent death and sudden disaster.

Luke 11:37–12:12; Luke 12:22–34; Luke 12:49–13:5

Main takeaway

Jesus calls for inner honesty, open loyalty to him, trust in the Father’s care, and timely repentance.

Explore the teaching

Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.

01Jesus exposes what is wrong insideAt the meal, Jesus answers concern about washing by pointing to the inward part. He says outward cleansing can hide extortion and wickedness.

Explanation

At the meal, Jesus answers concern about washing by pointing to the inward part. He says outward cleansing can hide extortion and wickedness. He calls for giving to the needy and says justice and God’s love must not be bypassed while careful religious habits are kept.

02Religious leaders can burden and blockJesus also warns the lawyers. They load people with burdens and do not help carry them. They build the prophets’ tombs while agreeing with those who killed them.

Explanation

Jesus also warns the lawyers. They load people with burdens and do not help carry them. They build the prophets’ tombs while agreeing with those who killed them. He says they have taken away the key of knowledge, and the leaders then begin trying to catch him in his words.

03Hidden things, true fear, and speaking for JesusJesus tells his disciples to beware hypocrisy, because hidden things will be revealed. They should fear God rather than people who can only kill the body, yet not be afraid, because God remembers sparrows and knows them fully.

Explanation

Jesus tells his disciples to beware hypocrisy, because hidden things will be revealed. They should fear God rather than people who can only kill the body, yet not be afraid, because God remembers sparrows and knows them fully. They must confess the Son of Man, take seriously the warning about blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and trust the Spirit’s help before authorities.

04Trust the Father instead of anxietyJesus tells his disciples not to be anxious about food or clothing. Life is more than these things, and anxiety cannot achieve even a little.

Explanation

Jesus tells his disciples not to be anxious about food or clothing. Life is more than these things, and anxiety cannot achieve even a little. God feeds ravens and clothes lilies, and the Father knows what his people need. So they are to seek his Kingdom, give to the needy, and place their treasure in heaven.

05A sharp time that calls for repentanceJesus says he came to throw fire on the earth and has a baptism ahead, and he is distressed until it is accomplished.

Explanation

Jesus says he came to throw fire on the earth and has a baptism ahead, and he is distressed until it is accomplished. His coming brings division, not calm agreement. The crowds should interpret this time, judge what is right, and settle matters before judgement closes in. Tragic deaths do not prove worse sin, but they do make Jesus repeat the call to repent.

Questions to explore

Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.

01What does Jesus say is missing when people focus on outward cleanness and careful tithing?

Look for the inner problem Jesus names and the qualities he says were being bypassed.

02How does Jesus join warning and comfort when he speaks about fear and public witness?

Read together the verses about fearing God, the value of sparrows, confessing or denying the Son of Man, and the Spirit’s help.

03How does Jesus respond to reports of violent death and accident?

Notice that he rejects the idea that the victims were worse sinners and repeats one urgent response for everyone.

Read the Bible passages

World English Bible Classic

Scripture quotation · Public domain

Luke 11:37–54

37Now as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him to dine with him. He went in and sat at the table.

38When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed himself before dinner.

39The Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness.

40You foolish ones, didn’t he who made the outside make the inside also?

41But give for gifts to the needy those things which are within, and behold, all things will be clean to you.

42But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and God’s love. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.

43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.

44Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don’t know it.”

45One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying this you insult us also.”

46He said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won’t even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.

47Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

48So you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs.

49Therefore also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute,

50that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation,

51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.’ Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.

52Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered.”

53As he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly angry, and to draw many things out of him,

54lying in wait for him, and seeking to catch him in something he might say, that they might accuse him.

Luke 12:1–12

1Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.

3Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

4“I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

6“Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins ? Not one of them is forgotten by God.

7But the very hairs of your head are all counted. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.

8“I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God;

9but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of God’s angels.

10Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer or what you will say;

12for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”

Luke 12:22–34

22He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.

23Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

24Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!

25Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height?

26If then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?

27Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith?

29“Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.

30For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.

31But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.

32“Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

33Sell what you have and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

34For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luke 12:49–59

49“I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.

50But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

51Do you think that I have come to give peace on the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.

52For from now on, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

54He said to the multitudes also, “When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens.

55When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens.

56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don’t interpret this time?

57“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

58For when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

59I tell you, you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the very last penny. ”

Luke 13:1–5

1Now there were some present at the same time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

2Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things?

3I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.

4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the men who dwell in Jerusalem?

5I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.”

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