Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 12:1-12 "AN INNUMERABLE MULTITUDE" Luke 12:1"
Day 157 – Luke 12
Text: Luke 12:1-12
“AN INNUMERABLE MULTITUDE” Luke 12:1
Once again, Luke paints for us an awesome picture of the crowds that had gathered themselves around Jesus. They were well described in these words,
“An innumerable multitude of people had gathered together,
so that they trampled one another…”
Luke 12:1
The Gospel writer Mark had a similar description of the multitudes who flocked to Jesus. He described the crowds vividly too,
“A great multitude from Galilee followed Him,
and from Judea and Jerusalem,
and Idumea and beyond the Jordan;
and those from Tyre and Sidon,
a great multitude…
So He told His Disciples that a small boat should be kept ready
For Him because of the multitude,
Lest they should crush Him.”
Mark 3:7-9
But the multitudes were simply the multitudes. Yes, they flocked to hear Jesus and to see Him perform unique miracles! Nevertheless, these did not follow Him as His Disciples did. They were just not ready to make up their minds to follow Jesus as His Disciples!
“BEWARE OF THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES, WHICH IS HYPOCRISY” Luke 12:1
Obviously, the recent debate with the Pharisees (Cf. Luke 11:14-54) was still on the mind of the Lord Jesus. The Disciples would of course have heard the fierce debate between Jesus and the Pharisees and Scribes.
Jesus wanted His Disciples to be aware of the fact that they must never be like the multitudes, nor must they ever allow themselves to be deceived by the religiosity of the Pharisees. The Lord Jesus compared the hypocritical religiosity of the Pharisees with leaven.
Leaven was essentially fermented yeast. It is pervasive in its nature and it spread throughout the dough it is mixed with . Hypocrisy, no matter how well disguised is still hypocrisy. Hypocrisy has no substance at all. It is empty and it is unable to sustain the soul.
The sum of the beliefs and practices of the Pharisees and Scribes may be summarized in just one word – HYPOCRISY. What an indictment! How we must check ourselves, lest we be found guilty of possessing an empty religious shell.
“THERE IS NOTHING COVERED THAT WILL NOT BE REVEALED” Luke 12:2
The Pharisees and Scribes were mistaken in their understanding that they would never be “exposed”. They covered their hypocrisy as best they could.
1. Their empty hypocritical religion was covered in a multitude of religious man-made laws.
2. Their hypocrisy was covered in the form of keeping religious observances, like fasting, and tithing. However, these were done only to gain favour from men.
3. Their hypocrisy was deadly because they promoted it and sold it as true religion. This was the Jewish faith, they declared authoritatively. Anybody who disagreed with them would be put out of the synagogue.
The Lord Jesus took an opposing view. He refused to be cowed by the Pharisees and Scribes. His principle of life was that of being totally “open”. Nothing needs to be covered. That which was covered would one day be revealed!
If there was hypocrisy instead of genuine faith in God, that hypocrisy would one day be revealed! This was the way Jesus understood what true faith in God meant. He sought to teach His Disciples how they should practise their faith in God. They must never allow hypocrisy to creep in at any time!
“WHATEVER YOU HAVE SPOKEN IN THE DARK WILL BE HEARD IN THE LIGHT…” Luke 1 2:3
The Lord Jesus taught His Disciples that they must remember that they must not practise what the Pharisees and Scribes did. They thought that they could “speak in the dark”. The Pharisees and Scribes had already begun plotting against Jesus. They were going to see if they could catch Him in what He said to the multitudes. They had hidden themselves among the multitudes, and thought that they could catch Jesus one day.
The Lord Jesus protected Himself in the simplest way possible. He practised what he now sought to teach his Disciples. He lived a totally transparent life. He did not teach anything that was covert. He did not teach anything that He would be ashamed of speaking on the rooftops. He did not teach occultic views in the dark. He taught plainly. He lived a life that was open and clear.
That did not mean that His enemies would not attack him. They would twist His words. They would take His teachings out of context. They would do everything they could to hurt His life and ministry.
However, He who has lived well, and taught clearly, is never afraid of being maligned. His faith was clear and transparent. How wonderful it is to possess such an approach to faith and life.
MATCHING OUR LIFESTYLE WITH OUR FAITH
Let us examine our Christian doctrine and practices. Let us beware that we do not end up with hypocrisy! How easily we can end up with hypocritical beliefs and practices. Let us never pretend to be what we are not. The Pharisees and Scribes pretended to possess a faith that they did not actually possess. Let us seek ever to match our lifestyle with our profession of faith.