Luke 12

The Explanation

So many people had come that they were stepping on each other's toes. Thousands of them, pushing and shoving to hear Jesus. And Jesus turned to his friends and said something strange: "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees."

Yeast is that tiny bit you put in dough. You can hardly see it, but it spreads through the whole loaf. Jesus meant: watch out for pretending. Pretending you are good on the outside, while inside you are something else. Because one day everything hidden will come into the light. Nothing stays secret with God.

Then Jesus said something that could make your heart beat faster. "Don't be afraid," he said. And he pointed to the birds. In the market you could buy five sparrows for two small coins. Almost nothing. Sparrows were the cheapest thing in the whole market. "Not one of them is forgotten by God," Jesus said. And then: "the very hairs of your head are all counted."

Have you ever tried counting the hairs on your head? You cannot. God can.

While Jesus was speaking, a man shouted from the crowd. "Teacher! Tell my brother to share with me!" He was angry about money. Jesus did not take his side. Instead he told a story.

There was a rich farmer, and his fields grew more grain than ever. Golden, heavy, everywhere. The farmer sat down and thought hard. "My barns are too small," he said. "I know. I will tear them down and build bigger ones. Then I will have enough for years and years. Then I can eat and drink and take it easy."

He said "I" and "my" over and over. He never once said "thank you, God."

That night God said to him, "You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you." The barns were full. The farmer was gone. And all that grain, whose would it be now?

Then Jesus looked at his friends and said: don't be worried about what you will eat or what you will wear. Look at the ravens. They have no barn at all, and God feeds them. Look at the wild flowers in the grass. They do not sew a single stitch, and King Solomon in all his golden robes never looked as beautiful as one of them.

"Don't be afraid, little flock," Jesus said. Little flock. Like sheep that belong to a good shepherd. "For it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom."

And then he told them to keep their lamps burning, like servants waiting up at night for their master to come home. Because the master is coming back, and nobody knows the hour.

What Does This Mean?

Jesus is saying two things at the same time, and they fit together. First: stop pretending, and stop grabbing. The farmer filled his barns and emptied his heart. Second: stop being afraid. Your Father knows exactly what you need.

Jesus even says where your treasure is, your heart will be too. If your treasure is a pile of stuff, your heart sits on the pile. If your treasure is God, your heart is safe.

The Common Thread

Who is this Father who counts hairs and feeds ravens? Jesus knows him better than anyone, because Jesus is his Son. And Jesus said something heavy in this chapter: "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!" He was talking about the cross that was waiting for him.

Jesus gave up everything, so that we could be given the Kingdom. The Shepherd was not afraid to lose his life for the little flock.

For You

Try this today. Count something you cannot count, like stars or blades of grass, and remember God counted your hairs. Then give something away that is really yours. A snack, a toy, some of your money for someone who has less. Small treasure on earth, big treasure in heaven.

Talk About It

What did the rich farmer forget to say?

Is there something you worry about? What would Jesus point at to show you God takes care of you?

Praying Together

Father, thank you that you do not forget one sparrow, and you do not forget me. Take away my fear. Help me to share instead of grab. Keep my lamp burning until Jesus comes. Amen.