Do not be afraid
Luke 12:1-12
12 Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops.
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. 7 But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; 9 but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.”
Jesus fully aware that the tension is rising provides a reprise of what he has said before, this time going deeper. There are a number of strands that he brings together.
What is done in a hidden way will be revealed, what is said behind closed doors will be announced in public. We saw this in Luke 8:16-18. The truth will come out, the committed followers of Jesus will be revealed in the end (see vs. 8 and 9 in this passage.)
In pointing out that the hidden will be revealed, Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. This line can frighten people. What is Jesus saying? I think Jesus is saying there are people who see a sign or an action they know is a sign or action from God, but unwilling to admit it is from God, because that would mean they would have to change their lives or their thinking, say that the action is not from God. This knowing something is the work of God, but denying it as the work of God is to deny the work of the Holy Spirit, that is blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. In my experience, people who are worried they have committed this sin almost certainly have not done so.
Back to the flow of the passage. Jesus lays down a promise here that he will pick up again in tomorrow’s text – the care God shows to his followers. Even when everything is against the followers of Jesus and the forces of evil seem on the verge of winning, Jesus has a command and a promise. The command is do not fear, for God has not forgotten you. The promise is, don’t worry about how to defend our following of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will give us the words we need.
PRAYER:
Lord God, we live in fear. Lift us out of our fear and draw us into the promise you offer, that you have not forgotten us. Send the Holy Spirit to remind us of your promise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.