Luke 12:1-7 — Death = Not Scary?

READ THIS: Luke 12:1-7

1 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. 

4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

In this passage, Jesus speaks to His disciples for a moment before addressing a massive crowd that has come to hear Him speak! He tells His disciples to be prepared and ready to defend themselves against the words of the Pharisees, because many of their words were false and even hypocritical. Notice, though, that Jesus doesn't tell them to treat the Pharisees poorly or say awful things about them! That's because Jesus knows that God will ultimately handle anyone who opposes Him. We see this in verses 2-3, where Jesus says that at the end of time, everything that anyone does, no matter who they are and no matter if it's done in public or private, will ultimately be revealed!

But then, in verses 4-5, Jesus seems to change the subject to something even more serious. He tells the disciples not to fear anyone who threatens or even tries to put them to death, but instead to only fear God... especially since God is the One who is in control of our life after death!
 
But why? Death can sound pretty scary, right? On top of that, think about the disciples' situation: in just a bit, Jesus would no longer be with them, and lots of people (including the Pharisees) would be doing everything they could to punish them, torture them, and ultimately kill them. In fact, all of the disicples (except for John) would ultimately be killed as a result of their faith... so why shouldn't they, and we, fear death?

Jesus gives us the answer in verses 6 and 7: because God loves us... like A LOT! Jesus tells the disciples to think about sparrows, a bird that was considered one of the cheapest to sell and buy at the time. He says that God knows and cares for each of them... so how much more does God care for us, people made in His image! God knows the number of hairs on our head... so how much more would He care for us as His people? A ton!!! Yes... God has the power to throw us into hell, and that sounds real scary. But He also loves us unconditionally, and He longs for us to be with Him forever! THAT is why we don't need to be afraid of death, and that is why the disciples ultimately faced it head on in their own lives!

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Re-read verses 2-3 again... how does it feel knowing that God will bring every single thing we do, even the things we keep hidden, into the light?

2. Now re-read verses 6-7 again... how does it feel to know that even though we are sinners and broken, God knows us and loves us unconditionally?

TRY THIS:

Draw a little bird on your hand or on a sticky note that you'll see a bunch today! Yes... do it. When you look at it, remind yourself that Jesus loves you more than the sparrows!

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