Hi everyone, welcome back to daily gospel exegesis, where we
take a look at the Gospel. Reading from today's Catholic
mass. We're continuing to move through
the Gospel of Luke, so we're going to jump today in to Luke
chapter, 12 verses 1 to 7. The people had gathered in their
thousands so that they were treading on one, another and
Jesus began to speak. First to all his disciples.
Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees.
That is their hypocrisy, everything that is now covered
will be uncovered and everything.
Now, hidden will be made clear for this reason.
Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the
daylight. And what you have whispered in
hidden, places will be proclaimed on the housetops.
To you my friends. I say.
Do not be afraid of Those Who Kill the body.
And after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear,
fear Him, who after he has killed, has the power to cast
into hell. Yes, I tell you fear Him.
Can you not buy five sparrows, for two pennies?
And yet not one is forgotten in God's sight.
Why every hair on your head. Has been counted.
There is no need to be afraid. You are worth more than hundreds
of sparrows. So another really interesting
reading here in Luke. And as always, we want to start
by asking ourselves. What's the context?
So Jesus at this point is moving From Galilee to Judea.
So it's getting close to the end of his ministry, he is moving
towards Jerusalem and of various points.
He's speaking to the crowds. He's doing healings and going
into the town's so we get to verse 1.
The people had gathered in their thousands so that they were
treading on one another. Now, this is not a pleasant
scene if you think about it. We often See.
Artistic representations of this.
We usually just see Jesus sitting peacefully with a
peaceful crowd around him but here Luke tells us there were
thousands there and they're treading on one.
Another the crowd is pushing and jostling against each other and
it's probably hot so it's really not quite Pleasant.
And the reality is that is this scene for a lot of the latter
part of Jesus ministry. And so in a real sense, we could
say that. Jesus ministry could not have
gone on for a whole lot longer than what it did because it was
already Causing a lot of crowds and a lot of congestion
congestion. So, Jesus, is now going to begin
a long interactive, sermon kind of like, what you would see in
Matthew. Actually, this is a long sermon
that basically goes from chapter 12.
The start of chapter 12 where we are today to 13:9, and this
speech, it's possible that some of the things in this speech was
set on different occasions, but Luke has combined them together,
that is a possibility. It says Jesus began to speak.
First of all, to his disciples. So there are crowds around, but
at the start of the speech here, he's just speaking to his
followers later, he'll speak to the whole crowds keep in mind
was what has just occurred at the end of chapter 11.
So, he's just denounce the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.
And he takes the opportunity to teach about genuine discipleship
here. So, in contrast with the falsest
leadership, and discipleship of the Pharisees Jesus.
Now, About what real discipleship.
Looks like any particular in today's reading, he's going to
talk about the challenges that his disciples will face in the
coming years. He starts by saying be on your
guard, against the yeast of the Pharisees, or beware of the
leaven of the Pharisees would be another translation there.
So what is this yeast or Levin? It's basically in that culture.
It was used to make bread. Rise, kind of like self-raising
flour and what they would do when they were making bread is
they would put in a tiny amount of yeast and that's all you
needed. A tiny amount, but that was
enough to puff up the whole loaf.
Now, it appears that the Jews viewed leaven or Yeast is quite
a negative thing part of their religion and their culture.
So 11 is sort of generally - at least in terms of spiritual
things cuz in connection with the Passover they were commanded
to clean out all of the leaven from their homes.
Remember unleavened bread is required around the time of the
Passover. And over the years, there was a
logical reason why they had to get rid of 11 originally in the
first Exodus. But over the years, by the time
of Jesus, they'd come to associate Levin as generally a
kind of bad thing. And the original Feast there is
talked about in Exodus, chapter 12 Jesus is about to use.
East in probably in, even more metaphorical sense that they had
not considered before, so he says to them be on your guard
against the yeast of the Pharisees, that is their
hypocrisy. So why the Pharisees Hypocrites?
Well, they claim to be holy, but their actions show that they're
really not wholly at all. And we've talked about that in
the previous episodes in 11:39, Jesus calls them Hypocrites for
that reason. Now, interestingly Matthews
version of this text doesn't say be aware of the yeast of the
Pharisees. That is their hypocrisy Matthews
version says that is their teaching So if we take both
versions Matthew and Luke together the phrase overall the
leaven of the Pharisees, it means the corrupting influence
of the Pharisees, which creeps into everything and that's going
to include the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the insincerity of
the Pharisees and they're ill will all of that will count as
the leaven of the Pharisees which Jesus is warning his
disciples against the basic idea here is that the Pharisees
errors in teaching and practice have the power to spread to
others and corrupt. The whole batch.
Kind of like leaven does the Pharisees influence is
corrupting? So Jesus tells his disciples
firstly they need to be on their guard against this corrupting
influence of the Pharisees. Jesus knows that his disciples
and the Pharisees. They're going to exist alongside
each other for a while and Jesus doesn't want his church to
become corrupted. So he gives his disciples a
warning and now it appears that Jesus changes topic a little
bit. And perhaps this is an
indication that this is one else he said on a different occasion,
maybe so, verse 2, he says everything that is now covered
will be uncovered and everything.
Now hidden will be made clear. Now what does this mean
everything? That is now covered will be
uncovered. It could have different
meanings, in fact, earlier in the gospel, if you look at Luke
chapter 8 verse 17, the same phrase is used and it means
something quite different something completely different
than what this context has it as.
So, this appears to be one of those phrases where Jesus Uses a
different times in his ministry to use different things.
Everything that is now covered will be uncovered.
It's one of his favorite phrases.
Apparently, kind of like the servant is not greater than the
master Jesus uses that phrase in several times to mean several
different things. So what does it mean here?
Everything that is now covered will be uncovered.
Everything that is hidden will be made clear.
Some Scholars have taken that to be an extension of what he was
just saying about yeast, as in yeast is kind of hidden, but it
does its work. Silently and maybe that's a
reference to one day. The Pharisees true hearts will
be exposed on Judgement Day and that would certainly fit as
well. Some have interpreted it to be
Jesus warning, his own disciples and he's saying to them
something like be careful what you say and do in private
because it will be revealed on Judgement Day in all will hear
it on that day. Maybe it's a prediction of the
Pharisees future judgment because of their hypocrisy.
As we said, you could interpret it that way too.
If you look at Matthews, One of these.
So Matthew chapter 10, where Jesus says this that context
makes it a little clearer what Jesus appears to mean.
And it's neither of those things.
Let's go on though and I think the meaning will become a little
clearer verse 3. Jesus says, in the next line for
this reason, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard
in the daylight. Now in Matthew's gospel, this
seems to be a reference to the apostolic age and that would fit
the context here, wouldn't it? Because Jesus is giving his
disciples instructions for the future.
And here's how we can interpret this phrase.
Jesus is speaking about the kingdom.
In a kind of a veiled way during his own Ministry, the mysteries
of the kingdom of kind of secret and only those who understand
the Power Ball's understand them, but after Jesus returns to
heaven and the Holy Spirit has come in the apostolic age, Jesus
knows that the apostles are going to proclaim the kingdom of
God, clearly without Parables. So maybe that's the meaning
here. Everything that is now covered
as in during his own lifetime. I'm will be uncovered in the
apostolic age, the kingdom of God, will become much clearer
and more available to everyone. And I think that's the best way
to interpret this phrase that is how God sets up, his Plan of
Salvation. So, during his lot, Jesus
lifetime, the kingdom is kind of hidden but then the apostles
will be called to make the kingdom much more plane
basically. But there are different
interpretations of this thing. You might see.
Jesus goes on what you have. We spent in Hidden rooms will be
proclaimed on the house. Stops.
So the idea is things that are said secretly in a room of the
house, will one day be proclaimed on the housetops.
So once again, Jesus seems to be saying here to his disciples
that one day, they will need to boldly proclaim the things of
the Kingdom, which at the present time, Jesus has only
revealing them to them privately.
And that is certainly the case. What does he mean here about how
stops? Well in that culture, first
century, Jewish Society houses, all had rooves for socializing.
So you could go out on your And it was actually very good place
to stand. And Shout a message to the
neighborhood. So to Proclaim something for it
from the housetops. Basically means tell, all
people. That's what the metaphor means
to tell all people. So so far, Jesus has basically
been telling his disciples, they need to be prepared to commit
themselves radically to the kingdom.
And that one day, they're going to have to be very bold about
it. He said that so far now he's
going to say he they should not be afraid of persecution and
Jesus knows the persecution is coming for them in the coming
years. So verse 4, he says to them to
my friends. So Jesus considers his
disciples, his friends, he cares for them to you.
My friends, I say do not be afraid of Those Who Kill the
body and after that can do no more interesting phrase.
So Jesus now encourages his Apostles and the disciples in
general to put their suffering that they're going to inevitably
have in an eternal perspective. They are going to encounter a
lot of persecution in the coming years and Jesus knows that.
And in fact, many of them would be killed for their faith, but
Jesus tells them not to fear, bodily, death and bodily
persecution. And if they can resist those
things, then they will gain something much greater.
But there's a on the other hand, there's a far worse fate, they
should fear if they give in to the persecution, something much
worse will happen to them. And in verse 5, he says to them.
I will tell you whom to fear, fear Him, whom after he has
killed, has the power to cast into hell.
Now, the Greek word here for hell is gehenna, and this is a
word, we've talked about elsewhere in the podcast and
particularly in Matthews the episodes in Matthew's gospel.
Gehenna was a real place in Israel in the Old Testament.
It was a place where children were sacrificed and literally
burned in Flames to the pagan gods.
And then, in New Testament times, it was kind of like a
burning dumpster. There was constantly rubbish,
burning out there and Jesus uses this real place, gehenna, or the
valley of hinnom literally. As a metaphor for hell, the
Eternal place of punishment. So when Jesus uses the Greek
word gehenna, which is actually different from Hades, that's a
different word. But when he uses gehenna, he's
talking about what we think of as hell, the place of Eternal
punishment. So, who then is the place who
the person, who after he has killed, has the power to cast
into hell. We might like to think that
that's Satan, but actually, Satan doesn't send anyone to
hell. It's God, Jesus here is talking
Using quite a strong language, hear about God, the father, he,
who after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell.
We don't like to think about God in those terms, but that's who
he's talking about now, he is going to give a different
perspective on God by the end of this reading.
But first Jesus, here is basically warning his disciples
that if they give up on the faith because of persecution,
there's a strong chance that God will send them to hell, so he's
giving them a warning. He's telling his Apostles and
the disciples not to give up on the faith.
No matter how much they'll be persecuted.
And it makes sense because they will be tempted to give up if
they're being physically persecuted, that's going to
bring them, some temporary relief, but Jesus says don't be
fooled, it will give you temporary relief, but it will
give you Eternal punishment. The disciples need to keep this
in mind and particularly the apostles because they are going
to be the Future Leaders of the church.
And they have a greater responsibility to stay in the
faith because they're giving greater gifts from Jesus.
Jesus finishes this section by saying yes I tell you fear him
so he says to his disciples either although they're going to
face a lot of persecution from people.
The only person they really need to worry about is God and we
should keep that in mind to the disciples.
Jesus said need to live their lives in the coming years.
Trying to please God and avoiding Temptations to sin.
It seems the disciples and particularly the apostles by and
large. They did understand this.
And they did learn this lesson. Because later, when they're
being persecuted, they say in this is in Acts 5:29.
We must obey God, rather than men.
So they seem to understand that, that's what Jesus meant.
Jesus. Now gives a couple of short
metaphors to show that God is indeed watching over them.
So he's going to remind them that God is loving and merciful
and that he cares about them. So the point here is that they
should not fear men and what man can do to them and they should
have confidence that God is Looking out for them.
Now, he will return to the teaching about how in the
afterlife and we'll look at that in today at tomorrow's episode.
But today, continuing with verse 6, can you not by five sparrows
for two pennies? Now, in that culture, sparrows
were quite cheap though. We use in liturgical sacrifices,
sometimes people would go to the temple and by Espero so that
they could sacrifice it and can can not five sparrows.
Be bought for two, pennies to put this in perspective.
One, penny About half an hour's wage.
So two pennies is an hour as wage and apparently Jesus.
He says in that time you could buy five sparrows for two,
pennies or five sparrows for an hour's wage.
So they're very cheap. Having said that Jesus then says
and yet not one of the sparrows is forgotten in God's sight so
even though sparrows were common and cheap God the Father sees
and knows each one of them and Matthews version he says, God
knows when each one of them dies and falls.
This is an affirmation of God's omniscience.
God knows about every single thing that's happening in the
world, including every Sparrow. It's probably not a hyperbole
Jesus is probably literally saying God knows about every
single Sparrow and that was a Jewish belief at the time.
Anyway, the point here that he's making is that if the father
knows every Sparrow. Of course, he can see and watch
over each one of you disciples who are so much more precious to
him. Verse 7.
Jesus goes on why every hair on your head.
Has been countered. That's quite a profound
teaching, isn't it? God, the Father Knows people.
So intimately that he knows even the numbers of hairs on our
heads. We need to keep this in mind.
This is a God who knows us far more intimately and deeply than
we even know ourselves. And in this particular context,
Jesus is saying that God knows the suffering of his faithful
disciples and that should bring Comfort to the original
disciples. Us as well.
Jesus goes on. There is no need to be afraid.
You are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
So the disciples as God's Messengers for the New Covenant,
they far more valuable than sparrows and although he
speaking primarily to his disciples, we can probably
extend these to All Humans because all humans made in God's
image where each incredibly loved by God and we're loved
much more and we're more precious than common animals are
now that might be offensive to many more In here, has
particularly those involved in the animal rights movement, who
would say that animals are equal to humans.
Well, from a Christian perspective, animals must be
looked after, that's clearly part of Christian teaching.
But here, Jesus himself says, you are worth more than hundreds
of sparrows. So humans are worth, probably
infinitely more to God than other animals are, that seems to
be Jesus teaching here. Although, in context, what's the
main point? He's making do not worry when
you're persecuted. It called sees what's happening
to you and he cares about you. So Jesus here, teaches that
Christian Martyrs. And those who suffer for the
faith, can look beyond the afflictions of this life to
God's Vindication and eternal reward.
And if you read the book of Revelation in particular that's
developed quite strongly. Those who died for the faith
will receive an eternal reward. Now, Jesus has more to say about
this topic and about Judgment Day and he's going to do that in
the coming versus and coming up in the next batch.
Traverses here, Jesus is going to talk about the unforgivable
sin. So we'll cover that in
tomorrow's episode of the podcast.
If we turn to the catechism to see what we can learn about
Catholic, teaching from this passage, there's a couple of
really interesting links here. So firstly, paragraph, 6, 7, 8,
this is about Judgment Day, it says following in the footsteps
of the prophets and John the Baptist Jesus announced the
Judgment of the last day in his preaching.
Then will the conduct of each one?
And the secrets of Hearts be It to light, then will the culpable
unbelief, the counter, the offer of God's grace as nothing be
condemned. So here are the catechism,
mentions particularly in the middle there that on Judgment
Day. The conduct of each one.
And the secrets of heart be brought to light.
So that verse three and four, where Jesus says, one day
everything that's done in secret will be.
Shout it from the housetops. The catechism takes that as a
possible reference to Judgement Day and certainly it could be
that hole. Section of the catechism is
really quite interesting to learn about the future final
judgment. So that's paragraph 6 7, 8 on,
I'll include that in the show notes as well, and then there's
a really interesting link here. We don't often hear this
paragraph during the show episodes paragraph 34 to, this
is in the section about the visible world.
How God has created the visible world as distinct from the
invisible world. The hierarchy of creatures is
expressed by the order of the Days from the less, perfect to
the more perfect. God loves all his creatures and
takes care of each one. Even the sparrow nevertheless.
Jesus said, you are of more value than many sparrows, or
again of how much more value is a man than a sheep.
So, interestingly, here the catechism talks about how God
loves all his creatures, but he loves humans the most and it
mentions a comparison here with sparrows from the text in Luke
and it's He's that as an extension of the principle laid
down in the six days of creation because God's most important,
most perfect creation is created on the sixth day, whereas
everything else is created on the previous day's.
So that's a really interesting paragraph as well.
Paragraph 34 to will finish it there for today.
I hope you have learned something new.
It's quite a fascinating passage.
Hopefully, you agree. And if you have, please share it
around. We'll continue in Luke, in the
coming days.