Proper 14 C
(August 7-13)
Genesis 15:1–6
Hebrews 11:1–16
Luke 12:22–34 (35–40)
Almighty and merciful God, it is by Your grace that we live as Your people who offer acceptable service. Grant that we may walk by faith and not by sight in the way that leads to eternal life...
The Lord Is Surely Coming to Give You His Kingdom
The Lord Himself was Abraham’s shield and great reward. For “the word of the Lord came to him” and sustained the patriarch’s faith in the face of death (Genesis 15:4).
By divine grace, Abraham “believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6), on account of the holy Seed, Christ Jesus. To that one old man, the Lord granted “descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore” (Hebrews 11:12).
The Lord is likewise faithful to you. It is His glad desire “to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Therefore, “do not be anxious about your life,” but instead “seek his kingdom” (Luke 12:22, 31). Set your heart on that treasure. “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning … for the Son of Man is coming” (Luke 12:35, 40).
Pr. Daniel J Brege
Pr. Daniel J Brege
So often when the Lord Jesus speaks, his preaching is profoundly pregnant, each statement being packed with themes that interconnect with the rest of Scripture. Thus in Luke 12:32 (from Sunday’s Gospel) Jesus promises: Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Do not be afraid. God repeats this comforting clause throughout Holy Writ, for we truly have plenty to fear! We are afraid of guilt, afraid of sickness and injury, afraid of death, afraid of Satan, afraid of hell, afraid of failure, afraid of a just God…and the list goes on. Christ’s perfect love casts out fear, and we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us, a love shown uniquely at the cross.
Little flock. Jesus speaks here of a flock of sheep. The Lord is our shepherd, so the Scriptures echo. As sheep of God’s flock we belong to Him and He cares for us. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture, because the Good Shepherd laid down His life and took it back up again to save His sheep. The Lord’s flock does not appear to be the flock of the very Creator of the universe, for most of the time (if not always) it is a little flock, consisting only of a remnant, only a relatively tiny group of seemingly helpless sheep. However, this little flock consists of those who know their Shepherd and He knows them and He gives unto them eternal life, carrying them through the valley of the shadow of death.
For your Father… When we were born into this fallen world, we were of our father the devil. But when the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Christ’s redemptive work at the cross was to give us the adoption as sons, to bring us back into the family of our heavenly Father. Now we are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of us who have been baptized into Christ have clothed ourselves with Christ. As surely as Jesus is God’s Son, so too we who in our Baptism were completely clothed with Him are then seen by God the Father to be His Son.
…is pleased to give you the kingdom. Why is the heavenly Father thus pleased to give us the kingdom? It is only because of His beloved Son, with whom He is well pleased (Lu. 3:22; same Greek word as here). Only in the Son of God can the Father be pleased with anyone, and we are in the Son and He is in us through the Word and Sacraments. The Father is thus pleased to give us the kingdom. Yes, give it to us! Salvation is not earned or merited, it is given; it is a gift purchased by the death and resurrection of the sinless One. And the kingdom which is gifted to us is more than can be grasped. Briefly the kingdom is all that has to do with the person and work of the King of kings. It is forgiveness, it is membership in the body of Christ, it is the indwelling of the Spirit whose work is to constantly point to Christ, it is faith, it is newborn love for our neighbor, it is the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, it is heavenly bliss beatifically realized when see Jesus as he is.
As surely as Christ is risen from the dead, do not doubt His promise: Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Do not be afraid. God repeats this comforting clause throughout Holy Writ, for we truly have plenty to fear! We are afraid of guilt, afraid of sickness and injury, afraid of death, afraid of Satan, afraid of hell, afraid of failure, afraid of a just God…and the list goes on. Christ’s perfect love casts out fear, and we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us, a love shown uniquely at the cross.
Little flock. Jesus speaks here of a flock of sheep. The Lord is our shepherd, so the Scriptures echo. As sheep of God’s flock we belong to Him and He cares for us. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture, because the Good Shepherd laid down His life and took it back up again to save His sheep. The Lord’s flock does not appear to be the flock of the very Creator of the universe, for most of the time (if not always) it is a little flock, consisting only of a remnant, only a relatively tiny group of seemingly helpless sheep. However, this little flock consists of those who know their Shepherd and He knows them and He gives unto them eternal life, carrying them through the valley of the shadow of death.
For your Father… When we were born into this fallen world, we were of our father the devil. But when the fullness of time had come God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Christ’s redemptive work at the cross was to give us the adoption as sons, to bring us back into the family of our heavenly Father. Now we are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of us who have been baptized into Christ have clothed ourselves with Christ. As surely as Jesus is God’s Son, so too we who in our Baptism were completely clothed with Him are then seen by God the Father to be His Son.
…is pleased to give you the kingdom. Why is the heavenly Father thus pleased to give us the kingdom? It is only because of His beloved Son, with whom He is well pleased (Lu. 3:22; same Greek word as here). Only in the Son of God can the Father be pleased with anyone, and we are in the Son and He is in us through the Word and Sacraments. The Father is thus pleased to give us the kingdom. Yes, give it to us! Salvation is not earned or merited, it is given; it is a gift purchased by the death and resurrection of the sinless One. And the kingdom which is gifted to us is more than can be grasped. Briefly the kingdom is all that has to do with the person and work of the King of kings. It is forgiveness, it is membership in the body of Christ, it is the indwelling of the Spirit whose work is to constantly point to Christ, it is faith, it is newborn love for our neighbor, it is the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, it is heavenly bliss beatifically realized when see Jesus as he is.
As surely as Christ is risen from the dead, do not doubt His promise: Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Context - Jesus is heading to Jerusalem - the anxiety will only heighten.
Do Not Be Anxious
Luke 12:22
Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ• Διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν, μὴ μεριμνᾶτε τῇ ψυχῇ τί φάγητε, μηδὲ τῷ σώματι τί ἐνδύσησθε.
And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.
- anxiety this is what we are given to do - the reaction to what is given as gift.
- Διὰ - “Therefore” - When Jesus says "be not anxious" read on!
Luke 12:23
ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ πλεῖόν ἐστιν τῆς τροφῆς καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἐνδύματος.
For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
ψυχὴ- Life, see vs. 19, the man who wanted to be happy, worried about his stuff.
Luke 12:24
κατανοήσατε τοὺς κόρακας ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν, οἷς οὐκ ἔστιν ταμεῖον οὐδὲ ἀποθήκη, καὶ ὁ θεὸς τρέφει αὐτούς• πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς διαφέρετε τῶν πετεινῶν.
Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
- how much more value do you have He cares for the whole
Luke 12:25
τίς δὲ ἐξ ὑμῶν μεριμνῶν δύναται ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ προσθεῖναι πῆχυν;
- which one of you by or through worrying (genitive absolute) can add one hour to his life?
Luke 12:26
εἰ οὖν οὐδὲ ἐλάχιστον δύνασθε, τί περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν μεριμνᾶτε;
- if you are able neither do to this little thing why worry about anything else.
Luke 12:27
κατανοήσατε τὰ κρίνα πῶς αὐξάνει• οὐ κοπιᾷ οὐδὲ νήθει• λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν, οὐδὲ Σολομὼν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ περιεβάλετο ὡς ἓν τούτων.
- consider how the lilies grow - they do not spin or work (what God gave Adam to do) but I say to you not only Solomon in his glory was clothed as one of these.
Wherein lies contentment?
Luke 12:28
εἰ δὲ ἐν ἀγρῷ τὸν χόρτον ὄντα σήμερον καὶ αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον ὁ θεὸς οὕτως ἀμφιέζει, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς, ὀλιγόπιστοι.
- but if the grass is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow how much more will God cloth you oh little faiths.
Luke 12:29
καὶ ὑμεῖς μὴ ζητεῖτε τί φάγητε καὶ τί πίητε, καὶ μὴ μετεωρίζεσθε,
- and you do not worry seeking after what you should eat or drink.
Luke 12:30
ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τοῦ κόσμου ἐπιζητοῦσιν, ὑμῶν δὲ ὁ πατὴρ οἶδεν ὅτι χρῄζετε τούτων.
- for these things all the nations of the world seek
Luke 12:31
πλὴν ζητεῖτε τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν.
- seek first the kingdom and all thee shall be added to you.
Luke 12:32
Μὴ φοβοῦ, τὸ μικρὸν ποίμνιον, ὅτι εὐδόκησεν ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν δοῦναι ὑμῖν τὴν βασιλείαν.
- the kingdom is already yours. It is continually given. "These things" are added. So we do need not concern ourselves with the periphery things....all these shall be added.
Luke 12:33
πωλήσατε τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ὑμῶν καὶ δότε ἐλεημοσύνην• ποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς βαλλάντια μὴ παλαιούμενα, θησαυρὸν ἀνέκλειπτον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ὅπου κλέπτης οὐκ ἐγγίζει οὐδὲ σὴς διαφθείρει•
- sell your possessions give (a mercy gift) to the poor. Provide purses (money bags) for yourself that will not wear out.
A treasure in heaven is not exhausted.
Luke 12:34
ὅπου γάρ ἐστιν ὁ θησαυρὸς ὑμῶν, ἐκεῖ καὶ ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν ἔσται.
- where your treasure is there is your heart.
Where are you storing up?
Where your treasure is there is your heart.
__________________
Sources:
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software
ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
LCMS lectionary summery © 2016 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
Collect for Proper 14, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
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