“Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 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!” Luke 12:4-5 ESV¹

Read Luke 12:13-21

We all fear something. That which we fear has the power to influence our characters and determine our destinies. Jesus emphasized this truth in the context of the next parable we will examine.

Jesus had been teaching when a Pharisee invited Him to his house for a meal. The text doesn’t tell us why a member of this strict religious sect invited Jesus to his home. Perhaps he wished to get a better understanding of what this Figure stood for who was becoming increasingly popular among the common people. As they dined, the Pharisee began to judge Jesus’ hygiene practices. This ensued a chastisement by Jesus of the hypocritical actions of both the Pharisees and experts of the Jewish Law. At that point, the religious leaders who were present got defensive.

“And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him” (Luke 11:53-54 NKJV²).

While Jesus had been dining with His disciples in what turned out to be a hostile environment, something was happening outside. “So many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another” (Luke 12:1a). Undeterred by the personal attacks of the religious elite or the building chaotic crowd of people vying for His attention, “[Jesus] began to [teach] to His disciples first” (Luke 12:1b). In the near pandemonium, Jesus turned to His disciples and shared some deep truths about the nature of fear. Lest we be like those competing for power and position while missing the point, we would do well to consider Jesus’ teaching on this subject.

The Fear of Exposure

Before Jesus interacted with anyone in the crowd, He instructed His disciples:

“‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy’” (Luke 12:1c). Leaven is a substance, like yeast, that causes fermentation and expansion of dough so that it rises. Leaven is a metaphor for something that produces an altering or transforming influence. Like yeast, hypocrisy puffs up the ones pretending to be virtuous making them believe they are far more righteous than they are actually. Similar to freshly baked bread, once they are cut open—exposed—what appeared at first to be solid is full of holes and hot air.

Over a tense meal, the disciples observed the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees and the experts of the Law. Jesus had called them out for their duplicity with such statements as:

“‘You Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness … Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others’” (Luke 11:39 & 42)

“‘Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. So, you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs … Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering’” (Luke 11:46-48 & 52).

Using this recent interaction as a springboard for His teaching, Jesus shared this warning with His disciples:

“‘Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops’” (Luke 12:2-3).

A hypocrite’s greatest fear is exposure because his/her private life doesn’t match his/her public persona. The principles and beliefs he/she feigned, in hopes of receiving some desirable public approval, will be disclosed as fraudulent eventually. Jesus taught that every thought, word, and action of all people will be someday revealed.

That truth is a terrifying realization for all living with any degree of deceit. But there are some who do not need to fear such disclosure and vulnerability. They are those who are authentic in their interactions with other humans and sincere in their relationship with God.

The Fear of Death

When one fears something, he/she inadvertently puts that thing in lordship over him/herself. Just as the religious leaders of Jesus’ time on Earth allowed the fear of exposure to so rule their lives that they lashed out with malicious intent toward Him who could see through their façades, the human self-preservation instinct can tempt people to resort to any number of outlandish and unrealistic behaviors to prevent that which is equally inevitable—death.

Jesus was not unaware of the human propensity to fear death. Jesus was also cognizant that His disciples’ association with Him brought an increased possibility of their facing untimely deaths. So, while they still pondered possible retaliation from those who feared Jesus’ exposure of hypocrisy, Jesus taught His disciples:

“‘Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 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’” (Luke 12:4-5)!

Even if the offended religious leaders resorted to killing Jesus’ disciples to keep their true beliefs and intentions covered, Jesus exhorted His followers not to be afraid of them. Such maliciousness could only harm His disciples’ bodies. There is a Higher Authority who had ultimate power over their eternal souls—God.

In the instance of fearing God, fear does not mean to be terrified of or to be afraid of. This healthy kind of fear means to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience.³ When a person fears God, he/she allows Him to be Lord of his/her life. When God is given permission to have proper authority over a person’s life, that person has an uncommon and unexpected boldness when facing necessary potential danger because he/she is familiar with God’s extraordinary care for him/her. Jesus explained this attentive surveillance like this:

“‘Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows’” (Luke 12:6-7).

Fear of God trumps every other kind of fear to which humans are susceptible.

“We have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love and whoever abides in love abides in God and God abides in him … There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:16, 18-19).

The Fear of Rejection

Even those who emphatically trust God’s continuous watchfulness can begin to waver in their confidence when life and limb, or that of their loved ones, is threatened. The fear of rejection from humans—especially when that disapproval is coupled with danger—can sometimes outweigh disappointing a loving God. Knowing the temptation to fear man over revering God was a possibility, Jesus stressed the absolute necessity of putting one’s faith in action with the following exhortation.

“‘And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God’” (Luke 12:8-9).

All who claim they are followers of Jesus will sooner or later be called upon to prove their sincerity by publicly acknowledging Jesus as Lord—possibly in the presence of those who are enemies of Christ.

“‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ … because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes and is justified and with the mouth, one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:8b-10).

Such a test is good for one’s soul. It serves as a personal confirmation of the genuineness of one’s faith. But it is also a test that even the sincerest Believer, because of the fear of rejection, can fail if he/she attempts to pass it in his/her strength. That is why Jesus continued to instruct His disciples concerning a Helper who was available when they found themselves facing such trials.

“‘And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say’” (Luke 12:11-12).

The Holy Spirit is the best Friend and Advocate Christians have. It is in following His advice and relying on His strength that Christ-followers have unparalleled success in living holy, fearless lives. Interestingly, Jesus taught that if anyone at one time in his/her life denied Him, he/she could find forgiveness. But if anyone spoke reproachfully against or reviled the Holy Spirit, there would be no forgiveness for him/her.

  “‘And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven’” (Luke 12:10).

Once one has heard the voice of the Holy Spirit beaconing him/her to trust Jesus as Savior and refuses that call, he/she will not be granted pardon for his/her sin. I believe that is why Jesus was so hard on so many of the religious leaders who walked the Earth when He did. They had been given everything they needed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah but, in favor of holding onto their earthly power, prestige, and popularity, they rejected the Holy Spirit’s leading. Such short-sidedness sealed their eternal destinies.

Equally true is the fact that once a person has experienced the Holy Spirit’s empowering to complete humanly impossible requirements, that one will know without a doubt that the success is not his/her own. The faith of such a one will be solidified and he/she will be compelled to glorify God alone.

“Jesus said, … ‘No one who does a mighty work in My name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me’” (Mark 9:39).

“In Him, we have obtained an inheritance, … according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will so that we who … hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you … were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:11-14).

Once one has the Holy Spirit residing in and working through him/her, he/she can still be tempted to live out the Christian life on his/her own. That is why the Apostle Paul reminded Believers to continue to walk in reliance on the Spirit.

“Therefore, just as you have received Jesus Christ the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6).

“Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).

The fear of rejection about which one should be concerned is not a lack of acceptance from other humans. One should be terrified of refusing the Holy Spirit and being denied by Christ. The misplaced fear of rejection could land the one who fears in Hell.

The Fear of Being Overlooked

Although Jesus taught His disciples with crowds all around, it was as if those in His audience with ears untuned to His voice did not really care about or understand what He was saying because it was in the middle of Jesus’ training that He was interrupted.

“Someone in the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ But He said to him, ‘Man, who made Me a judge or arbitrator over you’” (Luke 12:13-14)?

This man’s request was characteristic of many in the bulging crowd. He, like so many, wanted something from Jesus but not a relationship with the Savior. This man had little or no desire to have Jesus be Lord of his life. Jesus was not his Master; the fear of being overlooked mastered this one. Therefore, Jesus refused to intervene where He had not been invited previously.

“‘God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned but whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the Light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the Light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the Light and does not come to the Light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God’” (John 3:17-21).

Jesus’ “‘Kingdom is not of this world’” (John 18:36a). “‘The Kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, “See here!” or “See there!” For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within [Believers]’” (Luke 17:20-21 NKJV²). It is obvious that this man had not relinquished his life to the Kingship of Jesus because his character was not transformed by his association with Christ. Jesus suffered to share His inheritance; those who follow Him have like attitudes.

Likely, to the disappointment of the one demanding He intervene in a family matter, Jesus continued to teach His disciples. The parable probably upset the one asking for Jesus’ help. But Jesus used the essence of the interruption as an opportunity to continue training His disciples. In Jesus’ estimation, this man’s fear of being overlooked turned into a violation of the tenth of the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:17 and Deuteronomy 5:21).

“And He said to [the disciples], ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’ And He told [His disciples] a parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, “What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?” And he said, “I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’” But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God’” (Luke 12:13-21).

The main character of Jesus’ parable had achieved what all humans dream of accomplishing; he had successfully accumulated enough provisions that he was satisfied. He so was contented and confident that he could relax and enjoy himself abundantly. But what he did not realize is that he had disregarded something far more important than physical preservation—his eternal security.

From a worldly perspective, this man had nothing about which to concern himself. Yet there was one thing about which he should have spent time worrying—his spiritual condition. This he neglected and all else for which he cared diligently was of no benefit for him in the end.

If the one whose interruption prompted the telling of this story had not stormed off in response to Jesus’ refusal to meet his demand, hopefully, his knee-jerk reaction aroused by his fear of being overlooked awakened him to that which he had not considered: being rich in the eyes of the world is of absolutely no value if one has neglected to also be rich toward God.

“‘For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul’” (Mark 8:36-37)?

Focusing on collecting the stuff of this world can prevent a person from fulfilling his/her earthly calling because the more one has, the more one has to take care of. And the accumulation and concern over possessions can block one’s way to discovering his/her eternal destiny. This fact is why Jesus instructed His disciples to:

“‘Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the Heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also’” (Luke 12:33-34).

The one whose Treasure is in Heaven has secured his/her eternity. Because this person knows he/she has a part in the essential inheritance ultimately, he/she has the freedom to sell instead of store and give rather than grab up more.

The Fear of Lack

The fear of being overlooked can express itself in covetousness and lust for things like love and acceptance but it is often an outgrowth of the fear of lack. Even if a person knows he/she is right with God and is confident that he/she will spend eternity in His presence, the need for daily sustenance, protection, and emotional security can become overwhelming. It is necessary that humans spend a great deal of time, energy, strength, and money trying to ensure basic needs are met. But it is when this pursuit becomes all-consuming that fear of lack chokes out a greater call.

“[Jesus] 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. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing … And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them’” (Luke 12:22-23 & 29-30).

The first word Jesus used in this instruction to His disciples was the word, therefore. The word, therefore, connects the coming statement with the previous one. Jesus had just concluded His parable with God reprimanding the main character.

“‘“Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God’” (Luke 12:20-21).

In that, the implication Jesus was making to His disciples was, “You are not fools. You have been preparing for eternity, you have been laying up treasure in Heaven, and you are rich toward God.” Disciples of Jesus are in a different category than those whose constant concern is providing for their physical and emotional needs because their trust is in God. Jesus taught,

“‘Your Father knows [what] you need’” (Luke 12:30b).

“‘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’” (Luke 12:24)!

“‘Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you’” (Luke 12:27-28a).

Jesus illustrated how ridiculous it is for God’s Children to worry about providing for themselves.

“‘Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest’” (Luke 12:25-26)?

The NKJV translates these verses:

“‘Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest’” (Luke 12:25-26 NKJV²)?

Because of the Greek words used in these verses, either translation is appropriate. Whether Jesus talked about adding one hour to one’s life or adding 18 inches to one’s height makes little difference. Though Jesus makes it sound like such feats are easy to accomplish, and they are for God, humans can do neither—though if it were possible by worrying, longevity and extreme height would be quite common among us. The point is that God can do with very little effort what is impossible for us.

Jesus went on to teach,

“‘O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried’” (Luke 12:28b-29).

Faith overpowers fear. All the treasures in Christ are accessed by faith. When one is rich toward God, the responsibility for meeting physical, emotional, and spiritual needs resides with God. The one who has submitted fully to the Lordship of Christ can rest in God’s ability and trust His care. Such a one can then make his/her primary focus that of serving his/her Master.

Jesus promised,

“‘Seek His Kingdom and [everything you need] will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.’” (Luke 12:31-32).

The wise one who is secure in his/her eternal destiny knows what Jesus meant when He said, “‘Life is more than food and the body is more than clothing’” (Luke 12:23). He/she has the freedom to be part of something much bigger than him/herself because he/she has put full confidence in Someone greater than him/herself. This Kingdom attitude was something that the hateful hypocrites who assailed Jesus, the clamoring crowd surrounding Jesus, and the stockpiling simpleton spoken about by Jesus could not fathom. And it is something that many people even today just do not understand.

The Fear That Overcomes

Whatever one focuses upon controls that one’s life. If one concentrates on others’ perceptions, he/she will never be confident in his/her true self. If one dwells upon his/her deficiency, he/she will never find satisfaction in possessions or in relationships. But if one’s center of attention is on God, he/she will become increasingly more like who he/she was created to be.

When people are confident they have everything they need, fear does not tempt them to struggle to acquire more. And when humans know what they have can’t be lost, fear doesn’t trick them to do whatever is necessary to hold onto what is theirs. When one has a relationship with God, he/she has everything he/she needs and something that can never be taken from him/her.

Yet, fear is such a common thing among humans that we justify it. In fact, in some Christian circles, doubt is glorified as authenticity, and people are encouraged to express their hesitancy to totally believe all that God has said. But we are told plainly in Scripture that to fear anything other than God is sin.

“Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23b).

Satan would like nothing more than to sidetrack God’s Children by influencing them to condone something that God considers unacceptable. In doing so, the devil’s attempt to make The Lord look impotent seems more plausible. And his plan to discredit Jesus and destroy the Church gets a whole lot easier.

In the mid-1600s, William Gurnall wrote in his three-volume series, The Christian in Complete Armour:

“The devil would rather see Christians defiled with sin and unrighteousness than defiled in blood and pain, for he has learned that persecution only trims the church, which soon comes back up all the thicker; it is unrighteousness that ruins it.”⁴

The devil hasn’t changed much in nearly 400 years but neither have humans. As Christians, we fear our persecution. What we should fear is our unholy lack of trust in Almighty God. Because when we are racked with fear, Satan is filled with glee. And when we are consumed with doubt, The Lord must hold back in accomplishing all He has planned to do in and through us.

As Jesus instructed His disciples amidst condemnation and chaos, He didn’t deal with all the possible areas of fear experienced by humans. But what Jesus touched upon, He did with such clarity that anyone who wanted to learn from His instruction could decern His point—when one truly fears God, he/she doesn’t have to fear anything else.

 

 

¹ Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.

² Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the Holy Bible, New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

³ https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5399/kjv/tr/0-1/

⁴ William Gurnall, edited by James S. Bell Jr. Daily Readings from The Christian in Complete Armour. Moody Publishers Edition. Chicago: James S. Bell, 1994.