The Gospel of Luke
Bible Study, Chapter 12
If there’s a theme
in Luke 12, it seems that Jesus is increasingly warning his followers of ideas,
issues, and lifestyles that will cause them failure in their lives as
followers. These warnings are just as
important today as they were then.
Read through chapter 12 and then peruse the appropriate verses as you study each section.
Verses 1 – 12
These verses are a continuation of what Jesus has been
talking about previously. Starting in Luke 11:37, Jesus began speaking to the Pharisees about
the hypocrisy of their lifestyles.
I believe a definition of hypocrisy can be found in
- Verses 1-3: These verses are a warning. In your own words, what is Jesus warning about?
- If it is true that hypocrisy is ‘cleaning the outside but ignoring the filthy inside,’why is it important to understand the warning from Jesus?
- Verses 4, 5: I think that a lot of hypocrisy is motivated by our desire to ‘fit in.’ We act certain ways depending upon the crowd we’re with. We can be afraid to stand up to our friends & family regarding our faith. However, whom does Jesus tell us to be afraid of? Why?
- Verses 6, 7: This ‘fear’ of God is tempered by his care for us. What do these verses reveal about God’s concern for us?
- Verses 8-10: If our ‘fear’ is directed correctly (toward God), and if we’re confident that God cares for us, we ought to be very bold in standing up for God. What do these verses teach us about being bold for God?
- Verses 11, 12: What is the promise in these concluding verses?
- As you think about the potential for hypocrisy in your own life, can you think of any areas of your living that need some ‘inside cleaning?’
Verses 13 – 34
Money has great potential to trip us up. There are some great lessons about keeping yourself spiritually on track with your finances.
- Verses 13-15: Money is often the cause of family squabbles. Have you ever had arguments over money with someone you love? See if you can dissect why you were fighting over money.
- Jesus makes a very important statement that ‘real life is not measured by the stuff we own.’ I think most of us would agree that owning stuff does not make us a better, nor a worse person. How do you think ‘real life’ is measured?
- Verses 16-21: The problem of this ‘rich fool’ was not that he was wealthy. His real problem was his total focus on accumulating wealth at the expense of developing a ‘rich relationship’ toward God. Do you think that living in this world constantly tempts us to focus on gaining stuff while ignoring God? How have you experienced this? On a 1 to 10 scale, how dangerous is this temptation for you?
- Verses 22-34: In the first 10 verses, Jesus gives several illustrations about why we should not focus on accumulating lots of stuff. As you work through these verses, write down the reasons Jesus says it is just plain stupid to worry about stuff.
- In the last few verses (33, 34), Jesus gives you one powerful example of what you can do to avoid being trapped by stuff. What is Jesus’ advice?
- In verse 34, Jesus says that our heart follows where we decide to invest our treasure. If you’re someone who wants to love God, what does this mean about where you need to put your treasure?
Verses 35 – 48
It’s important to remember that these verses are related to what Jesus has just talked about. Previously, Jesus has been teaching that we need to invest our treasure in heaven. Here, Jesus teaches that we will be held accountable for the decisions we make concerning our treasure!
- The idea behind this section is that the return of Jesus will be unexpected. Why is it important to know this?
- If the return of Jesus is unexpected, what should be our attitude about his return?
- Perhaps the key sentence is in verse 40. What does it mean for a Christian to ‘be ready?’
- According to verses 42-48, our ‘readiness’ has something to do with how we are living our lives. Readiness seems to mean that we will be ready at any time to be held accountable. What practical steps ought you to take if you want to live your life to be ready at all times?
Verses 49 – 59
It is true that the birth of Jesus was announced as God’s
peaceful invasion (
- Why does the coming of Jesus end up dividing people?
- Take another look at the promise of peace that was associated with the coming of Jesus in Luke 2:14. For whom is this peace promised?
- Does it make sense that Jesus brings peace to some, yet strife & division for others? In your own words, why is this so?
- Therefore, if you want to experience peace & avoid the strife, it would seem that it is very important to pay attention to what God is doing in Jesus. In verses 54-59, it seems that Jesus is critical of his listeners because they have not been paying attention… they have missed the ‘signs of the times.’ Do people still miss the ‘signs?’ Why?
Summary
What are some of the big ideas you’ve learned in chapter 11?
In light of what you’ve learned, is there any God-business you need to take care of in the immediate future?