Beware [10-5-25]

October 5, 2025

Luke 12:1-12

“Beware”

So far, Luke has focused on the depth and breadth of Jesus’ ministry. Obviously, the birth narrative. Jesus preaching the good news of forgiveness. The good news of salvation. Jesus giving people hope and promise of heaven if they trust him. Jesus teaching that forgiveness comes through repentance and acknowledging him as Lord and Savior. Those are some of the core teachings Luke covers in the first eleven chapters.

Luke also confirms the truth of these teachings by describing the miracles of Jesus. These miracles make clear that Jesus is who he says he is…God in human flesh. Miracles, signs, and wonders are offered as examples Jesus’ divinity. Luke has been laying a clear foundation for what we’ll soon see as Jesus sets his face for Jerusalem. These first eleven chapters are essential pieces to the story of our salvation history. Amen?

A good pivot point is Luke 11:29-32:

When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

We read that last month. Jesus can’t be any clearer. People are headed for judgment if they do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Make no mistake. We live in a broken and fallen world. Those who ignore or outright reject Jesus Christ hold on to their false religion. It is a worldview with consequences. Here’s the major turning point we’ve arrived at:

JESUS CALLS US TO FEARLESS CONFESSION, ASSURING US OF GOD’S PERFECT AND TIMELY CARE FOR US.

Let’s get at it with Luke 12:1: 

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

Here's the warning from Jesus. It’s something you might want to write down:

DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN DAMNING, FALSE RELIGION.

Jesus cuts right to the chase. The Pharisees have been trying to undermine his message as thousands fall all over themselves trying to get closer to      

him. He warns of the whole one bad apple can destroy the whole bunch predicament. Only instead of apples, Jesus uses the example of leavening. But not leavening in the good way leavening is used. But leavening in the way it spreads and corrupts everything in its orbit.

The leavening Jesus talks about is that which can easily be tainted. Once that happens, it spreads its poison to the rest of the dough.

The Greek word translated leaven is “zumē,” from which we get “enzymes.” It has many meanings and usages.

Enzymes can be a good thing. They are important biological catalysts. They aid in digestion, muscle movement, growth, and blood clotting, just to mention a few.

“Zumē” also gave us a 19^th century…now obsolete…medical term. A zymotic disease was an acute infectious disease, causing fever. It was believed that these diseases were caused by a fermentation process in the body. Weirdly wrong, but they caught the drift of it.

The fakeness…the phoniness…the false piety of the Pharisees could sweep up anybody already bent in that direction.

This reminds me of what I once heard said about social media. Social 

media doesn’t make people stupid. It simply is a megaphone for stupid people. Like all things, social media can be a good enzyme or a bad enzyme. In the same way, Jesus says that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Notice he doesn’t say “money is the root of all evil.” Money is value neutral. It is neither good nor bad. What we make of it and/or do with it is either good or bad. Are you with me on that?

In the same way, social media is neither good nor bad. It simply is. People who have been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb use social media as a force for good. It becomes a positive tool in the hands of devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Wicked people, on the other hand, simply have their dark hearts trumpeted on social media. And don’t misunderstand. It’s not that they’re winning new converts over to the dark side. It’s simply a matter of nudging wicked people in the direction they’re already heading. Which, without Christ, is not a good thing. 

That became especially clear several weeks ago following the assassination 

of Charlie Kirk. Whether you liked him or not or agreed with him or not is irrelevant. It was a tragic, horrific, despicable event. And it exposed the wickedness in some people’s hearts. Those unredeemed by the Blood of the Lamb say and think horrible things. Without Jesus Christ, they remain hopelessly lost in their sin.

About the dark sided reactions, they’ve been as bad as you can imagine. To quote Forrest Gump, “That’s all I’m going to say about that.”

On the positive side, people on the dark side would do well to listen to Former President Barack Obama. He said, quite simply:

“We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy. Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erica and their two young 

children.”

Jesus is warning against the false, rancid influence of the Pharisees. That’s why Jude 22-25 says:

“And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

In other words, Jude is saying that getting close to people lost in false religion is like wearing their underwear stained from bodily elimination. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think that’s ever a good thing. Living in a culture engulfed in false religion, we have to be careful. Not that we belong in a holy huddle 24/7. But we need to understand that the garbage from the unsaved permeates everything. That’s why our message must be bold and clear. That’s how we fight the ugliness.

Two things remain true. We cannot lose our salvation. And because of that 

first and most important truth, we can boldly speak the truth of salvation 

through Jesus Christ and Christ alone. Which sets up verses 2-3:

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.

You can hear it, right? The transparency of the gospel is our best weapon. Be real and unafraid. Stand on what you believe. Don’t let opposition derail you from speaking the truth that salvation is through Jesus Christ and Christ alone. Wicked people are going to do what wicked people do. And there’s plenty of cultural support behind them. Who cares? Speak the truth in love.

Let’s wrap things up today with verses 4-5. They start with a beautiful affirmation before moving to a sobering thought:

“I tell you, my friends, 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!”

First, the affirmation. Jesus addresses them as “friends.” This is the first time he has done that. Friends. Being so close to the Greco-Roman world, Jesus’ audience immediately understands the depth of “friend.” In their context, “friend” refers to someone in the emperor’s favored circle. It’s a close loyalist. In fact, to say someone is a “friend of Caesar” means they are under his protection. How encouraging to be a called a “friend of Jesus.” No matter what you experience or go through in life, what a blessing to know you have a friend in Jesus.

The second piece comes after the promise that we have a friend in Jesus. With a friend like Jesus, there is nothing to fear. It’s like the twist on an old cliché:

“What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger…and if it does kill you, you will be with Jesus.”

Do not, Jesus says, do not fear those who kill the body. Instead, Jesus 

says we are to rightfully fear the One who can cast us into hell. And who do you think that is? Who is the One who has authority to cast unbelievers into hell?

God. Yes, Jesus is telling us to fear God. Next week, we’ll look at what that 

means. Until then, here’s a wonderful affirmation to start your week with:

"May we all, when we die, make the demons rejoice. May we all be so courageous, so bold, so effective, so faithful, so obedient to the Lord, so relentless in the pursuit of His glory that when we die all of God’s enemies cheer."

And together, the bold people of Covenant Church said:

SOLI DEO GLORIA…

To the Glory of God Alone