Don’t be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies!

Luke 12:1-7

By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other’s toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus’ primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, “More than anything else, beware of these Pharisees and the way they pretend to be good when they aren’t. But such hypocrisy cannot be hidden forever. Because you can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. You can’t whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day’s coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.

“I’m speaking to you as dear friends. Don’t be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you, but then what more can they do? There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.

"What’s the price of two or three sparrows? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So, don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many birds."

Food for thought!

Today's gospel reading has many good news. Here are some of them:

Jesus' primary concern was his disciples. Jesus loves his own and cares for them. It is good to know that Jesus cares for us, and that we are his primary concern. He warns us as a friend does, to beware of the hypocrisy of Pharisees, that is, to be careful not to pretend to be good when we aren’t; to pretend to be religious when we are not. Jesus warns us that such hypocrisy cannot be hidden forever. Because you can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.

Don't pretend; be yourself. The hypocrite is never genuine; he is always play-acting. The basis of hypocrisy is insincerity. God would rather have a blunt, honest sinner, than someone who puts on an act of goodness. The birth of our true self is often called a spiritual awakening experience. It is not always a pleasant experience, because the old self that betrayed us for so long must die for the new self that honors us to be born. The false self must come to an end. We must throw away our mask and with it the need to pretend to be what we are not.

Another good news is to know that there is a part of us that men cannot reach: "There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being." Man's power over man is strictly limited to this life. A man can destroy another man's life but not his soul. Our soul is insulated and protected. People can kill our body but they cannot kill our soul. Only God can. This is why Jesus advises us to be afraid, not of men, but of God. Yes, God can kill both our body and our soul.

Another good news is God's cares for us: "he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head!" God's care is the most detailed of all. To God we are never lost in the crowd.