Knowing The Word in Luke 12:54-56

Interpreting the Time

12:54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Comments

It is not clear that what Jesus says above was immediately spoken in succession of yesterday’s verses. There is no obvious connection to it or to tomorrow’s verses. As happens sometimes in Luke, we find passages that he edits together that could stand alone. These are sayings of Jesus remembered by eyewitnesses that Luke could not leave out of his gospel.

Jesus accuses his fellow Jews of concentrating on the superficial and not on the purposes and movement of God. They are missing the significance of his presence. They await a Messiah who will one day come to them as promised by God, while he stands at their side. One can miss much with eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear, and hearts that do not love.

Application

Have you ever overlooked someone? I once invited a well-known church growth expert to speak at a group of Episcopalians at a church in Harlingen I had never been to before. I got there early to greet him and make sure everything was set up properly for him. As I waited, the sexton busily rearranged the chairs to fit a projector on a cart to best align with the screen. After fifteen minutes of waiting, I sheepishly concluded the sexton was the speaker and introduced myself. He was there all along, but I was expecting someone who looked different.

By the way, I have tried proactively to stop doing this and to be more thoughtful. If I had asked the “sexton” if I could help with the setup when I walked into the room, instead of being a bystander, I would have met the speaker I invited immediately. Remember, sins of omission, according to Jesus, are still sins.

Prayer

Lord, I want to be bold for you, seeing others as you did and not overlooking them, whatever the context may be. Help my eyes to see as yours.