Jesus begins His teaching in Luke 12.22 with the word “therefore.” Before we begin, we need to figure out what it is there for! If you have been following along with The Daily, this is review. As a quick recap, Jesus was addressing a HUGE crowd. So many, that Luke 12.1 says they were “trampling one another.”

He begins by addressing only His disciples about hypocrisy in Luke 12.1-3. Then He addresses all.

Here are the cliff notes in three points from Luke 12.4-21. First, fear God (not man) the one who knows and values you intimately and can provide eternal life. Second, as you acknowledge God before men, the Holy Spirit will give you words. And finally, as Jesus addresses the rich fool in the midst of the crowd, “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

With these teachings at the forefront of our minds, we now enter today’s passage. The scene shifts. The camera focuses on a few again. Jesus had just shared with the masses and now he gets personal. The disciples get their own lesson. Jesus gets close and generally says, I told all and now I am going to tell you directly...intimately.

Jesus is drawing you and I into His teaching today. Come away from the crowd, the clamor, and the chaos. Come close. Listen carefully. The disciples needed to hear it again. So do you and I. Are we listening to The Way, The Truth, and the Life this morning?

[Luke 12.22-34]

22 And he 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. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 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! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 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. 28 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, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 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. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?

+ As we enter vv. 22-23, can you think of a time in Luke that the disciples experienced first hand this need to trust God fully? Can you think of a time where Jesus provided for them as well as others in powerful and tangible ways?

+ List as many synonyms for anxiety you can think of...have you experienced one of these feelings recently? What did you do in the midst of this feeling? What truth about God can help you rewrite the narrative of things we fear in our lives?

+ Jesus LOVES questions. Why might the question specifically grab our attention in v. 25? Did it expect an answer? Who actually “answers” it and how?

+ What is the “small thing” referred to in v. 26? What is the second question Jesus asks in 26?

+ What specific images does Jesus paint in our imaginations as he talks about trusting him? List all you see from vv. 23-31.

+ Can you think of a time of “toiling and spinning” (v. 27) in your life? In hindsight, was this action effective?

+ Marvel for a moment how Jesus knows the temptations, daily thoughts, and desires of His people and addresses them with compassion and wisdom. Then He says, “do not seek _________, nor __________. INSTEAD “seek _______________, AND _______________.

+ How do you “seek His Kingdom?” Can you think of a time when you did “seek His Kingdom” and were blessed with the AND also?

+ In v. 30, how can we know that we are not alone in this seeking and that it affects all of humanity?

+ Why is it a comfort to know that our Father knows we need “things?”

+ Are you surprised that it is The Father’s “good pleasure to give you the kingdom?” Why or why not?

+ What kind of address is “little flock?” Who is included? Who is the shepherd of the flock? How does knowing the truth about the Good Shepherd help you or I to be less anxious?

+ Do the commands in v. 33 apply to you or only the original audience? Why do you think this? How does this thinking affect how you live today?

+ Jesus ends this part of His teaching with a zinger in v. 34. Each of His listeners knows this to be true.

+ Reflect on what you treasure? How does your life (where you spend your time, energy and resources) reflect what you treasure? Ask someone close to you to answer this question. Are you surprised by their answer?

+ How does our culture train our affections? What happens to our heart if we do nothing?

[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?

+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

+ How do I spend my time, energy, and resources? How does this reflect the current state of my heart?

+ What do I need to repent of? As I repent, will I believe again in thought, word, and action?

+ What lies am I believing that affect my ability to trust God wholeheartedly? How can I take these thoughts captive?

+ Will I fear God who knows me intimately and loves me or will I fear man?

+ Have I proclaimed God’s name recently? Have I followed the command to do so?

+ What “possessions” have become an idol in my life?

[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?

+ What is my next step?

+ Who is God leading me to in order to ask them to join in the Kingdom's battle for the mind and the heart?

+ Who is God showing me needs encouragement and a friend as they walk this countercultural road?