Daily Bible Reading 14th September 2026 // Luke 12:1-12
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. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 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.
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 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! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
One of the problems inherent in seeking easier alternatives to true discipleship, with the attendant danger of Pharisaism, is that there is a natural and instinctive tendency to conceal this sad and sorry state from the gaze of men, and even from ourselves too. This is where the first lesson in these verses comes, for in 2ff, Jesus warns the disciples that there will inevitably be an exposure of living lies in men's lives, and in the lives of His people. This exposure can be taken in two ways: in reference to 'the last days' (cf Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 3:13, 'the day shall declare it'); and also in reference to a day of the Spirit's power (as cf the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5). It is a simple fact of Church history that in days of revival power, great exposures of hypocrisy and sham do take place, with all manner of hidden evil uncovered. The second lesson in the passage concerns 4ff. Jesus stresses the need for courageous testimony to the truth in matters of discipleship, however strong the temptation to take lower ground. The thought is certainly that it is pressure and persecution that might make the disciples succumb to this temptation. We should also bear in mind that He is speaking to them in the presence of a crowd, some of whom at least were very hostile to Jesus and were pressing upon Him (11:53; 12:1) and threatening Him and them. Here, then, is the issue: persecution and pressure may well tempt true disciples to become 'hypocrites', in the sense that they may take lower ground, for safety's sake. Hence the striking words in 4, 5, about the fear of man and the fear of God.