Bible Study series: Luke 12:54-56. Jesus was talking about his own days. “This season of time.” Did the people back then know who he was? Do we know who he is in our days?
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I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click here:
In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Luke 12:54-56
54 Then he proceeded to tell the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘A rainstorm is coming,’ and so it does. 55 And when a south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’ll be a scorcher!’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret this season of time?” (Luke 12:54-56)
Comments:
54-55:
This is a parable or illustration. See v. 16 for a working definition.
Jesus addresses the crowds, while in the previous pericopes, he had been teaching his disciples. (Pericope is pronounced puh-RIH-koh-pea and means unit or section of Scripture.)
The Greek tense in this context calls for the verb “tell” (or “say” or “speak”) to be translated as “proceeded to tell” or “began to tell” (Culy, Parsons, Stigall, p. 445).
A westerly wind that mixes with the Mediterranean Sea produces moisture and then rain and sometimes a rainstorm. A southerly wind comes up from the desert of Arabia (broadly defined), and the wind is really hot and scorches the land and wilts plants. Jesus’s description of these weather conditions was easily understandable and experienced for the Israelites of his day. These weather signs show that Jesus experienced them too, and the Bible is accurate and reliable on such historical, natural conditions and facts.
56:
Hypocrites could be translated as “Inconsistent ones!” Originally, the term comes from the Greek play actor on the stage. They wore masks and played roles. There were stock characters, such as the buffoon, the bombastic soldier, or the old miser. In this context hypocrites appeared one way, but in reality they were different. They appeared outwardly religious, but inwardly they were full of dead men’s bones. They wore religious masks. In this verse, they could analyze or interpret or examine the weather, but they could not see God’s activity right in front of them, through Jesus the Messiah and Lord. Their discernment was shallow and inconsistent.
They are called hypocrites in this case because they can forecast the weather from the signs in the earth and the sky but who cannot discern the signs of God’s presence when it is staring them in the face” … It is tied to end time blindness, not playacting. Garland, comment on 13:15, referring to 12:56).
“season of time”: see v. 42 for more comments.
The whole point of this pericope is that the crowds listening to him can analyze the weather, but not God’s activity right in front of them. It has nothing to do with discerning the end-time, Bible prophecy signs of the time today, two thousand years later. However, from this pericope we can transfer to today the general principle that we must stay alert to discern what God is doing nowadays to further his kingdom. How is God working to expand his kingdom around the globe? How are the missionaries that we support? What is the health of the church, which is his hand extended of the kingdom? To boil things down, how is your spiritual health to extend his kingdom in your sphere of influence? Can you discern how to do this?
“This season of time”: it means that the Messiah is standing right in front of them, yet they cannot perceive the sign of this time or the season (Garland, comment on 54-57).
GrowApp for Luke 12:54-56
1. Who is Jesus now that he is ascended next to his Father in heaven?
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BIBLIOGRAPHY AND MORE
To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom. You will also find a “Summary and Conclusion” for discipleship.
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