Luke 12:4-7 4And I say to you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that do not have anything greater they can do. 5But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the one who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear this one. 6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Jesus continues his warning to the disciples about the troubles they would experience because of their faith in him. What happened to them on the outside, such as experiencing harm to their bodies, was not as important as their spiritual condition. Jesus separates the inside of people, their spirit, from the outside, the body. He does not use the word “spirit” in this passage, though the internal part of a person is implied. What really matters is what happens to the spirit, which passes on to eternity to be with the Lord after death. The body is a temporary tent (2 Corinthians 5:1-5). It is extremely difficult for us to think past our earthly existence. It takes very strong faith in God’s promises of resurrection and eternal life to sacrifice one’s body. What enters the minds of soldiers or police who sacrifice themselves in battle? What do criminals think when they shoot it out? For believers, life is precious, but we cannot hold to it as if it is all we have. Those who kill us only end our earthly existence. We can trust God’s promises that there is something beyond death.
Jesus explains in verse 5 that the type of fear we ought to have is about what happens to us spiritually after death. The him of verse 5 is unclear. It could be taken as God who is the judge of the living and the dead. The part that makes this interpretation difficult is about God killing someone. The other option would be that it could be Satan who kills believers through his agents. The difficult part about this interpretation is that Satan has limited authority and cannot be the one to condemn a person to hell (literally Gehenna, the place of fire), though following in his ways will ultimately lead to that outcome. God has granted Satan the ability to test people, like he tested Job. Whatever the exact interpretation of this verse, the needed response of fear is clear. Fear of hell should be a strong motivation for us to stand strong in the face of persecution.
Verses 6-7 offer the promise of God’s protection and care even when we face persecution and death itself. Jesus gives two simple illustrations using the form of argumentation called a foriori: if it is true in this small situation, how much more will it be truth in a bigger situation. We are of utmost value to God, who cares for us and watches out for us. Sparrows are common birds and were the cheap protein for people of that time. God keeps track of even the cheap, simple, and everyday things of our lives. The illustration of the minute hairs on our head goes even further. God’s omniscience is clearly evident in these two illustrations. God knows and cares. We cannot lose sight of what really matters in our existence and to realize that God is watching out for us and will see us through to his kingdom.
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