Luke 12:1

Fear God, Not People

12:1 Meanwhile, ¹  when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus ²  began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against ³  the yeast of the Pharisees, ⁴  which is hypocrisy. ⁵ 

Luke 14:25-26

Counting the Cost

14:25 Now large crowds ⁶  were accompanying Jesus, ⁷  and turning to them he said, 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate ⁸  his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, ⁹  he cannot be my disciple.

[12:1]  ¹ tn The phrase ἐν οἷς (en Jois) can be translated “meanwhile.”

[12:1]  ² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:1]  ³ tn According to L&N 27.59, “to pay attention to, to keep on the lookout for, to be alert for, to be on your guard against.” This is another Lukan present imperative calling for constant vigilance.

[12:1]  ⁴ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

[12:1]  ⁵ sn The pursuit of popularity can lead to hypocrisy, if one is not careful.

[14:25]  ⁶ sn It is important to note that the following remarks are not just to disciples, but to the large crowds who were following Jesus.

[14:25]  ⁷ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:26]  ⁸ tn This figurative use operates on a relative scale. God is to be loved more than family or self.

[14:26]  ⁹ tn Grk “his own soul,” but ψυχή (yuch) is frequently used of one’s physical life. It clearly has that meaning in this context.