The Consequences of Pertinacious Blindness
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Revealing the devastating consequences of stubbornly choosing to remain spiritually blind.
Text: Luke 12:54-59
Date: 01/28/2024, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 135
Description:
Jesus continues to warn His listeners of the dangers of spiritual lethargy and blindness. Speaking directly to the large crowd following Him, He rebukes them for their willful, contrived and even obstinate refusal to believe in Him and His Gospel. He points out how they use common sense to predict the weather, and appeals to them to use the same deductive reasoning to think for themselves and consider the overwhelming evidence that He is the Messiah. He then tells a short story of a man who failed to settle with his creditor when he could, and ended up in debtor's prison. We will analyze these two very integrated paragraphs and realize that Jesus is talking of spiritual matters rather than financial. Then we will revisit the story of the debtor in a redemptive and eschatological setting, realizing the dangers of failing to "settle" with our Creditor before facing the final Judge, and thereby suffer the devastating consequences of pertinacious blindness.
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 12:54-59.
A. Context
1. The themes of judgment and division.
2. Noticing the change in audience, vs. 54a, Luke 13:22, 12:1.
B. Failing to interpret the times, vs. 54-56.
1. Interpreting the weather, vs. 54-55.
a. On clouds and precipitation, vs. 54b.
b. On wind and temperature, vs. 55.
2. Refusing to see the obvious, vs. 56.
a. A surprise exclamation.
b. The hypocrisy of pertinacious blindness.
c. Examples of pertinacious blindness, Matt. 15:7-9.
C. The story from jurisprudence, vs. 57-59.
1. Exposing pertinacious blindness, vs. 57.
a. A personal appeal, Mark 1:15.
b. The question within the question, Luke 11:46, Matt. 15:14.
c. Thinking past the culture, John 8:31-32.
2. The "high-stakes" of pertinacious blindness, vs. 58-59.
a. The financial dispute, vs. 58.
i. Before the magistrate.
ii. Before the judge, Deut. 19:18-19.
iii. Handed over to the "officer".
b. The inevitability of punishment, vs. 59.
III. Application
A. The redemptive and eschatological setting.
B. A slightly altered application of the story.
1. Setting the scene.
a. The overwhelming evidence.
b. Think for yourself.
c. You owe a debt you cannot possibly repay, Rev. 12:10, 1Pet. 1:16, Matt. 5:48, Hab. 1:13.
d. You are without excuse, Rom. 1:19, 2Cor. 5:10.
2. The revised story, Heb. 9:27, Psa. 103:15-16, Luke 12:4-5,9.
IV. Conclusion
