Hair loss? God has the count – Friday, 28^th week in ordinary time – Lk 12:1-7

‘The Pharisees and scribes have now begun a hostile campaign against Jesus. They plan to cross examine Him about many things and are constantly lying in watch to catch Him in something that He might say.’ With these words chapter eleven of the Gospel of Luke comes to a close but also sets the stage of things to come in chapter twelve. This hostility will also be seen in Luke 19:47, 20:19-20 and 22:2.

But while the religious establishment draw their swords against Jesus, the crowds simply love Him. Verse one tells us that the crowds have now swelled to thousands so much so that they trample on each other. Such popularity would surely have left the Pharisees and scribes seething with anger. Ironically it is they who have swallowed the poison of hate and resentment but expect to see Jesus drop down instantly and die. Well, His hour has not yet come!

It is in this context that St Luke dedicates all fifty nine verses of chapter twelve to the consequences of the hostility towards Jesus; the disciples too will share in this opposition mounted against Jesus. However this hostility faced by the ‘little flock’ is both external as well as internal. External, caused by the Pharisees and scribes and internal caused by the selfishness of Church officials.  (Remember that Luke is also writing to his congregation of believers)

In continuing his polemic against the Pharisees or the rigorist teachers in his community, Luke attacks those whose actions do not match their words. The message of Jesus to His disciples was to ‘beware of the yeast of the Pharisees’ because their actions do not conform to their words.