There are a couple of fairly clear chiasms in Luke 12:
Verses 1-12 work out this way:
A. Leaven of Pharisees, v 1
B. Hidden will be revealed, vv 2-3
C. Do not fear those who kill body, v 4
D. Fear the one who has authority to cast into hell, v 5
C’. Do not fear: hairs and sparrows, vv 6-7
B’. Confession and denial before men, vv 8-10
A’. Attack in synagogues, vv 11-12
There are a couple of important implications to this structure. First, the link of B and B’ indicates what kind of “hidden” things are being talked about. Jesus is saying that whatever the disciples have confessed in private will be forced into public by persecution, or that their private denials will be made public. Second, the framing by references to Pharisees and synagogues makes it clear that the persecution in view is going to come from Jews. Finally, the center shows that the answer to the fear of men is a right fear of God, which is manifested in bold witness before men.
Verses 22-40 fall out this way:
A. Do not be anxious (food and clothing), vv 22-23
B. Ravens (food), vv 24-26
C. Lilies (clothing), vv 27-28
B’. Do not seek what you eat (like Gentiles), v 29-30
A’. Seek kingdom by giving charitably, vv 31-34
This is a bit more iffy.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
