It’s no secret that the Bible instructs us to love one another. This may be one of the most quoted and well-known teachings in all of Scripture. Perhaps that’s why Luke 12:1 caught my attention:
“Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples…”
Jesus didn’t preplan his sermons, Jesus assessed the situation at hand and based on the needs in the moment he responded.
Everything Jesus says from this moment through verse 12 is a direct response to one striking detail: the people were stepping on one another. This was not love, but clear evidence of its absence. Rather than offering a simple command, Jesus responds with a series of warnings—against hypocrisy, hidden accusations, fear of death, denying the truth, blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and fearing prosecution. All of this instruction flows from a single chaotic picture: a crowd so large and unruly that people are literally trampling one another.
Imagine a modern-day equivalent: a massive concert, a music festival like Woodstock, or a tightly packed rally where thousands have gathered. People pressing in, pushing, losing personal space—stepping on one another, driven by fear of missing out and arising out of self preservation. Tempers flaring. Voices raised. People stepping on toes, both literally and figuratively.What does a scene like this look like?
We already know that Jesus could perceive thoughts and hear what was spoken openly and in secret. What might He have witnessed in that crowd?
Perhaps cursing. Accusations. Criticism. Quiet insults. Threats. Fear. Maybe even a few fights breaking out.
This is not love. And Jesus’ next words are in direct proportion to what He sees.
love—real love—is vital to the health and function of the church. Jesus knows the desperate condition of the human heart, and He knows if love produces a healthy church then hypocrisy produces a broken one. If people were gathered to hear him preach good news, but harbored anger against their neighbor on what sort of heart would his seed fall? What would be the point? “First take the log out of your own eye …” is the verse that comes to me. “Cleanse your hearts you sinners” is another one. Jesus needed to address the wickedness in the hearts of these people or perhaps the potential wickedness that threatened to uproot the good seed he was planting.
I don’t often attend large gatherings; crowds overwhelm me—I’m an introvert. But the truth is, it doesn’t require thousands of people to start stepping on one another.
Just last week I was at a Christmas gathering with fewer than twenty people, and we were stepping on one another.
Sometimes stepping on someone is accidental. Someone is distracted, pushed, unaware. Sometimes it’s carelessness—an insensitive comment, an interruption, a dismissive tone. Sometimes it cuts deeper. A joke that feels like mockery. Harsh words spoken to a child that linger long after the moment passes. A comment that offends and stays with you.
Being stepped on stings.
The real issue is my response, the responsibility shifts to the one who was wounded. I think this is who Jesus is addressing, and I think maybe even addresses today. Will my response ignite more anger or bring peaceful resolution?
So what does Jesus suggest?
First he addresses those who react harshly. Whatever you say in secret will not remain hidden forever. If your response is sharp, cruel, or threatening—if it’s something you wouldn’t want shouted from the rooftops—then restrain yourself.
“You idiot! I’ll kill you if you do that again!” followed by smiling politely while listening to Jesus on the hillside—this is exactly what He warns against. Hypocrisy will always be exposed.
Second, He speaks to those who are threatened or accused. Do not fear what others say or do. They have limited power.
Then He presses deeper: Does your response reflect the Christ you claim to follow, or does it deny His influence in your life? If your behavior denies Christ, that matters. Confession is not just spoken—it is lived.
Jesus even acknowledges that people may curse, speak foolishly, or react poorly in moments of offense, and there is forgiveness for that. But He warns strongly against resisting or rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit—the very presence given to guide, convict, and help us respond differently.
And if conflict escalates—if someone accuses you, takes you to court, demands more than you can give—Jesus says not to worry. The Holy Spirit will help you speak and respond rightly.
This teaching was for those gathered that day—and it is for us.
Whether there are thousands gathered on a hillside or ten gathered around a Christmas table, we are prone to stepping on one another.
Jesus’ central warning is clear: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Leaven spreads quietly. Hypocrisy grows when we say one thing and live another. And while Jesus does not explicitly say love one another, we can conclude from the warnings he gives when love is absent hypocrisy grows.
My Faith Place 