Luke 12 Commentary: Kingdom Priorities and Eternal Perspectives

Luke 12 Scripture
1

In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

3

Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

4

And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5

But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

6

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

7

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

8

Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

9

But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

10

And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

11

And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:

12

For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

13

And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

14

And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

15

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17

And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18

And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

22

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

23

The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

24

Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

25

And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

26

If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

27

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28

If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

29

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30

For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

31

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

32

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

33

Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

34

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

35

Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

36

And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

38

And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

39

And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

40

Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

41

Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

42

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

43

Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

44

Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

45

But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

46

The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

47

And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

48

But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

49

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

50

But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

51

Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

52

For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53

The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

54

And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

55

And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

56

Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

57

Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

58

When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

59

I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

Luke 12 Commentary
View Scripture

Luke 12 offers profound insights into the priorities of God's kingdom and the importance of an eternal perspective. This chapter, situated within Jesus' "travelogue" (Luke 9:51-19:27), contrasts the values of the world with the values of the Kingdom, urging disciples to reject worldly allurements and seek true riches in God. It also calls the crowds to recognize the arrival of the Kingdom and to pursue reconciliation with God and their neighbors.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Fear of God (Luke 12:1-12)

Jesus begins by warning His disciples against "the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" (Luke 12:1). Leaven, or yeast, subtly permeates dough, and in the same way, the undetected wickedness of the Pharisees could infect others, even the disciples. Jesus emphasizes that nothing is hidden from God; all secrets will eventually be revealed (Luke 12:2-3).

Knowing that the disciples might fear the Pharisees' power, Jesus encourages them not to fear those who can only kill the body (Luke 12:4). Instead, they should fear God, who has the power to cast into hell (Luke 12:5). God's care extends even to the smallest creatures, like sparrows (Luke 12:6). How much more valuable are His children who trust Him (Luke 12:7)? This reassurance highlights the intimate connection between believers and their loving Father.

Jesus assures His followers that acknowledging Him, even in hostile environments, will result in God acknowledging them before the Father (Luke 12:8). Conversely, denying Jesus publicly will lead to being denied by Him (Luke 12:9). He also speaks of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is unforgivable because it represents a deliberate and willful rejection of Christ, the only means of salvation (Luke 12:10).

In times of persecution, the Holy Spirit will empower believers to speak boldly (Luke 12:11-12). This promise finds fulfillment in the book of Acts, where the apostles, filled with the Spirit, fearlessly proclaim the Gospel.

Beware of Covetousness: The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21)

A man from the crowd interrupts Jesus' teaching, asking Him to settle an inheritance dispute with his brother (Luke 12:13). Jesus refuses to be drawn into earthly matters, stating, "Who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?" (Luke 12:14). Instead, He uses this opportunity to warn against greed, emphasizing that "life does not consist in an abundance of possessions" (Luke 12:15).

Jesus illustrates this with the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21). The man's land yields an abundant harvest, so he decides to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to store his wealth (Luke 12:18). He plans to "take it easy; eat, drink, and be merry" (Luke 12:19). However, God calls him a "fool" because he prioritizes material wealth over spiritual riches (Luke 12:20). The man's life is demanded of him that very night, and all his possessions become meaningless. Jesus concludes, "So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:21). The issue isn't wealth itself, but hoarding it without any thought of God or the fleeting nature of life.

Do Not Worry: Trusting in God's Provision (Luke 12:22-34)

Turning to His disciples, Jesus urges them not to worry about their basic needs like food and clothing (Luke 12:22-23). Life is more than these things. God cares for the birds, and the disciples are far more valuable than they are (Luke 12:24). Worrying is futile; it cannot add a single hour to one's life (Luke 12:25-26).

Just as God clothes the lilies of the field, He will surely care for His children (Luke 12:27-28). The Gentiles are preoccupied with such anxieties, but believers should prioritize seeking God's kingdom (Luke 12:29-31). It is the Father's good pleasure to give them the kingdom (Luke 12:32).

Jesus encourages His disciples to sell their possessions and give to the needy, providing themselves with "a treasure in the heavens that does not fail" (Luke 12:33). For "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:34).

Watchfulness and Readiness (Luke 12:35-48)

The disciples are to be like servants waiting for their master's return, ready to open the door immediately (Luke 12:35-36). Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes (Luke 12:37). Jesus will come at an unexpected hour (Luke 12:40), so His followers must always be ready.

Peter asks if this parable applies only to the disciples or to everyone (Luke 12:41). Jesus responds with another parable about a faithful and wise manager who is put in charge of the household (Luke 12:42-44). Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his duty when he returns. But if the servant is unfaithful and abuses his position, he will be severely punished (Luke 12:45-48). Judgment will be according to what each person has been given; "everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required" (Luke 12:48).

Division and Discernment (Luke 12:49-59)

Jesus declares that He has come to bring fire on the earth (Luke 12:49) and that His coming will cause division, even within families (Luke 12:51-53). This division arises because some accept Him while others reject Him.

Jesus rebukes the crowds for being able to interpret the weather but not the signs of the times (Luke 12:54-56). They fail to recognize that the Kingdom of God is at hand. He urges them to settle their disputes quickly, before it is too late (Luke 12:57-59). Just as one should settle a legal dispute out of court to avoid a harsher penalty, so too should people reconcile with God before facing judgment.

Luke 12 challenges us to examine our priorities. Are we focused on accumulating earthly treasures, or are we rich toward God? Are we consumed by worry, or do we trust in God's provision? Are we living in readiness for Christ's return, or are we complacent? This chapter calls us to embrace the values of God's kingdom, to live with an eternal perspective, and to be faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us.