Luke 12

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Jesus warns His disciples against hypocrisy and encourages them to fear God, who cares for all, rather than men. He cautions against covetousness through the parable of the rich fool, urging them instead to seek God's kingdom and lay up heavenly treasure. Furthermore, Jesus stresses the importance of watchfulness for His unexpected return and the necessity of discerning the present spiritual times.

Warning Against Hypocrisy 1–12

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

But there is nothing covered up, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

Wherefore whatsoever ye have said in the darkness shall be heard in the light; and what ye have spoken in the ear in the inner chambers shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

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.

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

Are not five sparrows sold for two pence? and not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God.

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

And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

but he that denieth me in the presence of men shall be denied in the presence of the angels of God.

And every one who shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven.

And when they bring you before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:

for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say.

The Danger of Covetousness 13–21

And one out of the multitude said unto him, Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.

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

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

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

and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?

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

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

But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?

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

Trusting God’s Provision 22–34

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.

For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment.

Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds!

And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his life?

If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest?

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

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

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

Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you.

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

Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth.

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

Be Ready for the Master’s Return 35–40

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

and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return from the marriage feast; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him.

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 sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them.

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

But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have left his house to be broken through.

Be ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.

The Faithful and Unfaithful Steward 41–48

And Peter said, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even unto all?

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

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

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

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

the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the unfaithful.

And that servant, who knew his lord’s will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes;

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

Division Caused by the Gospel 49–53

I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what do I desire, if it is already kindled?

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

Think ye that I am come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

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

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

Discerning the Present Time 54–59

And he said to the multitudes also, When ye see a cloud rising in the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it cometh to pass.

And when ye see a south wind blowing, ye say, There will be a scorching heat; and it cometh to pass.

Ye hypocrites, ye know how to interpret the face of the earth and the heaven; but how is it that ye know not how to interpret this time?

And why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

For as thou art going with thine adversary before the magistrate, on the way give diligence to be quit of him; lest haply he drag thee unto the judge, and the judge shall deliver thee to the officer, and the officer shall cast thee into prison.

I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the very last mite.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Luke 12

Verse 1

the leaven of the Pharisees — Zyme, ferment, which works unseen through the whole lump; Paul sets it against 'the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth' (1 Cor 5:8). The verse names it: hypokrisis, acting a part. Matthew's parallel calls it their 'doctrine' (Matt 16:12).

Verse 2

nothing covered — Synkalypto, to cover completely, answered by apokalypto, to take the cover off. Jesus uses the saying in different settings: here against hypocrisy, to the Twelve in Matt 10:26 as ground for fearless preaching, and in Luke 8:17 of the word itself.

Verse 4

my friends — Philos, friend: the disciples are addressed as friends, not merely servants. The charge to them is: 'Be not afraid of them that kill the body', who 'have no more that they can do'. Matthew gives the same saying with the soul named as beyond their reach (Matt 10:28).

Verse 5

cast into hell — Geenna, the valley of Hinnom, the name used for the place of final punishment. The one to be feared is God, who after killing has 'power' (exousia, authority) to cast there. Matthew words it 'able to destroy both soul and body in hell' (Matt 10:28).

Verse 6

five sparrows — Strouthion, a little sparrow, sold for the assarion, a small Roman copper coin ('farthing'). Matthew's wording differs: 'two sparrows sold for a farthing' (Matt 10:29), so five here cost two coins. Yet 'not one of them is forgotten before God'.

Verse 8

shall confess me — Homologeo, to say the same, acknowledge openly. The reward is matched to the act: the Son of man will confess him 'before the angels of God'; Matthew has 'before my Father which is in heaven' (Matt 10:32). The reverse follows in v.9.

Verse 10

blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost — A word 'against the Son of man' may be forgiven, but not blasphemy (blasphemeo, to speak impiously) against the Holy Ghost. Matthew has the same contrast: the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost 'shall not be forgiven unto men' (Matt 12:31). The verse follows the call to confess in vv.8–9.

Verse 11

take ye no thought — Merimnao, to be anxious, the verb of vv.22, 25–26. Before 'synagogues… magistrates, and powers' the disciples need not prepare a defence (apologeomai). The Spirit teaches 'in the same hour' (v.12); compare Luke 21:14–15 and Matt 10:20.

Verse 13

divide the inheritance — Klēronomia, inheritance, and merizo, to apportion. The man wants Christ as arbiter of a family estate. The request leads Jesus to the warning of v.15 and the parable of vv.16–20, and to his reply in v.14 that he is no 'divider'.

Verse 14

who made me a judge — Dikastes, a judge, and meristes, a divider. The words recall the Hebrew who rebuffed Moses: 'Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?' (Ex 2:14). Christ declines the office of civil arbiter, and turns to the covetousness behind the request.

Verse 15

covetousness — Pleonexia, the desire for more. The reason is given: 'a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.' Zoe, life, is not measured by hyparchonta, possessions; the parable of vv.16–21 illustrates it.

Verse 20

Thou fool — Aphron, without understanding. God speaks, and the man's 'soul' (psyche) is 'required' (apaiteo, demanded back) that night. The question 'whose shall those things be?' echoes Ps 39:6, one who 'heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them'.

Verse 21

rich toward God — This is the contrast to 'layeth up treasure for himself' (thesaurizo). Jesus gives the positive in v.33, 'provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens', and in Matt 6:20, 'lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven'.

Verse 22

Take no thought for your life — Merimnao, to be anxious; psyche is life, and the body's need is clothing. This was said 'unto his disciples', after the parable addressed to the crowd. Matthew places the same teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 6:25).

Verse 25

add to his stature one cubit — Helikia may mean stature or length of life, and pechys, the cubit, is a measure of length. Either way, anxious 'taking thought' (merimnao) cannot add; v.26 calls this 'that thing which is least'. Matthew has the same saying (Matt 6:27).

Verse 31

seek ye the kingdom of God — Zeteo, to seek, replaces the seeking of food and drink in v.29. 'These things' are then 'added' (prostithemi). Matthew adds 'first… and his righteousness' (Matt 6:33), the nations' seeking having been described in v.30.

Verse 32

little flock — Poimnion, a small flock, with mikros, little in number. The ground of 'Fear not' is the Father's 'good pleasure' (eudokeo, to be well pleased) to give the kingdom, a gift, not a wage. The next verse speaks of selling and giving.

Verse 33

bags which wax not old — Balantion, a money-purse, set against bags that wear out (palaioo). The treasure 'in the heavens that faileth not' is safe from the 'thief' and the 'moth'; compare Matt 6:19–20. Giving 'alms' (eleemosyne, acts of mercy) is the way of laying it up.

Verse 35

loins be girded — The long robe was tied up with a belt for work or travel; perizonnymi, to gird about. 'Lights burning' are lamps (lychnos). The picture is of servants ready at night; compare 'gird up the loins of your mind' (1 Pet 1:13).

Verse 37

he shall gird himself — The verb of v.35 now describes the master: he girds himself, seats the servants (anaklino, to make recline) and serves (diakoneo) them. The reversal is acted out in John 13:4–5, when he girded himself with a towel and washed the disciples' feet.

Verse 40

Be ye therefore ready — Hetoimos, prepared. The coming 'at an hour when ye think not' repeats the thief of v.39 and is put almost in the same words in Matt 24:44 ('in such an hour as ye think not'). 'Son of man' is the title Jesus uses of himself for his return, as in v.8.

Verse 41

unto us, or even to all? — Peter asks whether the parable of vv.35–40 is for the disciples alone. Jesus does not answer directly but speaks of the faithful steward (v.42). Mark records the general application: 'what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch' (Mark 13:37).

Verse 47

many stripes — Dero, to beat (literally to flay). The servant who knew his lord's will (thelema) and neither prepared nor acted is beaten polys, many. v.48 sets the lighter 'few' for the one who did not know: responsibility is measured by knowledge. Compare James 4:17.

Verse 48

unto whomsoever much is given — This is the rule that closes the parable and balances v.47: the ignorant who do wrong are beaten with 'few stripes', but of the one entrusted with much (paratithemi, to place in keeping) 'they will ask the more'. Compare James 3:1 on teachers.

Verse 49

to send fire on the earth — Pyr, fire, with ballo, to cast. John the Baptist had said that the coming one would burn up the chaff 'with unquenchable fire' (Matt 3:12). The wish 'if it be already kindled' leads to the baptism of v.50.

Verse 50

a baptism to be baptized with — Baptisma, immersion; used here of his coming suffering, as when he asks James and John whether they can be baptized with his baptism (Matt 20:22). 'Straitened' is synecho, to be held in, pressed; the pressure lasts 'till it be accomplished' (teleo, finished).

Verse 51

peace on earth… division — Eirene against diamerismos, disunion. The Son's coming divides even households; vv.52–53 list them. Matthew has the same saying with 'a sword' in place of division (Matt 10:34).

Verse 54

a cloud rise out of the west — This is said 'to the people', not the disciples. The west is the Mediterranean side, as the cloud 'out of the sea' that Elijah's servant saw (1 Kings 18:44). Ombros, a shower. The weather sign is used to rebuke blindness to another sign, in v.56.

Verse 56

Ye hypocrites — Hypokrites, an actor. This is the same word family as 'hypocrisy' in v.1. They 'discern' (dokimazo, to test and judge) 'the face of the sky and of the earth' but not 'this time' (kairos, the appointed season). v.57 asks why they do not judge for themselves.

Verse 58

give diligence that thou mayest be delivered — Antidikos is the opponent in a lawsuit; the path leads from magistrate to judge to the praktor, the officer who collects, and so to prison. The scene teaches settling before the case is heard; Matthew gives it in Matt 5:25–26.

Verse 59

the very last mite — Lepton, the smallest coin; two of them made the widow's offering, 'two mites, which make a farthing' (Mark 12:42). 'Thou shalt not depart' (ou me, by no means) until the whole is paid; compare Matt 5:26.