Luke 12

1 By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other's toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus' primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, "Watch yourselves carefully so you don't get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness.

2 You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.

3 You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.

4 "I'm speaking to you as dear friends. Don't be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you, but then what can they do? There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being.

5 Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life - body and soul - in his hands.

6 "What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one.

7 And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail - even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.

8 "Stand up for me among the people you meet and the Son of Man will stand up for you before all God's angels.

9 But if you pretend you don't know me, do you think I'll defend you before God's angels?

10 "If you bad-mouth the Son of Man out of misunderstanding or ignorance, that can be overlooked. But if you're knowingly attacking God himself, taking aim at the Holy Spirit, that won't be overlooked.

11 "When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don't worry about defending yourselves - what you'll say or how you'll say it.

12 The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes."

13 Someone out of the crowd said, "Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance."

14 He replied, "Mister, what makes you think it's any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?"

15 Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."

16 Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop.

17 He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.'

18 Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods,

19 and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!'

20 "Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods - who gets it?'

21 "That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."

22 He continued this subject with his disciples. "Don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion.

23 There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.

24 Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more.

25 "Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch?

26 If fussing can't even do that, why fuss at all?

27 Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don't fuss with their appearance - but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

28 If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?

29 "What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving.

30 People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.

31 Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

32 Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.

33 "Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can't go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on.

34 It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

35 "Keep your shirts on; keep the lights on!

36 Be like house servants waiting for their master to come back from his honeymoon, awake and ready to open the door when he arrives and knocks.

37 Lucky the servants whom the master finds on watch! He'll put on an apron, sit them at the table, and serve them a meal, sharing his wedding feast with them.

38 It doesn't matter what time of the night he arrives; they're awake - and so blessed!

39 "You know that if the house owner had known what night the burglar was coming, he wouldn't have stayed out late and left the place unlocked.

40 So don't you be slovenly and careless. Just when you don't expect him, the Son of Man will show up."

41 Peter said, "Master, are you telling this story just for us? Or is it for everybody?"

42 The Master said, "Let me ask you: Who is the dependable manager, full of common sense, that the master puts in charge of his staff to feed them well and on time?

43 He is a blessed man if when the master shows up he's doing his job.

45 But if he says to himself, 'The master is certainly taking his time,' begins maltreating the servants and maids, throws parties for his friends, and gets drunk,

46 the master will walk in when he least expects it, give him the thrashing of his life, and put him back in the kitchen peeling potatoes.

47 "The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed.

48 But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he'll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!

49 "I've come to start a fire on this earth - how I wish it were blazing right now!

50 I've come to change everything, turn everything rightside up - how I long for it to be finished!

51 Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I've come to disrupt and confront!

52 From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be - Three against two, and two against three;

53 Father against son, and son against father; Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; Mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in-law."

54 Then he turned to the crowd: "When you see clouds coming in from the west, you say, 'Storm's coming' - and you're right.

55 And when the wind comes out of the south, you say, 'This'll be a hot one' - and you're right.

56 Frauds! You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don't tell me you can't tell a change in the season, the God-season we're in right now.

57 "You don't have to be a genius to understand these things. Just use your common sense,

58 the kind you'd use if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you'd probably go to jail

59 and pay every last penny of the fine. That's the kind of decision I'm asking you to make."

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Luke 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

Christ reproves the interpreters of the law. (1-12) A caution against covetousness The parable of the rich man. (13-21) Worldly care reproved. (22-40) Watchfulness enforced. (41-53) A warning to be reconciled to God. (54-59)

Verses 1-12 A firm belief of the doctrine of God's universal providence, and the extent of it, would satisfy us when in peril, and encourage us to trust God in the way of duty. Providence takes notice of the meanest creatures, even of the sparrows, and therefore of the smallest interests of the disciples of Christ. Those who confess Christ now, shall be owned by him in the great day, before the angels of God. To deter us from denying Christ, and deserting his truths and ways, we are here assured that those who deny Christ, though they may thus save life itself, and though they may gain a kingdom by it, will be great losers at last; for Christ will not know them, will not own them, nor show them favour. But let no trembling, penitent backslider doubt of obtaining forgiveness. This is far different from the determined enmity that is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall never be forgiven, because it will never be repented of.

Verses 13-21 Christ's kingdom is spiritual, and not of this world. Christianity does not meddle with politics; it obliges all to do justly, but wordly dominion is not founded in grace. It does not encourage expectations of worldly advantages by religion. The rewards of Christ's disciples are of another nature. Covetousness is a sin we need constantly to be warned against; for happiness and comfort do not depend on the wealth of this world. The things of the world will not satisfy the desires of a soul. Here is a parable, which shows the folly of carnal worldling while they live, and their misery when they die. The character drawn is exactly that of a prudent, worldly man, who has no grateful regard to the providence of God, nor any right thought of the uncertainty of human affairs, the worth of his soul, or the importance of eternity. How many, even among professed Christians, point out similar characters as models for imitation, and proper persons to form connexions with! We mistake if we think that thoughts are hid, and thoughts are free. When he saw a great crop upon his ground, instead of thanking God for it, or rejoicing to be able to do more good, he afflicts himself. What shall I do now? The poorest beggar in the country could not have said a more anxious word. The more men have, the more perplexity they have with it. It was folly for him to think of making no other use of his plenty, than to indulge the flesh and gratify the sensual appetites, without any thought of doing good to others. Carnal worldlings are fools; and the day is coming when God will call them by their own name, and they will call themselves so. The death of such persons is miserable in itself, and terrible to them. Thy soul shall be required. He is loth to part with it; but God shall require it, shall require an account of it, require it as a guilty soul to be punished without delay. It is the folly of most men, to mind and pursue that which is for the body and for time only, more than that for the soul and eternity.

Verses 22-40 Christ largely insisted upon this caution not to give way to disquieting, perplexing cares, ( Matthew 6:25-34 ) . The arguments here used are for our encouragement to cast our care upon God, which is the right way to get ease. As in our stature, so in our state, it is our wisdom to take it as it is. An eager, anxious pursuit of the things of this world, even necessary things, ill becomes the disciples of Christ. Fears must not prevail; when we frighten ourselves with thoughts of evil to come, and put ourselves upon needless cares how to avoid it. If we value the beauty of holiness, we shall not crave the luxuries of life. Let us then examine whether we belong to this little flock. Christ is our Master, and we are his servants; not only working servants, but waiting servants. We must be as men that wait for their lord, that sit up while he stays out late, to be ready to receive him. In this Christ alluded to his own ascension to heaven, his coming to call his people to him by death, and his return to judge the world. We are uncertain as to the time of his coming to us, we should therefore be always ready. If men thus take care of their houses, let us be thus wise for our souls. Be ye therefore ready also; as ready as the good man of the house would be, if he knew at what hour the thief would come.

Verses 41-53 All are to take to themselves what Christ says in his word, and to inquire concerning it. No one is left so ignorant as not to know many things to be wrong which he does, and many things to be right which he neglects; therefore all are without excuse in their sin. The bringing in the gospel dispensation would occasion desolations. Not that this would be the tendency of Christ's religion, which is pure, peaceable, and loving; but the effect of its being contrary to men's pride and lusts. There was to be a wide publication of the gospel. But before that took place, Christ had a baptism to be baptized with, far different from that of water and the Holy Spirit. He must endure sufferings and death. It agreed not with his plan to preach the gospel more widely, till this baptism was completed. We should be zealous in making known the truth, for though divisions will be stirred up, and a man's own household may be his foes, yet sinners will be converted, and God will be glorified.

Verses 54-59 Christ would have the people to be as wise in the concerns of their souls as they are in outward affairs. Let them hasten to obtain peace with God before it is too late. If any man has found that God has set himself against him concerning his sins, let him apply to him as God in Christ reconciling the world to himself. While we are alive, we are in the way, and now is our time.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)