People's New Testament 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. 12:1-5 Various Warnings
SUMMARY OF LUKE 12: The Leaven of the Pharisees. God's Care for His Servants. Confessing Christ. The Two Brothers and the Inheritance. The Rich Fool. The Life More Than Raiment. The Lilies. Watching. The Wise and Faithful Steward. The Baptism of Suffering. Sending Peace on Earth. The Signs of the Times. An innumerable multitude of people. This is one of the passages that show the great impression produced at that time by Christ's teaching. See also Mr 1:33; 2:2; 3:9; 6:31, etc. The discourse that follows is found almost verbatim in Matthew. Beware ye of the leaven. The spirit of the Pharisees. There is great danger of religion becoming formal and hypocritical. See PNT Mt 16:6. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 12:2 There is nothing covered. For notes on verse 2-5, see Mt 10:26-28. The flat tops of Eastern houses were the places from whence public proclamations were made.
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.
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 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.
Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 12:6-9 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? See notes on Mt 10:29-33. Sparrows were the cheapest of all birds offered for sale.
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. 12:6-9 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? See notes on Mt 10:29-33. Sparrows were the cheapest of all birds offered for sale.
Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 12:6-9 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? See notes on Mt 10:29-33. Sparrows were the cheapest of all birds offered for sale.
But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. 12:6-9 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? See notes on Mt 10:29-33. Sparrows were the cheapest of all birds offered for sale.
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. 12:10 Blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost. See notes on Mt 12:31,32.
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: 12:11,12 When they bring you unto the synagogues. See notes on Mt 10:19,20.
For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. 12:11,12 When they bring you unto the synagogues. See notes on Mt 10:19,20.
And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 12:13 One of the company said. This question concerning the inheritance, and the parable of the Rich Fool that follows, are only found in Luke.
Speak to my brother. The man wished to enlist Christ's moral power for his pecuniary advantage. Whether his brother had wronged him or not is not stated, but the Lord's business was not to gain acres of land and money for men. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 12:14 Who made me a judge or a divider over you? It was not his mission to look after temporal gains, but to save the souls of men.
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. 12:15 Beware of covetousness. A greedy desire for the goods of this world. A sin of all ages and a besetting sin of our times.
A man's life consisteth not, etc. Comfort, happiness, and, above all, eternal interests, do not depend on the abundance of our goods. Why then should a man give his life to a greedy chase after wealth? And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 12:16-19 He spake a parable. To show that riches do not secure one from evil.
A certain rich man. There is no intimation that his wealth was unjustly secured. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 12:17 What shall I do? A common perplexity of the rich. They do not know what to do with their surplus wealth, though the needs of humanity call for it.
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. 12:18 There will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. In his enlarged storehouses. He will hoard his goods. Here was the beginning of his folly; to hoard his surplus instead of using it for the good of men.
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. 12:19 Thou hast much goods laid up for many years. He had the goods, but the years he could not claim. It was a second element of his folly to forget that life is uncertain, and to make no provision for its close.
Take thine ease. Here is the third element of his folly; to attempt to satisfy his soul with food, drink and merriment: to feed that which demands heavenly food on husks. 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? 12:20 Thou fool. The still, small voice may have said this, as mortal disease attacked him. Men said that he was sagacious, wise; but God said, Thou fool.
This night. Instead of having many years, this night he shall die, unprepared, and all his goods on which he set his heart be delivered over to others. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself. He is guilty of folly in the eyes of God. Wisdom requires that we should lay up treasure in heaven.
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. 12:22-31 Be not anxious for your life. These verses are found in almost the same words in Mt 6:24-34. See notes there.
The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 12:22-31 Be not anxious for your life. These verses are found in almost the same words in Mt 6:24-34. See notes there.
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? 12:22-31 Be not anxious for your life. These verses are found in almost the same words in Mt 6:24-34. See notes there.
And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 12:22-31 Be not anxious for your life. These verses are found in almost the same words in Mt 6:24-34. See notes there.
If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 12:22-31 Be not anxious for your life. These verses are found in almost the same words in Mt 6:24-34. See notes there.
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. 12:22-31 Be not anxious for your life. These verses are found in almost the same words in Mt 6:24-34. See notes there.
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? 12:22-31 Be not anxious for your life. These verses are found in almost the same words in Mt 6:24-34. See notes there.
And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 12:22-31 Be not anxious for your life. These verses are found in almost the same words in Mt 6:24-34. See notes there.
For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 12:22-31 Be not anxious for your life. These verses are found in almost the same words in Mt 6:24-34. See notes there.
But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 12:22-31 Be not anxious for your life. These verses are found in almost the same words in Mt 6:24-34. See notes there.
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 12:32 Fear not, little flock. The flock is safe only because of the Shepherd's care. The Lord is the Shepherd, and it is his pleasure to give not only food and raiment, but the kingdom to his children.
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. 12:33 Sell what ye have. Lay up treasure in heaven. The true way of investing wealth is to consecrate it to good purposes. Better to sell in order to have wherewith to give, than to hoard like the rich fool. See notes on Mt 6:19-21.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 12:35-46 Let your loins be girded. The long Oriental robe had to be taken up and girded before one was ready to travel. See notes on Mt 24:42-51.
Lights burning. See Mt 25:3-8. 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. 12:36 May open unto him immediately. Be ready when the Lord's summons come.
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.
And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 12:38 In the second watch. The Jews divided the night into four watches. The second and third covered the midnight hours.
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. 12:39 The thief would come. See notes on Mt 24:43,44.
Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
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? 12:42 Who then is the faithful and wise steward? See notes on Mt 24:45-51.
Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
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;
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.
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. 12:47 That servant, which knew his lord's will. This is the wilfully disobedient servant. The man who sins in the face of knowledge is such a servant. His neglect of known duty shall aggravate his punishment.
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. 12:48 He that knew not. The man who sinned in ignorance shall have lighter punishment. Certainly degrees of punishment for degrees of guilt are taught. All will not be punished alike.
I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth. Conflict and persecution. This was the effect of preaching the gospel. It aroused opposition. See notes on Mt 10:34-37.
If it is already kindled. The conflict had already begun. The enemies were seeking his death. But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! 12:50 I have a baptism. Of suffering. That of the cross.
Straitened. Feeling the burden in anticipation. Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 12:51-53 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? See PNT Mt 10:34.
For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 12:51-53 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? See PNT Mt 10:34.
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. 12:51-53 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? See PNT Mt 10:34.
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. 12:54-57 When ye see a cloud rising. See notes on Mt 16:2,3.
And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. 12:54-57 When ye see a cloud rising. See notes on Mt 16:2,3.
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? 12:54-57 When ye see a cloud rising. See notes on Mt 16:2,3.
Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? 12:57 Why even of yourselves? Why not judge what is right without any external signs?
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. 12:58,59 When thou goest with thine adversary. See notes on Mt 5:25,26.
I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite. 12:58,59 When thou goest with thine adversary. See notes on Mt 5:25,26. The People's New Testament by B.W. Johnson [1891] Bible Hub |
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