Luke 12

Lu 12:1-12.

WARNING AGAINST

HYPOCRISY.

1-3. meantime--in close connection, probably, with the foregoing scene.

Our Lord had been speaking out more plainly than ever before, as

matters were coming to a head between Him and His enemies, and this

seems to have suggested to His own mind the warning here. He had just

Himself illustriously exemplified His own precepts.

his disciples first of all--afterwards to "the multitudes"

(Lu 12:54).

covered--from the view.

2. hid--from knowledge. "Tis no use concealing anything, for all will

one day come out. Give free and fearless utterance then to all the

truth." (Compare

1Co 4:3, 5).

4, 5. I say, &c.--You will say, That may cost us our life. Be it so;

but, "My friends, there their power ends." He calls them "my friends"

here, not in any loose sense, but, as we think, from the feeling He then

had that in this "killing of the body" He and they were going to be

affectingly one with each other.

5. Fear Him . . . Fear Him--how striking the repetition here!

Only the one fear would effectually expel the other.

after he hath killed, &c.--Learn here--(1) To play false with

one's convictions to save one's life, may fail of its end after all,

for God can inflict a violent death in some other and equally

formidable way. (2) There is a hell, it seems, for the body as

well as the soul; consequently, sufferings adapted to the one as well

as the other. (3) Fear of hell is a divinely authorized and

needed motive of action even to Christ's "friends." (4) As Christ's

meekness and gentleness were not compromised by such harsh notes as

these, so those servants of Christ lack their Master's spirit who

soften down all such language to please ears "polite." (See on

Mr 9:43-48).

6, 7. five . . . for two farthings--In

Mt 10:29

it is "two for one farthing"; so if one took two farthings' worth, he

got one in addition--of such small value were they.

than many sparrows--not "than millions of sparrows"; the charm and

power of our Lord's teaching is very much in this simplicity.

8, 9. confess . . . deny--The point lies in doing it

"before men," because one has to do it "despising the shame."

But when done, the Lord holds Himself bound to repay it in kind

Lu 9:26.

10. Son of man . . . Holy Ghost--(See on

Mt 12:31, 32).

Lu 12:13-53.

COVETOUSNESS--WATCHFULNESS--SUPERIORITY TO

EARTHLY

TIES.

13. Master, &c.--that is, "Great Preacher of righteousness, help;

there is need of Thee in this rapacious world; here am I the victim of

injustice, and that from my own brother, who withholds from me my

rightful share of the inheritance that has fallen to us." In this most

inopportune intrusion upon the solemnities of our Lord's teaching, there

is a mixture of the absurd and the irreverent, the one, however,

occasioning the other. The man had not the least idea that his case was

not of as urgent a nature, and as worthy the attention of our Lord, as

anything else He could deal with.

14. Man, &c.--Contrast this style of address with "my friends,"

(Lu 12:4).

who, &c.--a question literally repudiating the office which Moses

assumed

(Ex 2:14).

The influence of religious teachers in the external relations of

life has ever been immense, when only the INDIRECT effect of their teaching; but whenever they

intermeddle DIRECTLY with secular and

political matters, the spell of that influence is broken.

15. unto them--the multitude around Him

(Lu 12:1).

of covetousness--The best copies have "all," that is, "every kind of

covetousness"; because as this was one of the more plausible forms of

it, so He would strike at once at the root of the evil.

a man's life, &c.--a singularly weighty maxim, and not less so

because its meaning and its truth are equally evident.

16-19. a certain rich man, &c.--Why is this man called a "fool?"

(Lu 12:20)

(1) Because he deemed a life of secure and abundant earthly enjoyment

the summit of human felicity. (2) Because, possessing the means of

this, through prosperity in his calling, he flattered himself that he

had a long lease of such enjoyment, and nothing to do but give himself

up to it. Nothing else is laid to his charge.

20, 21. this night, &c.--This sudden cutting short of his career is

designed to express not only the folly of building securely upon the

future, but of throwing one's whole soul into what may at any moment be

gone. "Thy soul shall be required of thee" is put in opposition to

his own treatment of it, "I will say to my soul, Soul," &c.

whose shall those things be, &c.--Compare

Ps 39:6,

"He heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather

them."

21. So is he, &c.--Such is a picture of his folly here,

and of its awful issue.

and is not rich toward God--lives to amass and enjoy riches

which terminate on self, but as to the riches of God's favor,

which is life

(Ps 30:5),

of "precious" faith

(2Pe 1:1;

Jas 2:5),

of good works

(1Ti 6:18),

of wisdom which is better than rubies

(Pr 8:11)

--lives and dies a beggar!

22-31. (See on

Mt 6:25-33).

25, 26. which of you, &c.--Corroding solicitude will not bring you the

least of the things ye fret about, though it may double the evil of

wanting them. And if not the least, why vex yourselves about things of

more consequence?

29. of doubtful, &c.--unsettled mind; put off your balance.

32. little flock, &c.--How sublime and touching a contrast between

this tender and pitying appellation, "Little flock" (in the original a

double diminutive, which in German can be expressed, but not in

English)--and the "good pleasure" of the Father to give them the

Kingdom; the one recalling the insignificance and helplessness of that

then literal handful of disciples, the other holding up to their view

the eternal love that encircled them, the everlasting arms that were

underneath them, and the high inheritance awaiting them!--"the kingdom";

grand word; then why not "bread"

(Lu 12:31

[BENGEL]). Well might He say, "Fear not!"

33, 34. Sell, &c.--This is but a more vivid expression of

Mt 6:19-21

(see on

Mt 6:19-21).

35-40. loins . . . girded--to fasten up the long outer garment, always

done before travel and work

(2Ki 4:29;

Ac 12:8).

The meaning is, Be in readiness.

lights, &c.--(See on

Mt 25:1).

36. return from the wedding--not come to it, as in the parable of

the virgins. Both have their spiritual significance; but

preparedness for Christ's coming is the prominent idea.

37. gird himself, &c.--"a promise the most august of all: Thus will

the Bridegroom entertain his friends (nay, servants) on the solemn

Nuptial Day" [BENGEL].

38. second . . . third watch--To find them ready to receive Him at any

hour of day or night, when one might least of all expect Him, is

peculiarly blessed. A servant may be truly faithful, even though taken

so far unawares that he has not everything in such order and

readiness for his master's return as he thinks is due to him, and both

could and would have had if he had had notice of the time of his coming,

and so may not be willing to open to him "immediately," but fly to

preparation, and let his master knock again ere he admit him, and even

then not with full joy. A too common case this with Christians. But

if the servant have himself and all under his charge in such a state

that at any hour when his master knocks, he can open to him

"immediately," and hail his "return"--that is the most enviable,

"blessed" servant of all.

41-48. unto us or even to all?--us the Twelve, or all this vast

audience?

42. Who then, &c.--answering the question indirectly by another

question, from which they were left to gather what it would be:--To you

certainly in the first instance, representing the "stewards" of the

"household" I am about to collect, but generally to all "servants" in My

house.

faithful and wise--Fidelity is the first requisite in a servant,

wisdom (discretion and judgment in the exercise of his functions),

the next.

steward--house steward, whose it was to distribute to the servants

their allotted portion of food.

shall make--will deem fit to be made.

44. make him ruler over all he hath--will advance him to the

highest post, referring to the world to come. (See

Mt 25:21, 23).

45. begin to beat, &c.--In the confidence that his Lord's return will

not be speedy, he throws off the role of servant and plays the master,

maltreating those faithful servants who refuse to join him, seizing on

and revelling in the fulness of his master's board; intending, when he

has got his fill, to resume the mask of fidelity ere his master appear.

46. cut him in sunder--a punishment not unknown in the East; compare

Heb 11:37,

"sawn asunder"

(1Sa 15:33;

Da 2:5).

the unbelievers--the unfaithful, those unworthy of trust

(Mt 24:51),

"the hypocrites," falsely calling themselves "servants."

48. knew not--that is knew but partially; for some knowledge

is presupposed both in the name "servant" of Christ, and his being

liable to punishment at all.

many . . . few stripes--degrees of future punishment proportioned to

the knowledge sinned against. Even heathens are not without knowledge

enough for future judgment; but the reference here is not to such. It is

a solemn truth, and though general, like all other revelations of

the future world, discloses a tangible and momentous principle in its

awards.

49-53. to send--cast.

fire--"the higher spiritual element of life which Jesus came to

introduce into this earth (compare

Mt 3:11),

with reference to its mighty effects in quickening all that is akin to

it and destroying all that is opposed. To cause this element of

life to take up its abode on earth, and wholly to pervade human hearts

with its warmth, was the lofty destiny of the Redeemer" [OLSHAUSEN: so CALVIN, STIER, ALFORD, &c.].

what will I, &c.--an obscure expression, uttered under deep and

half-smothered emotion. In its general import all are agreed; but the

nearest to the precise meaning seems to be, "And what should I have to

desire if it were once already kindled?" [BENGEL and

BLOOMFIELD].

50. But . . . a baptism, &c.--clearly, His own bloody baptism, first

to take place.

how . . . straitened--not, "how do I long for its accomplishment,"

as many understand it, thus making it but a repetition of

Lu 12:49;

but "what a pressure of spirit is upon Me."

till it be accomplished--till it be over. Before a promiscuous

audience, such obscure language was fit on a theme like this; but oh,

what surges of mysterious emotion in the view of what was now so near at

hand does it reveal!

51. peace . . . ? Nay, &c.--the reverse of peace,

in the first instance. (See on

Mt 10:34-36.)

The connection of all this with the foregoing warnings about hypocrisy,

covetousness, and watchfulness, is deeply solemn: "My conflict hasten

apace; Mine over, yours begins; and then, let the servants tread in

their Master's steps, uttering their testimony entire and fearless,

neither loving nor dreading the world, anticipating awful wrenches of

the dearest ties in life, but looking forward, as I do, to the

completion of their testimony, when, reaching the haven after the

tempest, they shall enter into the joy of their Lord."

Lu 12:54-59.

NOT

DISCERNING THE

SIGNS OF THE

TIME.

54. to the people--"the multitude," a word of special warning to

the thoughtless crowd, before dismissing them. (See on

Mt 16:2, 3).

56. how . . . not discern, &c.--unable to perceive what a critical

period that was for the Jewish Church.

57. why even of yourselves, &c.--They might say, To do this requires

more knowledge of Scripture and providence than we possess; but He sends

them to their own conscience, as enough to show them who He was, and win

them to immediate discipleship.

58. When thou goest, &c.--(See on

Mt 5:25, 26).

The urgency of the case with them, and the necessity, for their own

safety, of immediate decision, was the object of these striking

words.