Luke 12:22-34Luke: List of Major Bible Charts, Maps, & PicturesJesus' Journey to JerusalemIncreasing ConflictJesus' Blessings and Judgment
Luke 12:22-34
This wisdom of Christ is addressed in detail in the Gospel of Matthew (below). Jesus provides four weighty arguments against anxiety:
(1) Concern for worldly goods is foolish because life itself is more important (Luke 12:23).
(2) God will take care of his own, just as he cares for the birds of the air (Luke 12:24).
(3) Anxiety accomplishes nothing (Luke 12:25-26).
(4) As heirs of the inexhaustible riches of the Kingdom of God, believers should not worry about earthly details (Luke 12:32-34).
In such teaching Jesus calls us to order our priorities correctly and to focus our hearts on the Kingdom (Luke 12:34). See HC 26. Christians are already in the Kingdom, therefore they should concentrate their energies on the interests of that Kingdom.
In Luke 12:33, Jesus says, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor." Central to this verse is the contrast of earthly goods that are perishable and a source of anxiety with the treasures of the Kingdom of God that are a lasting source of peace. Some of Jesus' followers had means (Luke 10:38; John 19:27), and he was not demanding that all his disciples be poor. But they were not to set their hearts on earthly possessions (Luke 12:34).
The reader should note that Luke uses a small chiastic structure (a writing style that uses a unique repetition pattern for clarification and emphasis) through inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Luke 12:30-31 to reemphasize the fact that a Christian shouldn't worry:
A. the nations of the world . . . seek . . . these things (Luke 12:30)
B. your Father knows that you need them (Luke 12:30)
A'. seek . . . his kingdom . . . these things (Luke 1231:)
disciples. The promises given by Jesus in these verses (vv. 22-34) are for those who have put their faith in him. Therefore. The negative example of the parable (vv. 16-21) is the basis for Jesus's teaching about trusting God, not possessions (vv. 13-21). do notworry. The basic theme for this section (vv. 22-34). Jesus used several examples of God's provision for lesser things to show he would surely care for his people.
Luke 12:23
The reason we need not worry (v. 22).
Luke 12:24
ravens. Unclean birds under the law of ancient Israel (Lev. 11:13-15; Deut. 14:11-14). If God cares for them (Ps 147:9; Job 38:41), he will surely care for his people.
Luke 12:25
cubit. Unit of measure equaling about 18 in (46 cm). It could also be symbolic for an hour of time.
Luke 12:27
lilies. An unknown kind of a flower. Perhaps, the purple anemone, which reflected a royal color. Solomon. Ancient Israel's king after David (1 Kgs. 2:10-12). His reign was renowned for its splendor (1 Kgs 10:4-5; 2 Chron. 9:5).
Luke 12:28
oven. When wood was unavailable in ancient Israel, grass was often used to burn in fires.
Luke 12:29
Jesus did not mean it was wrong to work and plan to provide for oneself (see 1 Thess. 4:11-12). Instead, he warned against acting like anxious pagans who continually fret over mundane things. God is a Father who provides for his people's needs.
Luke 12:29
Though some Jews will be shut out from the promised kingdom (v. 28), God will offer salvation to the Gentiles (Acts 11:15-18; see Isa. 59:19; Mal. 1:11; Matt. 28:19-20; Rev. 7:9-10).
Luke 12:30
important. Some Jews expected to be saved because they were part of God's covenant people, Israel (Rom. 9:3-5). However, they did not trust God and would not be saved (Rom. 9:30-33; 11:1-10). least. Gentiles, who were far from God, would be humble and beg God for mercy. Through faith in Christ, they would be saved (Rom. 9:24-29; 11:11-16, 25; 1 Pet. 2:9-10).
Luke 12:31-32
Seeking God's kingdom means looking for the saving reign of God in every area of our own life, but also in the lives of others (11:1-4, 20; 17:21). added. Not strived for, but given by God. If he gives the kingdom, he will surely also meet our everyday physical and spiritual needs (see Rom. 8:29-32).
Luke 12:31
Pharisees. See note on 5:17. Herod. See note on 3:1. leave. Though many Pharisees were antagonistic toward Jesus (6:7; 7:30; 16:14), others followed him (John 19:38-40). Thus, this could have been a sincere warning. Or, it could have been ploy to get him to leave because of his strong teaching (vv. 22-30).
Luke 12:33
Putting treasurein the heavens means spending money, not hoarding it. The Bible is filled with instructions for giving away the money God has entrusted to you: Giving to the poor, giving to the church, giving to support gospel missions. God blesses us with abundance beyond what we need so we can alleviate the spiritual and physical misery of others. Work to provide for ourselves and our families, but also to have in order to give to others—this is the pattern both Luke and Paul outline (cf. Eph 4:28).
Luke 12:34
The way to get your heart set on the right things is to treasure the right things. When you treasure God above all else, then everything else will be held with a loose grip (5:11, 28). It's easy to be generous when God is your treasure.
