Luke 12

Luke 12:6

This is a work of that providence of his that attendeth and watcheth over the smallest things in the world; the vilest sparrow or bird of the air, in every motion of it, is within the reach of God’s care.

Luke 12:7

And agreeably to that particular providence of his, which extendeth to every event, you may resolve of yourselves that God hath a most particular providence over all that belongs to his servants. This will fortify you against all fear, whatsoever your dangers are: for sure there is more value set on you, and care taken for your preservation, than there is over all the sparrows that are in the world.

Luke 12:8

And this encouragement you have, that your fearless confession of Christ and his truth shall be rewarded with his owning you in the day of judgment (which sure is more to your advantage than any thing you can acquire by compliance with the world).

Luke 12:9

Whereas the contrary fear, or cowardice, or falling off from your duty, shall cause Christ to disclaim you when you have most need of him.

Luke 12:10

Here are added by St. Luke words spoken by Christ on another occasion, Matt. xii. 32, and seem to be applied by him to the aggravation of the sin of the Pharisees, on occasion of whom this whole passage from ver. 1. was delivered; that they that by the meanness of Christ’s human appearance are tempted to deny him to be the Messias, and do accordingly oppose him, may have some place for pardon, and be in some degree excusable; but they that attribute his works of power (his miracles done visibly by the finger of God) to the working of the devil in him, there is no place of excuse and mercy for them, if they do not, upon the resurrection of Christ, and the apostles’ preaching it to them, return and repent, and effectually receive Christ.

Luke 12:11

This being said of them as in a parenthesis, he returns to other passages of that speech of Christ’s, Matt. x. 9, When they bring you before consistories, (see note [d] Matt. vi., and note [b] James ii.)

Luke 12:12

See Mark xiii. 11.

b Sir, there is a controversy between my brother and me about the dividing our patrimony; I desire to avoid the delays of a suit at law, and to do as it is ordinary, refer it to arbitration, and who so fit as you our Master to conclude it between us your disciples and followers?

Luke 12:14

But he (knowing what had happened to Moses when he would have made peace among the Jews, Exod. ii. 14, Who made thee a prince or a judge over us?) gave them an answer which the evangelist sets down in the same words wherein the Greek rendered the Hebrew there, that is, I will not be liable to such objections from men as were then ungratefully made against Moses, I will not meddle with your matters of interest, wherein he that is not awarded what he desires will think himself unjustly dealt with.

Luke 12:15

All that I shall say to you is, That the desire of wealth, the labour to increase your own by lessening another man’s possessions, the not being content with what you have, is a sin of great danger, diligently to be avoided, and indeed that which doth no man any good. For though possessions are useful to sustain life, yet no man is able to prolong his life, or to make it any thing more happy or comfortable to him, by possessing more than he needs or uses, that is, by any superfluity of wealth. The only way to be the better for the wealth of the world is to dispose and distribute it to the service of God, and benefit and comfort of others, ver. 21.

Luke 12:16

To which purpose Christ spake and applied the parable following, The ground—

Luke 12:17

And he contrived and cast within himself in his thoughts what he should do with all that plenty which was so much greater than his barns could hold.

18, 19. And his resolution was, that he would pull down his barns and build bigger, and lay up all in them, (never thinking of giving others any of that which he knew not what to do with,) and then he should be an happy man, have wealth enough for many years plentiful, voluptuous, festival living, pleasing himself and entertaining others.

Luke 12:21

This is directly the case of any man that makes no use of his increase and plenty, save only to possess it and provide for himself by it, never thinking of employing that which he hath to spare to the relieving the poor, or otherwise to the service of God.

Luke 12:22

To which purpose of trusting God’s providence, in opposition to covetousness, is that which Christ said at another time, Matt. vi. 25, Take no thought—

Luke 12:32

Entertain no solicitudes for such things as these; for your Father, which destined you to an everlasting kingdom, will not fail to allow you your portion here of those things that are useful for you.

Luke 12:35

Be ye as servants attending their master’s business, ready whensoever he commands them any thing, or hath any business for them.

[b] girded about] Beside the general use of girding for putting on clothes, frequent in these books; as John xxi. 7, διεξώσατο ἐπενδύτην, he girt on his upper garment; and ver. 18, thou didst gird thyself, that is, dress or clothe thyself at thine own will; (and from hence, in a sense somewhat varied, in the end of the same verse, another shall gird thee, that is, bind thee as a prisoner or captive; as I conceive it also is, Job xii. 18, where girding is set opposite to loosing of bonds;) three sorts of men there are in these books which are proverbially said to be girt: first, the Jewish priests, Lev. xvi. 4, who had a linen girdle; and the high priest one embroidered with gold, &c., Exod. xxxix 5; after whose example the Son of man is brought in, Rev. i. 13, ἐνδεδυμένος ποδήρη, καὶ περιεζωσμένος πρὸς τοῖς μαστοῖς ζώνην χρυσῆν, clothed in a long garment, and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle; and so the seven angels, Rev. xv. 6. Secondly, soldiers, whose military girdle was so special a part of their armour, that in Homer ζώνη signifies the whole military ὁπλισμὸς, armature; and ζώννυσθαι, to be girt, is ὁπλίξεσθαι, to be armed, saith Eustathius in Iliad. β’ and λ’; and Suidas in like manner, that ζώννυσθαι, to be girt, is καθοπλίξεσθαι, to be armed. Hence is it that discincti, “ungirt,” signifies the unarmed; and 2 Kings iii. 21, where we read, as

n P. 806 E.

Luke 12:36

Like the attendants on a bridegroom, (who whensoever he comes from the marriage feast to the chamber comes hastily, and is not patient of any delays,) always ready to answer at the first knock. 37, 38. As in that case it is a great happiness for a servant to be found ready, because by that means he may attend his master, (whereas if at that minute he be out of the way he utterly loses him,) and as a reward of that diligence the bridegroom will entertain his servants, set them down, and wait upon them himself; so is it a blessed thing to be found employed as Christ would have us, whensoever he comes to call on us; and in order to that, to be always ready, not to fall off from him in the least manner.

Luke 12:39

And as Christ’s coming will be to the rewarding of all faithful servants, persevering believers, so will it be to destroy all lethargic stupid impenitents, who by their own negligence lie open to all that vengeance that thus lights on them.

Luke 12:40

And therefore to avoid that danger also it concerns all to be perpetually upon their guard, because this coming of Christ to visit and punish is like to be sudden, but the time uncertain. See Matt. xxiv. 43. ‘peculiarly to us thy constant attendants, or to all Christians? The parable doth in several degrees belong to every Christian, who hath some trust committed to him by Christ, and must be very careful to discharge it (see Matt. xxiv. 45); to you as stewards here, to all Christians as servants, ver. 43; and no man’s trust is so mean that diligence in it shall not be rewardable. But to them again, with some difference, as they have received more or less of divine revelation, immediately or mediately ver. 47.

Luke 12:44

And be he never so meanly employed, God will reward his trustiness and diligence with committing to him the greatest trusts, see Matt. xxiv. 47, the greatest office of dignity in the church. and upon that consideration abuse that trust and power reposed in him as a steward, deal injuriously with those that are under his rule, and spend his master’s goods riotously and luxuriously. with the untrusty false stewards, the unbelieving Jews, which have not reformed upon all Christ’s preaching unto them. 47, 48. According to the degree of knowledge which God hath afforded, so shall their crimes receive aggravation of guilt and increase of punishment. And the more light and grace he bestows on any, the greater and the more Christian performances will he require of them.

Luke 12:49

It is to be expected, as a consequent of my coming into the world, that persecution should attend, Matt. x. 34, and this will be a means of exploring and trying who are faithful, and who are not: and therefore I am so far from wishing this otherwise, that I rather desire that it were already kindled or begun.

[c] what will I] The particle εἰ, which is ordinarily rendered if, is oft an optative, or expression of wish or desire. So ch. xix. 42, εἰ ἔγνως, if thou knewest, for O that thou knewest. So ch. xxii. 42, εἰ βούλει, if thou wilt, for O that thou wouldest. So Num. xxii. 29. Joshua vii. 7. Job xvi. 14; and so in Moses’s speech to God, Lord, if thou wilt forgive them. And this most clearly from the various use of the Hebrew ל֔וֹא or ל֖וֹ, which signifies both si and utinam, “if,” and “would to God.” And thus may it be here, εἰ ἤδη ἀνήφθη, O that it were already kindled; and then the latter part will be an answer to the question proposed in the former, thus, Τί θέλω, What do I desire? Beyond all things that it were already kindled. Another way of rendering the words will bear, What do I desire if it were already kindled? that is, I desire no more but this; or again, by rendering the τί as if it were πῶς, How do I desire that it were already kindled! But as all these come to the same sense, so the former seems the more easy and natural, unless we prefer that other reading which we find in Marcus Eremita P De Baptis.,

° Caten. p. 255. P. 923 D.

Luke 12:50

But I am to bear the first part of it, to be immersed in afflictions, Matt. xx. 22. Till this come to be accomplished upon me I am in some straits, terified, like a woman with child, with the apprehension of the pangs approaching, Matt. xxvi. 39, but very willing to be delivered, to do and suffer that whereunto I was sent. 51—53. Soon after my departing, great divisions and feuds will break out concerning me, the whole land shall be divided into factions and civil broils, Matt. x. 34, and xxiv. 7. ᵇ Many ways you have of presaging what weather it will be, which seldom fail you, as, when ye see a cloud— ᵇ am to be baptized with a baptism.

Luke 12:53

[f] provoke] Ἀποστοματίζειν, in ordinary Greek, is to recite without book, as a scholar doth a lesson, ἀπὸ μνήμης λέγειν, saith Suidas and Phavorinus. And accordingly the place in Hesychius must be corrected, instead of ἀποστομίζειν, ἀποστοματίζειν. But here, by an Hebraism of using the active voice in the sense of the Hebrew k hiphil, it signifies to make recite, and belongs to the master, or him that hears the other say his lesson. So saith Suidas, the word is used ὅτιν διδάσκαλος κελεύει τὸν παῖδα λέγειν ἄττα ἀπὸ στόματος, “when a master bids a boy say or recite;” and Hesychius, ἀπὸ μνήμης ἀξιοῦν λέγειν, “to require one to say by heart;” as Julius Pollux of the passive, ἀποστοματίζεσθαι, ἐρωτᾶσθαι τὰ μαθήματα, “to be asked or required an account of what he hath learnt.” Agreeably to this did they here ask Christ questions, and pose him, to hear what he could or would say, as an angry schoolmaster, that seeks occasion of severity against a scholar. Theophylact expounds it by πυκνῶς ἐρωτάω, and ἄλλα καὶ ἄλλα ἐρωτῶ, and παγιδεύω, “asking often one question after another, insnaring.”