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Warning Against Greed (12:13–21)
Luke 12:16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. :17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ :18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
The parable of the rich fool illustrates the fact that possessions are not the principal thing in life.
“The bosoms of the poor, the houses of widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever,” said Ambrose.
Luke 12:19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’
Notice his spirit of independence: my barns, my fruits, my goods, my soul. He had the future all planned.
Luke 12:20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
Someone has defined a fool as one whose plans end at the grave.
Luke 12:21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
We might well ask ourselves the question, “If Christ should come today, whose would all my possessions be?”
Luke 12:22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.
One of the great dangers in the Christian life is that the acquisition of food and clothing becomes the first and foremost aim of our existence. We become so occupied with earning money for these things that the work of the Lord is relegated to a secondary place.
The emphasis of the NT is that the cause of Christ should have first place in our lives. Food and clothing should be subordinate.
We should work hard for the supply of our current necessities, then trust God for the future as we plunge ourselves into His service. This is the life of faith.
Luke 12:23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
We are here as ambassadors of the King, and all considerations of personal comfort and appearance must be subordinated to the one glorious task of making Him known.
Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?
Why do we spend our lives building bigger barns and storage bins?
Luke 12:25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? :26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?
“(The expression “his stature” can also be translated “the length of his life”.)
Let’s use all our strength and time serving Christ, and leave the future to Him.
Luke 12:27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luke 12:28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
We prove ourselves to be of little faith when we worry, fret, and rush around in a ceaseless struggle to get more and more material possessions. We waste our lives doing what God would have done for us, if we had only devoted our time and talents more to Him.
Luke 12:29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
How do we deal with Scripture in our society?
Luke 12:30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.
Luke 12:31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Luke 12:32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
The disciples formed a little flock of defenseless sheep, sent out into the midst of an unfriendly world. They had, it is true, no visible means of support or defense. Yet this bedraggled group of young men was destined to inherit the kingdom with Christ. They would one day reign with Him over all the earth.
In view of this, the Lord encouraged them not to fear, because if the Father had such glorious honors in store for them, then they need not worry about the pathway that lay between.
Luke 12:33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.
Instead of accumulating material possessions and planning for time, they can put these possessions to work for the Lord. In this way they would be investing for heaven and for eternity. The ravages of age could not affect their possessions. Heavenly treasures are fully insured against theft and spoilage. The trouble with material wealth is that ordinarily you can’t have it without trusting it.
Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
If we send our money on ahead, then our affections will be weaned from the perishing things of this world.
Parable of the Watchful Servant
Luke 12:35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;
Not only were the disciples to trust the Lord for their needs; they were to live in constant expectancy of His coming again. Their waist was to be girded, and their lamps burning. In eastern lands, a belt was drawn around the waist to hold up the long, flowing garments when a person was about to walk quickly or run. The girded waist speaks of a mission to be accomplished and the burning lamp suggests a testimony to be maintained.
Luke 12:36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
The disciples were to live in moment-by-moment expectation of the Lord’s return, as if He were a man returning from a wedding.
Kelly comments: They should be free from all earthly encumbrances, so that the moment the Lord knocks, according to the figure, they may open to Him immediately—without distraction or having to get ready. Their hearts are waiting for Him, for their Lord; they love Him, they are waiting for Him. He knocks and they open to Him immediately.
The Lord’s story was designed to teach one simple truth, namely, watchfulness for His return.
Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
Hinson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 121). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr., MacDonald, Farstad, Believers Bible; Hinson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2195). Nashville: Thomas Nelson
