Luke

12:22-34

The teachings of Messiah, 9:51-19:44

2. The kingdom and power, 11:1-12:34

vi] Goals in life - to have or to live. 12:13-34

b) Care about earthly things

The parable of the rich fool forms part of the sixth episode in a set of episodes which deal with the kingdom and power, 11:1-12:34. This particular episode examines the goals of life and makes the point that authentic life consists of a great deal more than what we own, 12:13-34. The request for Jesus to judge an inheritance matter leads him to warn two warring brothers of the danger of avarice, v15a. Jesus then supports this warning with a saying which makes the point that living is not possessing, v15b, which fact he illustrates in the parable of the Rich Fool, v16-21. The subject is further explored in a number of sayings, v22-34. In these sayings, Jesus reminds his disciples not to be preoccupied with the things of this world, rather they should focus on the kingdom of God and live a life that reflects this focus.

Luke has neatly stitched together this group of sayings, sourced from the gospel tradition of Jesus, linking them together with a common theme, namely an anxious preoccupation with life in the here and now. He begins with an extended saying found also in Matthew 6:25-33. In this saying the inclination toward anxious preoccupation is developed in the two areas of food and clothing, v22-28, and applied in v29-31. Luke then adds an independent saying stitched to v31 by the common word "kingdom", v32, and then follows up with sayings on true wealth, v33-34.

Evans offers a useful thematic summary. "Do not be anxious about the means of existence; behind these is that about which to be anxious, viz. God and his kingdom; birds and flowers show by their lack of anxiety that God is completely reliable; so there is a sustaining and clothing by God which is certain, and which banishes anxiety; do not seek for things in themselves, but seek the kingdom which brings all else with it."

One of the more difficult problems we face in this passage is what seems, on the surface at least, to be a promise from God to supply our daily needs; "strive for his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well", v31. As Bock puts it, "God promises to provide basic needs for his disciples." Matthew 6:32 is handled in a similar way by most conservative commentators. The problem is that experience denies that God supports a form of divine rice-bowel Christianity. The evidence is that Christians suffer starvation and want along with their secular neighbors.

Yet, this is not the only passage that seems to promote this interesting idea. In Luke 18:18-30 (Matt.19:16-29, Mk.10:17-30) Jesus reminds his disciples that what they have given up for the kingdom is replaced, and more (although with "persecutions"), "and in the age to come, eternal life." Is Jesus being serious here? So, does the preacher have the right to tell his congregation that what they put in the plate will be multiplied in return?

What of the promised reward for kingdom' sacrifice, a reward of a "hundred times as much" as sacrificed, cf. Matt.19:29? Surely the imagery here is more theological than literal. The kingdom community transcends whatever loss we may have suffered.

The Lord's Prayer, "give us today our daily bread", is another possible support for the idea that God supplies his children with their daily needs. The Lord's Prayer is a list of prayer points which are according to the will of God. Therefore, when we ask for "bread" it will be supplied. Of course, the obvious question we mast ask is, what is the "bread"? Commentators are all over the place on this one, but again, many argue for the daily provision of our needs.

So then, how do we handle the promise that "these things will be given to you as well, v31?

i] It is unlikely that we have a promise here for the daily provision of our needs. Propositional truth aligns with experience and experience tells us that the promise obviously references something other than our daily needs.

ii] It certainly may be eschatological, the promised blessings of the coming kingdom, tasted now, realized then, fulfilling all our needs, replacing anxiety with joy.

iii] It is quite possibly that the promise is for the provision of resources for the journey of God's people to the promised land. The temptation story encapsulates this teaching. Here we read of Jesus, tempted to doubt God's provision for his own "exodus". For those who seek the kingdom, God will provide all that is necessary to fulfill their journey - manna from heaven. The Father knows what we need, and he will supply it. So, we must not be preoccupied with the stuff of this age as though it can assure our security in the journey, but rather we should press forward, looking to God's provision in the journey and the kingdom's wide open doors at journey's end. And what is that provision? It can be anything and everything, but nearly always totally unexpected. God's manna from heaven is not easily defined. It can be anything from the right word at the right moment to being in the right place at the right time. God's supply for our discipleship journey is indefinable. Yes, it may be a crust of bread at a particular moment in time. For a friend of mine it was a pair of shoes. For me it was always having enough seats in the bus for all the young people who turned up for the youth club outing. This little "miracle" so amazed us that we ended up giving Jesus the official title of "Transport Officer." So, the promise may be for the provision of resources in the way.

"The security that many look for in possessions is to be found only in God. .... One should not deal with anxiety by pursuing possessions; rather one should trust God to meet needs", Bock, v22-31. What "needs"? See above.

eipen de "Jesus said" - but he said [to the disciples]. The conjunction is contrastive. Jesus was speaking to the crowds, in parables as usual, but now he spoke privately to his disciples.

dia touto "therefore" - because of this, on this basis. The question is, what basis? Is Jesus developing his words from 12:11-12, or the parable punch-line, v21. Obviously it's the punch line. Jesus sets out to show that a person's security can never lie with their possession, but rather, only with God.

merimnate (merimnaw) imp. "do not worry" - do not be anxious, worry, fret. Jeremias, Parables, argues that the sense is "to put forth effort" = "seek", so don't seek the things of the world but rather the kingdom of God, but the sense is more likely "unduly concerned" = "anxious". Possibly in the sense of preoccupied about the affairs of life, rather than anxious about them, given that some concern for our material welfare is necessary for survival.

th/ yuch/ (h) dat. "about your life" - the soul, inner life. Dative of reference: what not to worry about. This is an interesting choice of word for our being / person / life... since it clearly mirrors what we should be preoccupied about, namely, being spiritually alive for eternity.

gar "-" - for. This conjunction indicates that Jesus is now giving a reason why we should not be preoccupied with our physical security. The reason is, there is more to life than the everyday stuff of living.

yuch (h) "life" - soul, life. "Neither physical life nor spiritual life, but rather humanly meaningful and satisfying life", Nolland, although possibly "life in the kingdom of God", Evans.

pleion adj. comp. "more" - much, many. This adjective functions as a substantive here. Life is obviously more than nourishment, but like the Rich Fool it is possible to see life secured by material possessions.

katonohsate (katonoew) imp. "consider" - take not of, notice.

touV korakaV "the ravens" - crows. As unclean birds the point is, God feeds even unclean ravens.

oJti "-" - that. Introducing a dependent statement of perception / object clause, expressing what should be considered.

oi|V "-" - to whom [there is not a storeroom or a barn]. "They have no storehouse or barn", Barclay.

kai "yet [God feeds them]" - and. The conjunction here is concessive, ie. it introduces a concession, "and yet", "although".

posw (oV h on) pro. "how much [more]" - how much more [are you worth than birds]. An interrogative substantive pronoun of quantity with the dative of advantage/interest. The object uJmeiV, "you", is obviously the disciples who even above humanity in general are objects of divine care due to their relationship with the kingdom. The lesson is not that we take no precautions for our security, given that God will feed us with much more than he feeds the ravens. What we have here is a "how much more" lesson. Given that God cares even for the ravens, "how much more" profound are his benefits toward us, benefits which transcends mere food. These benefits, primarily the now/not yet blessings of the kingdom, should be pursued and enjoyed. A Francis type interpretation of these benefits is not helpful, even though Francis was a wonderful example of simple living. See above.

thcun "a single hour" - a cubit = 46cm. Possibly of adding length to the body, but unlikely. So, used of a short span of time, an hour.

thn hJlikian "life" - span of life, age / stature. Biblical use of this word usually references stature, but surely age / life-span is intended here. A preoccupation with things like food and clothing can't add an hour to our life. Obviously, we need to be preoccupied with gaining eternal life; "can worry make you live longer?" CEV. None-the-less, given the context and its focus on food, the point might be proverbial, namely that growth is dependent on nourishment rather than anxious thought; "who grows by worrying about his hight?", Danker.

ei + ind. "since" - if. A first-class conditional sentence stating the given, "if, as is the case, ..... then ....". If we can't do the little, then we obviously can't do the much. If a preoccupation with food achieves little, why be preoccupied with all the other stuff of existence, primarily the business of discipleship, given that it is beyond our control? "If you can't do a little thing like that, why worry about the rest of your life?" Barclay.

katanohsate (katanoew) aor. imp. "Consider" - consider, understand. "Carefully fix your minds on", Hendriksen.

ou kopia/ oude nhqei "they do not labor or spin" - it does not labor or spin. The phrase refers to human industry and helps make the point that we can be totally preoccupied with design and production and still not exceed the wonders of nature.

periebaleto (periballw) aor. mid. "was dressed" - clothed himself. Probably best translated as a past event. Even Solomon's beauty can't surpass the natural beauty of one flower.

ei "if" - Forming a first-class conditional sentence where the condition is assumed to be true, "if, as is the case, .... then ..... The verb "will he clothe" must be supplied for the apodosis. God does clothe the fields with grass, insignificant as it is, so he will clothe his children.

amfiezei (amfiezw) pres. "clothes [the grass of the field]" - "If God so attires the grass that is in the field", Berkeley.

onta (eimi) pres. part. "which is here [today]" - being. The participle, as with ballomenon, "being thrown, is adjectival limiting "the grass", as NIV.

ballomenon (ballw) pres. pas. part. "is thrown [into the fire]" - being thrown. Illustrating the insignificance of the grass which is gathered and bundled for kitchen fuel.

posw/ mallon "how much more" - how much more. An interrogative substantive pronoun of quantity with the dative of advantage/interest. The verb "will he clothe" is understood and so there are other possibilities, eg. "will he beautify", "will he care for." God will not just clothe his children as he clothes the fields, rather it is again a "how much more" picture. Jesus probably has in mind an eternal spiritual divine clothing, which is why we shouldn't be preoccupied with what we actually wear now.

okigopistoi (oV) "little faith" - Matthew uses this word a number of times, but Luke uses it only here. Many commentators suggest that this is a rebuke against those disciples who are anxious for their daily needs and should know to trust God for them. The trouble is, as already noted, Jesus has never promised to supply our daily needs, therefore, a faith in God's daily provision is misplaced. Faith is a reliance on the revealed will of God. Probably approach [ii] above works best here. God has promised an eternal home in glory to those who hold onto Jesus. A reliance on this truth, the "how much more" God has planned for us, quickly dispels any preoccupation with the fading images of this shadow land. Those of little faith are those who believe that life consists in the "abundance of possessions."

In this verse Jesus repeats his exhortation.

zhteite (zhtew) imp. "do [not] set your heart on" - do [not] seek. "Do not be intent on / be preoccupied with."

metewrizesqe (metewrizomai) pres. imp. "do [not] worry about it" - The word is a hapax legomenon, ie. a once only use in the Bible. It means to be "lifted up", "puffed up", so here the sense of "get worked up over", or, as previously noted, "be completely preoccupied with."

gar "for" - Expressing cause/reason. Here serving to introduce a clause explaining why the disciples should not be preoccupied with the world; because it is the preoccupation of secular society.

ta eqnh tou kosmou "the pagan world" - nations of the world. Secular society

epizhtousin (epizhtew) pres.. "runs after" - continues to strive after

tauta gar tanta "all such things" - all these things. The pronoun here functions as a substantive. The clause may read "for these things all the nations of the world strive after", if "all" is taken with "nations, but "these things" must surely refer to "what you will eat and drink", ie. all that maintains security.

oiden (oida) perf. "[and your Father] knows [that you need them]" - [but of you the Father] has known. This verb means "to have a necessary need of." The clause is similar to Matthew except that Luke drops "heavenly" and "all".

oJti "that" - that. Here forming an object clause / dependent statement of perception expressing what the Father knows.

toutwn "them" - these things. Substantive. The "them" presumably refers to the same "these things" at the beginning of the sentence, namely "what you will eat and drink."

The intention of Jesus' words here is matter of some dispute. His argument to this point may simply serve to establish the observable truth that the created order generally functions for our good, as it does for the birds. So at this point, Jesus may just be saying that a disciple's focus needs to be on eternal verities, rather than the next meal. None-the-less, option [ii] and/or [iii] above may be the intended sense. Option [i] is less likely, but the promise may be understood in the terms expressed by Junkins below.

plhn "but" - only, nevertheless, instead. Matthew has "first". The conjunction functions here as an adversive. Secular society chases after this world's things to maintain security, "but" believers should seek after the kingdom, for a disciple's security is found in eternal things.

zhteite (zhtew) pres. imp. "seek" - continue to pursue/seek [his kingdom]. The present tense gives the sense of ongoing habit. The meaning is vague: seek it out, seek to enter, seek to align with, seek to work for... By stitching the independent saying found in v32, Luke shapes the meaning in the terms of "seek the gift of the kingdom", "seek to possess", or even possibly, "seek to possess the blessings of the kingdom." So, "seek eternal life." Note, this verse, quoted by both Luke and Matthew, is the only reference in the synoptics to the kingdom being the object of a search. Note also it is "His kingdom", ie. "The Father's kingdom", although a variant "kingdom of God" exists.

thn basileian (a) "the kingdom" - Given the context we may define the kingdom as the realm of God's gracious care.

tauta "these things" - Again obviously referring to the "what you will eat or drink."

prosteqhsetai (prostiqhmi) fut. "will be given to you as well" - will be given to you. "It is far more important that you spend all your energy in search of the Kingdom of God, and let Him provide a way for you to acquire the few material things that you really need", Junkins.

Maintaining the theme of anxiety over the means of existence Luke adds some extra sayings of Jesus. In the first saying, v32, we are reminded that the uncertainties of life can easily drive fear promoting a state of anxiety, but it must be remembered that "God cares for his people as a shepherd for the flock", Green, cf. Ezk.34.

mh fobou (fobew) imp. "do not be afraid" - fear, worry. Fear brought on by the vulnerable nature of the "little flock."

to mikron poimnion "little flock" - Imaging the remnant of Israel, a diminutive people.

oJti "for" - Expressing cause/reason. Given that the Father has willed to shower us with kingdom blessings, there is no need to fear.

eudokhsen (eudokew) aor. "has been pleased" - was well pleased. The tense seems to imply that the kingdom has already been given. It certainly has in Jesus and will be given in the day of glory, ie. the kingdom is a now/not yet reality. Yet, the sense here is probably "resolved", so "the Father has determined to give you the kingdom."

dounai (didwmi) aor. inf. "to give" - The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "was well pleased with / approved of". The kingdom is given as a gift rather than worked for.

This saying of Jesus, v33-34, is similar to the saying used by Matthew in 6:19:21. With anxiety/fear dispelled in the confidence that God is the provider of his people, the disciple is encouraged to practice "disencumberment and generous dispersal to the needy", Nolland.

pwlhsate (pwlew) imp. "sell" - Dispose of property, or provide services in exchange for money or other valuable considerations*.

ta uJparconta (uJparcw) pres. part. "possessions" - the things being possessed. The participle is used as a substantive, literally "that which is at one's disposal."

dote (didwmi) imp. "give [to the poor]" - give [alms (acts of mercy)]. The aorist tense expresses decisive action, while the wording of the sentence itself is, unlike Matthew, non-figurative. This exhortation to alms-giving exceeds the norm in that the giving is not just out of our abundance, but is the abundance/capital itself. It is highly unlikely that Jesus expects a literal compliance and it is not helpful when commentators, who are most often themselves owners of property, suggest that he does, cf. W. Pilgrim, Good News to the Poor: Wealth and Poverty in Luke-Acts. What we have here is another example of Jesus setting before us ideals to aim at. The kingdom age has dawned and God's remnant people are even now pressing along the way to a promised glory. Given the eternal provision that awaits us and the promised wherewithal for the journey, we have no reason to be overly protective of our capital. We are therefore free to use our resources for the kingdom. This then is the ideal, an ideal actually lived out in the Jerusalem church by some members and possibly the reason for the poverty of the church. Yet, as Peter reminded Ananias and Sapphira, the ideal is not a law, not even an expectation, but a goal to aim at. We are to press toward it, as best we can, without making our own lives and the lives of our family, a total misery.

poihsate (poiew) aor. imp. "provide [purses for yourselves]" - make/do [yourselves money-bags / treasure-sacks]. The imagery is of making a treasure-bag that is subject to deterioration and theft, as compared to a permanent treasure-box in heaven which is not subject to deterioration and theft, ie. creating something that is permanent as compared to something that is impermanent. The problem with this imperative is that it is often linked with the giving of alms, when it is more likely linked to the gift of the kingdom, v32. We provide for ourselves an eternal treasure when we accept the gift of the kingdom. As a consequence, it is illogical to be overly focused on earthly treasure when we possess an eternal one.

mh palaioumena (palaiow) pres. pas. part. "that will not wear out" - not becoming old, wearing out, decaying. The participle is adjectival, limiting "purses".

qhsauron (oV) "a treasure [in heaven that will not be exhausted]" - an [inexhaustible] treasure-box [in heaven]. Any secure receptacle, but obviously here a "treasure-box" is best. What actually is the treasure? Certainly the promised blessings of the kingdom, possibly God's good pleasure, the "well done thou good and faithful servant", although really only Jesus receives this commendation, a commendation we receive due to our association with him. The notion of heavenly reward for deeds done on earth is fraught with danger, since it is by grace that everything is ours. In the end, the treasure is God's eternal blessings, freely ours in Christ. As an aside, the issue of reward for faithful service is best handled as the rewarding of greater responsibilities. Our pressing toward kingdom ideals shapes us for kingdom rule. Our creative use of earthly resources (time, talent and tinkle!) has little eternal value when used for our own security; it is without permanence. When creatively used for an eternal end, the results are permanent. The end product may be the growth of our love, faith, knowledge ..., a growth that prepares us for our reign with Christ. Then there is the growth of those who benefit from the creative use of our resources for kingdom ends, again a permanent reward, although in this case the reward is theirs.

eggizei (eggizw) pres. "[where no thief] comes near" - The thief can't get near to steal it. "Where no thief can reach nor moth do its work of destruction", Cassirer.

oJpou gar "for where" - Introducing an explanatory sentence. Nolland has captured the sense of this sentence with "follow the trail of the use of money and it will lead you to the heart."

Luke Introduction

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