Gospel according to Saint Luke, commented on verse by verse

CHAPTER 12

It is easy to say, with Rosenmüller and other Protestant exegetes, regarding this chapter: «Luke brings together several things that were said at different times, the connection of which does not need to be demonstrated: they are a kind of aphorism.» What does it matter that the elements of which it is composed appear for the most part in other parts of the Gospel narrative? We have accepted, following the best exegetes, that Our Lord must have repeated several of his principal teachings on different occasions, and the thorough study of the sacred texts increasingly confirms this opinion. We will always find it repugnant to believe that the evangelists made arbitrary compilations of Jesus' words, that a particular part of their narrative, presented by them as a continuous discourse, is in reality merely a collection of selected passages. Moreover, regarding this passage, St. Luke demonstrates through two historical notes (vv. 22, 54) that he did not arrange it at will, but recounted the events and speeches according to their objective reality. Furthermore, while a number of the ideas are found elsewhere, they are combined in various ways, undergoing variations in both content and form: and this suffices to prove their non-identity. – The introductory and transitional formulas mentioned above divide this chapter into four parts: vv. 1-12, the first series of warnings to the disciples; vv. 13-21, the parable of the rich fool; vv. 22-53, the second series of warnings to the disciples; vv. 54-59, a teaching of great importance to the people.

Luke 12.¹ Meanwhile, when thousands of people had gathered, to the point of trampling one another, Jesus began to say to his disciples: «Beware above all of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. – Meanwhile establishes a close connection between the preceding scene and this entire discourse. While Jesus was at table with the Pharisees and heaping such just reproaches upon them, an enormous crowd had therefore gathered not far from there, and the Savior, as soon as he came out (11, 53), was surrounded by this crowd eager to see and hear him. People had gathered in their thousands, to the point of crushing each other. – To such an extent that we were trampling on one another: a picturesque detail, similar to several descriptions in St. Mark, 1:33; 2:2; 3:9; 6:31. – Jesus began to say to his disciples. These words identify the specific portion of his vast audience to whom Jesus directly addressed his first warnings: he was primarily thinking of the disciples gathered around him. However, his words were also intended to benefit the crowd; this is why he spoke them before the entire assembly. They can be summarized in three serious lessons: Flee from Pharisaical hypocrisy, do not fear human persecution, and stand firm in the faith. The first is contained in verses 1-3. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees This is what the disciples must guard against with the greatest vigilance, and Jesus immediately expresses what he means by the leaven of the Pharisees: which is hypocrisy… Beware, he means, of these wolves in sheep's clothing, and do not imitate their conduct. See in St. Matthew 16:6 and St. Mark 8:15, the same idea previously expressed by Our Lord.

Luke 12.² There is nothing hidden that should not be revealed, nothing secret that should not be known. A day will come when all will be revealed; the most secret actions, the most carefully concealed plans will be brought to light, and then the hypocrites will be unmasked. Jesus rightly uses this motif to urge his followers more strongly to avoid Pharisaical hypocrisy.

Luke 12.3. – For what you have said in the darkness will be spoken in the light; and what you have whispered in the ear in the chambers will be proclaimed from the rooftops. The curtain will therefore be drawn on all things. But the publicity, terrible for some (the Pharisees), to whom it will bring shame, will be glorious for others (the disciples), for it will proclaim the truth of their preaching, the legitimacy of their conduct. The proverbial expressions used by Our Lord vividly depict the timid beginnings of the apostolic ministry, as well as the prodigious brilliance subsequently given to the Gospel. Regarding the distinctly Eastern expression "will be preached from the rooftops," let us remember that the roofs of houses in Palestine are generally flat. From the top of these terraces, which are, moreover, quite low, one can be heard very clearly by people gathered in the streets, in the squares, or on neighboring rooftops, and news thus published will, in the blink of an eye, resonate throughout an entire city. – Matthew 10:26 and 27 (see the commentary) also places on the lips of Jesus, but with a completely different connection and some modifications in form, the aphorisms of verses 2 and 3. Note the poetic turn of these proverbs; the parallelism of the words is clearly evident:

Nothing is veiled that will not be revealed., 

Nothing is hidden that will not be known.

What I tell you in the darkness, 

Say it in broad daylight,

What you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the rooftops.

But this is precisely what constitutes the main characteristic of Hebrew poetry.

Luke 12.⁴ But I tell you, my friends: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ I will teach you whom you should fear: fear him who, after killing, has the power to throw into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him. – Second lesson, vv. 4-7: God protects you, do not fear men. – Jesus has just predicted the publicity that will later be given to the Gospel. But this very publicity was to bring terrible persecution upon the preachers of the good news: this is why the divine Master reassures them. To you, who are my friends. What tenderness in this name. Nowhere else, in the Synoptic Gospels, The disciples do not receive the affectionate title of friends from Jesus. But we will find this title again in the fourth Gospel, 15:15. Don't be afraid… The Savior first affirms to his dear disciples that they have nothing to fear from men, even if these men were to condemn them to the ultimate tortures; for, he adds to justify his assertion, when men have put to death those they persecute, they have exhausted all their power. I'm going to teach you…But if men, even executioners, are not truly fearsome, there is someone who is formidable even beyond physical death: God, for he has the power to send those who have offended him to hell forever. Therefore, Jesus repeats in a grave and solemn tone: fear that one. See also, on these two verses, Matthew 10:28 and the commentary. – St. Luke uses the word only in this passage. Gehenna to refer to hell.

Luke 12.⁶ Are not five sparrows worth two aces? And not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ But even the hairs on your head are all numbered.. So do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows. – After reassuring his disciples in the face of impending dangers by showing them the powerlessness of their persecutors, Jesus further reassures them with a touching portrayal of God's paternal kindness towards them. Two examples, deliberately chosen from the realm of the smallest things, are offered as proof. 1. What could be less precious than small birds? So many fall into the various traps set for them by Eastern bird-catchers that, today as in the time of Our Lord, five can be sold to a buyer for a pittance. And yet, each one is the object of a very special providence. What a beautiful variation on the parallel passage in St. Matthew 10:29: «Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?» Forgotten before God is a Hebraism. This expression also has an excellent psychological basis, as the people we remember are, in a way, present in our minds and hearts. – 2° The hair itself…Even our hair, which is worth far less than a humble bird, attracts the attention of divine providence. God knows its number (between 100,000 and 150,000) and not a single one will fall out without his permission. A great reason for confidence, says Jesus, drawing the conclusion from his reasoning: “Therefore do not be afraid.” How many sparrows, he adds with charming simplicity, would it take to be worth one man? (cf. Matthew 10:30-31 and the commentary.).

Luke 12.⁸ I tell you again, whoever confesses me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God, ⁹ But whoever denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. – Third lesson, vv. 8-12: Carefully guard the faith, even in the midst of persecution. The profession of the Gospel may undoubtedly be costly for the disciples; but, if they persevere, it assures them a magnificent reward. What a reward it is to hear oneself proclaimed a faithful Christian by Jesus himself, before all the angelic hosts, that is to say, before the general judgment to which the angels will attend. However, the reward is countered by a terrible punishment, which will befall the cowardly apostates. A subtle nuance, characteristic of St. Luke's writing, deserves to be noted. Earlier, Our Lord Jesus Christ had promised to recognize himself, in the presence of the angels, those who had courageously recognized and confessed him before men; now that it is a question of a dreadful condemnation, he avoids putting himself on display personally, and he says in general terms: will be disowned. See Matthew 10:32-33 and the commentary on these two verses.

Luke 12.¹⁰ And whoever speaks against the Son of Man will obtain forgiveness, but for the one who has blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, there will be no forgiveness. Another great danger threatening the faith of the disciples is that they are exposed not only to denying their Master, but also to blaspheming against the Holy Spirit, which is a grave sin, forever unforgivable. Anyone who speaks against the Son A passing remark, like denying Jesus and his Church out of weakness. Despite the brevity of this sin, one can obtain prompt and generous forgiveness provided one repents; but the crime designated by the words blasphemed against the Holy Spirit This cannot be forgiven, because, as we have said elsewhere (Gospel of St. Matthew 12:31-32), it consists in hating the truth recognized as such, and it presupposes a willful hardening of the heart in evil. Jesus is repeating here to his disciples the serious instruction he had previously given to the Pharisees. (cf. Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-30).

Luke 12.¹¹ When you are brought before the synagogues, the magistrates, and the authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say., ¹² For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.» Jesus promised his followers, to strengthen their faith, a splendid crown in blessed eternity (v. 8); he also promises them, for the same purpose, a very special help from the Holy Spirit in their hour of greatest danger. They will be brought like criminals, sometimes before the religious courts of the Jews, sometimes before the civil courts of the Gentiles; but they should remain calm nonetheless. Now, it is a matter of experience that what troubles an accused person most during the agonizing wait for their trial is, on the one hand, the answers to be given to the judges' questions: how to present them, what you will answer (the very substance), and the arguments of your plea (what you will say). But, precisely on these two points, the disciples of Christ can remain peace of the soul, for at that very moment, the Spirit of God will inspire them with vigorous improvisations that will silence their adversaries. The magnificent speeches of Peter, Stephen, and Paul (Acts 4:8ff.; 7:2ff.; 23:1ff.; 24:10-21; 26:2-29) prove that Jesus had not made an empty promise to his friends.

Luke 12.¹³ Then someone from the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."« – A strange interruption indeed. Jesus is speaking of purely spiritual, purely heavenly matters, and then, taking advantage no doubt of a brief pause, a stranger, preoccupied solely with his material interests, implores him in the most inappropriate manner to help him recover part of his inheritance, which an elder brother seems to have unjustly withheld. But how well this very inappropriateness demonstrates St. Luke's meticulousness in following the historical order of events! – It is impossible to say precisely what the point of contention was: the generality of the words share our heritage with me does not permit it. According to Mosaic law, Deuteronomy 21:17, the eldest son received a double share of his father's estate; but the mother's fortune was divided equally among all the children. At least, the impression given by the beginning of the narrative is that the petitioner had truly been wronged in his rights. This was neither the first nor the last time that division existed between brothers over inheritance. It has sometimes been argued, but without the slightest foundation, that the person who interrupted the proceedings was a disciple of Our Lord. His petition proves, on the contrary, that he was completely unfamiliar with the spirit of the divine Master. He had simply understood that Jesus was a man of profound wisdom; he had glimpsed that he possessed great authority: this is why he had implored his arbitration, hoping to recover his property through him.

Luke 12.¹⁴ Jesus answered him, «Man, who appointed me to be a judge or to divide your property?» – The Savior's response is a formal refusal, and a refusal marked by a certain severity (regarding the use of Man, (See Romans 2:1-3). Clearly, this alludes to the harsh words once spoken to Moses by one of his fellow citizens, displeased with his intervention (Exodus 2:14): «Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?» The kingdom of Jesus is not of this world: Our Lord therefore does not wish to involve himself in matters of inheritance or political affairs (cf. Matthew 22:17 and parallels), all of which are foreign to his mission and have no direct connection with the establishment of the true religion. «He who had descended for the divine was right to disdain earthly goods… It is therefore not without reason that this brother, who wanted to assign the dispenser of heavenly things to perishable things, was rejected,» St. Ambrose, hl. Later, it is true, St. Paul would recommend that Christians judge their disputes among themselves, 1 Corinthians 6:1-6; but the situation was no longer the same. St. Augustine, constantly disturbed in his intellectual and mystical pursuits by the crowd of litigants who came to ask him to be their arbiter, regretted, he tells us (Enarrat. in Psalm 118, 115), not being able to answer, following Jesus: «Who appointed me…?» Judge or make your divisions : Two technical expressions, the first of which refers to the judge responsible for deciding the legal question, the second to the expert who divides the inheritance in accordance with the court's ruling.

Luke 12.¹⁵ And he said to the people, «Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for even in abundance, a person’s life does not consist in the wealth they possess.» – «On the occasion of this foolish petitioner, he endeavored to protect the crowds and the disciples, through precepts and examples, against this plague of avarice,» Bede the Venerable, hl – guard against all avarice. The motive alleged by Jesus, for even if a man were in abundance…, Maldonat, «all doctors agree that human life does not consist at all in the abundance of riches.» Opulence does not add a single minute to life; it is not an essential condition of human existence, nor of human happiness.

Luke 12.¹⁶ Then he told them this parable: «There was a rich man whose land produced an abundant harvest. – Jesus illustrates, through a beautiful parable and a striking example, the important truth he has just stated in general terms. A rich manThis is the hero of the story told by the divine Master; a sad hero nonetheless, for we will discover in him nothing spiritual or lofty: he is worldly to the core. Although he already possesses much, his ideal is to possess even more. But now his desires are about to be fully satisfied: the estate brought him much wealth. Ancient and modern exegetes rightly observe that the rich man presented by Our Lord as a model to be avoided had a very legitimately acquired fortune. “He thought neither of seizing his neighbors’ fields, nor of moving the boundary markers, nor of robbing the poor, nor of deceiving the simple,” St. Augustine, Sermon 178, 2. This way of becoming rich is entirely innocent, but no less perilous. cf. Maldonat, hl Indeed, the wise man prophesied it long ago, Proverbs 1:32: “The prosperity of fools will destroy them.” cf. Ecclesiastes 5, 10. The Greeks and the Latins also had similar maxims, the fruit of often verified experience. "Money stimulates the miser, without satisfying him" (Roman axiom).

Luke 12.¹⁷ And he was discussing these thoughts to himself: What shall I do? For I have no place to store my harvest. – This verse and the two following contain a monologue of perfect psychological accuracy, and admirably described. What will I do? "?" the wealthy owner wondered anxiously, suddenly thrown into a predicament. And what a predicament it was. I don't have room to store my harvest."Wealth disturbs man more than poverty “O anguish born of satiety! The fertility of his field torments the soul of the miser. For he says: what shall I do? He shows by this that the intensity of his desires oppresses him; and that he toiled for a collection of small things,” St. Gregor, Morals 15, 22. It is fitting to cite the verse from Virgil, Georgics 1, 49: “Abundant harvests of wheat break the barns.” Or that of Tibullus, 2, 5, 84: “Ceres stretches the barns full of wheat.” The old proverb is right: “Anxiety follows the increase of wealth.” If most people are tormented because they do not have everything they need or everything they desire, there are others who sometimes worry about their surplus, which they do not know what to do with. As if there were no poor people to relieve them of this worry. “You have for your storehouse the bosom of the poor, the house of widows, the mouths of children,” St. Ambrose, on Nabuthus, 7. Cf. St. Augustine, Sermon 36, 9; St. Basil, ap. Cat. St. Thom.; Ecclesiasticus 29, 12. But it is selfishness that sets the tone here. The rich man in our parable thinks only of himself, as shown by the pronoun “I,” repeated five times with emphasis.

Luke 12.¹⁸ “This is what I will do,” he said. “I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my harvests and possessions.”. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul: My soul, you have great riches laid up for many years; take rest, eat, drink, and be merry. After searching anxiously for some time, he finally arrives at a solution he has every reason to believe is excellent. His granaries are too small, but what does it matter? He will demolish them and build larger ones, capable of holding his splendid harvests. And what will he say to his poor soul, which he does not consider here as the higher part of his being, but as the seat of pleasures and the center of enjoyment? He will speak to it in Epicurean terms: "You have plenty of goods in reserve for many years." He revels in this thought; but what an error he is in! A pagan will teach him a lesson: "A thing belongs to someone. In a second, whether by demand, sale, violence, or death, it changes ownership, and its rights are transferred to others," Horat. Ep. 2, 2, 171. It seems he wants to copy the sentiments and words of that other rich man whom the book of Ecclesiasticus, 11, 18 and 19, mentions in order to condemn him: «Some become rich by being thrifty and careful, but this is what they gain: When they say, »At last, rest. Now I will enjoy my possessions,« they do not know how long it will last: they will have to leave their possessions to others and will die.« Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.. What emotion, what swiftness, in this last line of the soliloquy. The unfortunate man seems to be enjoying himself in advance. But he will not enjoy it for long, although "he had anticipated long periods of security," Tertullian.

Luke 12.²⁰ But God said to him, “You fool!”, This very night, they will ask for your soul and what you have stored away., For whom will it be? – A terrible end to a beautiful dream. It matters little, moreover, what means God used to make himself heard: we need not concern ourselves with this detail (see Maldonat for a summary of the old opinions), for the essential thing lies in the words themselves. Insane. The one upon whom this epithet falls had nevertheless seemed so wise. He had devised such ingenious plans. But in reality, he was nothing but a fool. «What a foolish thing it is to want to control time. We don't even control tomorrow. What great madness there is in the ambitious projects of merchants! I will buy, I will build, I will believe, I will demand, I will obtain honors. Until the weariness of old age reduces me to inactivity,» Seneca, Ep. 101. Cf. James 3:13 and 14. This is the Nabal From the New Testament, cf. 1 Samuel 25:25. This very night…that is to say, in a few moments, in a few hours at most, for we assume he will be lying in bed during the night, remaining awake due to his worries and plans. Your soul will be demanded back from you. The current schedule also indicates a very short delay. onThe plural form has been interpreted in various ways. It has been used to refer to assassins (Paulus, Bornemann), the angels of death (von Gerlach, etc. cf. Job 33:22), God himself (this would then be a plural of majesty). Let us leave him, following Jesus, in his “frightening darkness” (Trench). cf. v. 48:14, 35. What you have set aside… Lifting the veil on the fate that awaits such a worldly soul in the next life, the parable returns, and this is its final detail, to the riches accumulated by the one whose sad story it recounts. To whom will so much treasure belong? The troubles caused by this uncertainty are frequently mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. Psalm 38:7: “He heaps up, but who will gather?” Ecclesiastes 2:18 ff.: “I hate all this toil I have done under the sun, which I will leave to my successor. Who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? He will be the master of all the labors I have done wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.” Cf. Psalm 48:16-20; Jeremiah 17:11; Job 27:16-17.

Luke 12.²¹ So it is with the man who stores up treasures for himself and is not rich before God.» – Conclusion and moral of the parable. Jesus contrasts two kinds of treasure: material, perishable treasures, and spiritual, eternal treasures. He cleverly names the former amass treasures for oneself, and the second to be rich in relation to God. Woe to anyone who hoards only for themselves, for selfish purposes. They will perish, and their riches will perish with them. «You are captive and enslaved by your money. You use your money, which does not serve you, for your servitude. You accumulate wealth that crushes you with its heavy weight. You no longer remember what God answered the rich man who, with foolish exultation, piled up the overflowing harvest of his fruits. Why do you hoard your riches for yourself alone, you who increase the value of your inheritance with your suffering, so that by becoming richer in this world, you become poorer before God?» (St. Cyprian of Carthage, Op. et Eleemos).

Luke 12.²² Then Jesus said to his disciples, «Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ Life is more than food and the body is more than clothing. – After responding to the unusual interjection (v. 13) that had interrupted him in the middle of his warnings to the disciples, Jesus addresses them again in a more personal way. But instead of resuming his earlier teachings, he continues to speak for some time (vv. 22-34) on the topic to which he had been brought, and he takes this opportunity to repeat some of his finest maxims from the Sermon on the Mount. cf. Matthew 6:25-34 and the commentary. «He taught earlier that we must guard against avarice…And then, developing his entire thought as he goes along, he doesn’t even allow us to worry about what is necessary, thereby uprooting avarice.» This reflection by Theophylact clearly indicates the progression and gradation of his thoughts. That's why I'm telling you… Therefore, since such is the miserable fate of those who cling to worldly goods. Don't worry. Excessive anxiety regarding the necessities of life (Our Lord mentions the two principal ones, food and clothing) would resemble avarice and would turn us away from our ultimate goal no less than an exaggerated love of riches. – The words of verse 23 contain the logical demonstration of the preceding warning. «The soul (i.e., life) is more important than food, and the body than clothing… It is as if he were saying: the God who has provided what is best, how could he not give what is worth least?» (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Chain of the Greek Fathers).

Luke 12.²⁴ Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than these birds? – Jesus continues to reinforce his serious warning with evidence. Turning to experiential facts, and still arguing according to the "all the more so" method, he cites the most touching, and at the same time the most convincing, reasons to urge us to trust fully in God's Providence. Consider the crows. In Matthew 6:26, it was the "birds of the air" in general that were given as examples; Jesus here mentions ravens in a special and picturesque way because these birds, according to the beliefs of the ancients (cf. Job 38:41; Psalm 147:9; Aristotle, Animal History 2.7; Natural History 7.5), supposedly had particular difficulty finding food at the beginning of their lives. "Indeed," Theophylact naively states, following this old tradition, "ravens, after having given birth to their young, do not feed them, but abandon them. The wind carries a marvelous food to them through the air; they receive it in their half-open beaks and are thus nourished."«

Luke 12 ²⁵ Which of you, through constant worrying, could add an arm to the length of your life? ²⁶ If even the smallest things are beyond your power, why worry about others? Another line of reasoning: which man, even a genius, would be capable, after long, skillful, and arduous schemes, of extending his life by a cubit, that is to say, by a few days or a few weeks? Instead of to his size, ancient Latin manuscripts rightly bear to the length of his life. – So if you cannot…That is the conclusion of the argument. If we cannot achieve by ourselves what is lesser, And Jesus, referring to the humble lengthening of our lives mentioned earlier, suggests that we would be far more powerless to provide for all our material needs. Our inability, therefore, invites us to rely on God.

Luke 12 ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither labor nor spin; and I tell you, Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass, which is today in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith. – The example of the lilies follows that of the ravens. Jesus first describes (v. 27), using a powerful comparison for anyone familiar with Jewish history, the beauty of these graceful flowers. A lily, he says, is better dressed than King Solomon. And yet, under this prince, Israelite art had achieved marvels in the creation of splendid ornaments. The Savior then indicates, by means of a striking contrast, the nothingness of these ephemeral plants: today in the fields, in all their splendor; tomorrow thrown into the oven to cook mere food (see Matthew). Thus, the pretty flower now bears only the name of grass. Therefore, how much more so you yourselves. Is not a man created in the image of God infinitely more valuable than a lily?

Luke 12.²⁹ You too, don't worry about what you'll eat or drink and don't be anxious. ³⁰ For it is the people of this world who are concerned about these things, but your Father knows that you need them. – New reasons for absolute trust in Divine Providence: to be concerned about clothing and food would be to imitate the pagans, to forget that God is our Father. YOU, emphatically; do not worry more than the birds of the air, nor more than the lilies of the field. Don't be anxious. Agitated by the anxieties of a soul suspended between different fears, or between fear and hope. – By the people of this world In contrast to the Jews, we must understand the pagan nations, whose lives and aspirations have always been directed towards material and worldly pleasures. Your Father God is our Father, and surely will not such a father provide for his children?

Luke 12.³¹ But seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Having told his disciples earlier, v. 29, that they should not give in to excessive anxiety because of their temporal needs, Jesus now designates a vast area for their activity in which it can be exercised on the front line and without reservation, the kingdom of God. To whoever makes the celestial kingdom the main object of their research, he promises ample satisfaction of life's legitimate needs.

Luke 12.³² Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is more pleasing to your Father to give you the kingdom. – Jesus' thought rises gradually. He severely condemned avarice (vv. 15-21); he even condemned, as a pagan tendency, excessive concern for the necessities of life (vv. 22-31). Rising even higher, he now recommends to his disciples perfect detachment (vv. 32-34). Small flock (cf. Jeremiah 50:45; Zechariah 13:7). A humble yet deeply moving name, coming directly from the heart of Jesus. Indeed, the faithful sheep of this Good Shepherd, in terms of number, condition, and outward qualities, formed only a very small flock, looked down upon by the world with contempt. But God beheld them with the eyes of a father, and in his goodness, he destined for them, indeed he took pleasure in dedicating to them, a magnificent reward: the kingdom par excellence, the kingdom of heaven. See Psalm 22, which is a perfect commentary on this passage. – «Therefore, to possess the kingdom of heaven, despise earthly things,» St. Cyril, Chain of the Greek Fathers. Jesus will draw the same conclusion.

Luke 12.³³ Sell what you have and give alms. Make for yourselves purses that time does not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where thieves do not enter and moths do not destroy. – cf. Matthew 19:21; Acts 4:34-37. This is undoubtedly a counsel for perfection; but where would Christian perfection have been found if the Apostles and the first missionaries of Jesus had not practiced it? There are indeed cases where counsels become precepts. Do you… Through this further borrowing from the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Matthew 6:19-21 and the commentary), Jesus develops and reinforces his recommendation: By giving the produce of your possessions to the poor, you will place in heaven an investment whose interest will be richly and unfailingly paid to you for all eternity. Scholarships that don't wear out. The purses of the ancients often consisted of small leather bags that were suspended from the neck by a strap; when they were old and worn, they easily lost their contents. An inexhaustible treasure A rare and expressive word. Here below, a treasure quickly diminishes when it is frequently drawn upon; the treasures entrusted to God will never cease to be full. What an encouragement to good works! The thief, the worm : the two great enemies of our earthly treasures. But neither the "purse-pickers," as the ancients already called them, nor the worms that gnaw at fine clothes will be able to penetrate heaven.

Luke 12.³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – A profound psychological truth, with which the divine instructor concludes his warnings concerning the goods of this world. Our heart follows our treasure; this is a fact of daily experience. Therefore, if this treasure is in heaven, our heart will always be turned upward, and this was precisely the result that Jesus intended to achieve in speaking to his disciples.

Luke 12.³⁵ Keep your belt tight around your waist and your lights on. – The word of Jesus takes on a new impetus. After having preached in various forms detachment from the goods of this world, it now leads us directly to the end times, to the second coming of Christ, to urgently urge us to be vigilant, vv. 35-40, and loyalty, vv. 41-48. Figurative language dominates in this part of the instruction. Three comparisons (the first and last are almost parables), vv. 35-38, 39 and 40, 41-48, all borrowed from the family life of the ancient East, show us in the most picturesque way how we must be watchful and faithful. See in St. Matthew 24:42-50, similar thoughts and images, part of a more recent discourse, delivered a few days before the Passion. – First comparison, vv. 35-38: The servants who await their master. Jesus first outlines the role of a vigilant servant, vv. 35-36, then he describes the magnificent reward reserved for him. Let your loins be girded. The first image to say: Be ready when the Son of Man comes (cf. v. 40). The main garment of the Eastern peoples consists of a long, flowing robe: to prevent it from hindering movement, it is usually gathered up, especially when walking or working, by a belt wrapped around the waist. cf. 1 Kings 4:46; 2 Kings 4:29; 9:1; Job 38:3; Jeremiah 1:17; Acts 12:8; etc. The Romans did the same with their togas. Therefore, let the disciples of Jesus always be girded. cf. Ephesians 6:14. And your lamps are on.… The same thought, expressed by a second image. The servants in the parable are supposed to wait during the night (v. 38) for their master's return. Therefore, they should take care to keep their lamps lit, so as not to waste precious time lighting them when the master arrives.

Luke 12.³⁶ Be like men who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that as soon as he arrives and knocks at the door, they may open it for him at once. – Be like men (that is, to servants, as is clear from the context). This verse explains the preceding one. Where their master will return from the wedding. The master returns from some wedding celebration to which he was invited. It is by no means his own wedding, as has sometimes been claimed; at least, nothing in the narrative indicates this. As soon as he is emphatic and conveys the main idea. The servants must be so vigilant that they are ready to open the door at the first signal, without the slightest delay, because a master does not like to wait, and it is not fitting that he should wait.

Luke 12.³⁷ Blessed are those servants whom the master, upon his return, will find watchful. I tell you truly, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table, and will come and wait on them. These attentive servants will indeed experience ineffable happiness, which Jesus describes in the second half of the verse, maintaining the tone of his comparison. Switching roles with them, the grateful master will tell them to sit at the table prepared for him, and he will be delighted to serve them with his own hands. He will approach to serve themWhat a beautiful image to represent the eternal feast of heaven that God holds in reserve for his faithful friends. cf. Apocalypse 320; 19:9. Moreover, even here on earth, Jesus fulfilled his solemn promise to the Apostles, as the beloved disciple recounts in such moving terms: “Having loved his own who were in the world, Jesus loved them to the end. During the meal, … Jesus … rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist; then he poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” John 13:1-5.

Luke 12.³⁸ Whether he arrives at the second watch, or at the third, if he finds them thus, blessed are those servants. – Repetition of the same thought, with a new detail expressed graphically: Blessed are the devoted servants who faithfully await their master, even if he delays his return until well into the night. Of the four parts of the Jewish night, Our Lord mentions neither the first (from 6 to 9 p.m.) nor the last (from 3 to 6 a.m.), as the solemnity of the wedding takes place during the first, and decorum hardly allows for celebrations or being out in the streets during the second. The master is supposed to return between 9 p.m. and midnight (the second watch), or between midnight and 3 a.m. (the third watch).

Luke 12 ³⁹ But you should know that if the father of the family knew what time the thief was coming, he would be vigilant and would not let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You too must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.» – Second comparison to exhort the disciples to vigilance: the father of the family who keeps watch in order to surprise the thieves when they come to plunder his house. See our commentary on Matthew 24:43-44. Verse 39 offers the comparison, verse 40 indicates the conclusion we must draw from it for our practical conduct: to always be ready to see the «day of the Lord» appear, since it is to come «like a thief in the night,» 1 Thessalonians 5:2. 

Luke 12.⁴¹ Then Peter said to him, «Are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?» – In turn, St. Peter interrupts Our Lord to ask him a question. These meticulous details (cf. vv. 1, 13, 22), carefully preserved by St. Luke, show how much he valued the historical order of events, and refute better than any other argument the strange opinion, already mentioned several times, according to which he compiled Jesus' instructions at his own discretion. To us… or to everyone? The pronoun We This obviously refers to the disciples (vv. 1 and 22), in contrast to the mass of people who then surrounded the divine Master. In his first comparison, Jesus had spoken of servants; now, the Apostles and disciples were, by definition, his personal servants. St. Peter would therefore like to know whether the parable concerned them exclusively, or whether it was universal in its application. This will be the starting point for the third comparison mentioned above (note to v. 35), that of the steward rewarded or punished depending on whether his master, arriving unexpectedly, finds him faithful or unfaithful.

Luke 12.⁴² The Lord replied, «Who is the faithful and wise manager whom the master will put in charge of his servants, to distribute the measure of wheat at the proper time?” – Jesus does not directly answer the question posed by the Prince of the Apostles; he even seems to continue his discourse as if he were ignoring it. And yet, in reality, he gives a clear, albeit indirect, answer, since he begins to speak, no longer of a servant in general, but of a steward in charge of all the household staff. «The following example seems to be offered to the stewards, that is, to the priests,» St. Ambrose, hl cf. Theophylact. In verses 42-44, it concerns good stewards and their reward; in verses 45-48, bad stewards and their punishment. What is…The interrogative form makes the thought more intriguing. Peter and the other disciples are thus invited to reflect carefully, to see if they themselves might be represented by the one whose good or bad conduct Jesus is about to describe. the thrifty, A senior servant, entrusted with jurisdiction over the other servants, and sometimes with various equally delicate functions, such as accounting, in whole or in part. The adjectives faithful, wise, These two qualities aptly describe the two principal attributes of a steward. "All that is required of stewards is that they be found trustworthy," said St. Paul concerning the first, 1 Corinthians 4:2. Xenophon seems to comment on both when he writes, Mem. 3:4: "Good stewards are like good generals. Their duties consist in commanding and making their subordinates well-disposed and obedient, in distributing rewards and punishments, in being faithful guardians of possessions, in being diligent and industrious, in procuring helpers and allies, and finally in overcoming all enemies." To give them at the appropriate time…An expression not found elsewhere in the New Testament. Another allusion to ancient customs. Instead of distributing daily food to slaves, they were sometimes given enough for an entire month, and this was particularly the case in Rome, at least with regard to bread. The monthly ration consisted of four bushels of wheat, which amounted to a little over two pounds per day.

Luke 12.⁴³ Blessed is that servant whom the master finds so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ I tell you truly, he will establish it over all his possessions. – cf. Matthew 24:45-47 and the commentary. Verse 43 states in general terms the reward of the faithful steward; the following verse determines it explicitly: he will establish him over all that he possesses; a role all the more glorious and sublime as the master of the parable is no different from God. 

Luke 12⁴⁵ But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time to come,' and begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will have him torn with blows and assign him a place with the unbelievers. See Matthew 24:48-51 and the explanation. What a sad contrast! Here we hear the odious soliloquy of a faithless steward who, taking advantage of his master's prolonged absence, shamefully abuses the authority entrusted to him. But also, how he will be punished when the head of the household, returning when least expected, catches the culprit in the act. He will be condemned to dreadful tortures (for masters had the right of life and death over their slaves). But the words and will give him his share with the infidels represent an even more terrible punishment according to this parallel passage of the Apocalypse21, 8: "Their portion is the lake ablaze with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Luke 12.⁴⁷ That servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare anything or act according to his will will receive many blows. ⁴⁸ But he who has not known it and has done things deserving of punishment will receive few blows. Much will be demanded of him to whom much has been given, and the more one has entrusted to someone, the more we ask of him. – To the idea of the infallible punishment that befalls God's wicked servants, these verses add another. They teach us that the punishment will be directly proportional to the guilt, and that guilt will be measured according to the degree of knowledge. Nothing, therefore, is more just than divine judgments. The servant who knew the willSuch was the steward mentioned earlier, such were the Apostles and disciples of Jesus. (cf. John 15:15) In such cases, when one disobeys, no excuse can be offered, for one has committed a fault of pure malice; therefore, one is punished with the full rigor of justice. It is known that whipping was the usual punishment for slaves. Anyone who didn't know her…To the servant who is gravely guilty and grievously punished because he knowingly disobeyed his master's orders, Our Lord Jesus Christ contrasts another servant who transgressed the same orders, but unknowingly, and of this one too he affirms that he will be punished, though less severely. At first, one is surprised by this assertion. «Why is the ignorant one punished?» Theophylact had already asked. But he immediately gives the true answer: «Because, while he could have learned, he did not want to, and through his laziness, he is himself the cause of his ignorance.» It is therefore a question of culpable ignorance, since Jesus speaks of a servant, and a servant can hardly be ignorant of his master's will except through his own fault. cf. Romans 2:12. Moreover, from Mosaic law to the present day, there is no penal code that does not impose some punishment for offenses committed through ignorance. Cf. Leviticus 5:17-19. Much will be demanded of those to whom much has been given.… Another rule of divine judgments. It is analogous to the previous one, although somewhat more general. The thought it expresses is repeated twice in two parallel sentences: the verbs given (a pure and simple gift) and confided (a deposit) establishment alone a slight difference, which exists moreover much more in form than in idea. 

Luke 12.⁴⁹ I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled. “What connection do these words have with what precedes them,” Maldonat writes on this passage, “I do not deem it necessary to seek. For they were spoken by other people, and perhaps at other times and in other places, by Christ.” Many exegetes share this view; but there are others, and we are among them, who do not. We have indicated our reasons more than once in the course of this chapter. Although one should not always look for a rigorously linked series of thoughts in the discourses of Our Lord, we do not believe that verses 49-53 can be faulted for a complete lack of connection with the preceding parts of the teaching. Jesus has just exhorted his followers at considerable length to vigilance, to loyaltyHe now concludes the twofold series of his warnings with an idea similar to the one we read at the beginning, vv. 4-9; that is to say, reminding the disciples present and future of the inevitable struggle they must wage against the world, he urges them, first and foremost by his own example, to oppose a courageous heart to the persecutions that await them. I have come to set the earth on fire. Tite De Bosra (Cat. St. Thomas) rightly finds in this saying an allusion to the divine origin of the Savior: «This must be connected with his coming from heaven. For if he had come from earth to earth, he would not have said: I have come to send fire upon the earth.» But the exact meaning of the text considered as a whole is not as clear as this legitimate deduction. The main difficulty lies in the word fire, about which exegetes are far from agreeing. Most of the Fathers (see the quotations in Maldonatus) understand it to refer to the Holy Spirit. We will nevertheless say, this time in agreement with the illustrious Jesuit: “If we look at what precedes and what follows, we do not clearly see the link that connects them.” Theophylact and Euthymius think that Jesus meant to speak of the fire of zeal or of charity But we will reject this opinion again for the same reason. Is it not both simpler and more literal, as D. Calmet expresses it (cf. Luke of Bruges), to believe that it refers to the fire of persecution, of religious discord, which Our Lord Jesus Christ, although prince of peace, necessarily had to launch into the midst of the society he came to regenerate? Verses 51-53 prove it, as Tertullian already very judiciously observed, Adv. Marc. 4, and this feeling is confirmed by several passages in the Bible where the words fire, flame, They refer to misfortune, suffering. And since I want it to be lit up already Jesus could not in themselves desire the persecutions directed against his nascent Church, the terrible upheavals of the religious wars; but he desired them in thought of the happy consequences they would produce. Since the struggle of evil against good was necessary, since it would contribute to spreading and strengthening his kingdom everywhere, he could not help but wish that it would set the whole world ablaze as soon as possible. «Like a conqueror who burns with ardor to see a battle begin, a battle whose victory is assured, and which will restore him to possession of his unjustly usurped states,» D. Calmet.

Luke 12.⁵⁰ I still have to be baptized, and what anguish I feel until it is accomplished. But before the flames of persecution could engulf the world in a vast conflagration, Jesus had to endure the most violent trials, more so than any of his followers. That is why he cries out, uttering another sublime phrase: I still need to be baptized.…We have the metaphor of water after that of fire; but here the meaning cannot be in doubt, this same expression designating very clearly in the second Gospel (10:38 and 39; see the commentary) the bitter waters of the Passion, which were about to overwhelm Our Lord like a terrible flood. Again the divine Master reveals to us the feelings of his heart in the face of this somber foreshadowing: What anguish within me until it is accomplished…Only a moment ago he experienced intense desires (v. 49); commentators hesitate to determine his current feeling, as the verb in the Greek text could designate, according to its biblical and secular usage, the anxieties of fear or the most ardent impulses of the will. Several modern scholars adopt the first meaning and see, in this exclamation of Jesus, «a prelude to Gethsemane» (Gess), «the first trace of the conflict that was taking place in the soul of Christ as his death approached» (Neander), «an undeniable cry of lamentation wrested from the human weakness of the God-man» (Stier). Following St. Ambrose, Theophylact and most Catholic authors, we prefer to adhere to the second interpretation, according to which Jesus, on the contrary, manifests, as a result of his love for us, an ardent desire to consummate his Passion as soon as possible, in order to redeem us as soon as possible.

Luke 12⁵¹ Do you think I came to establish peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather the division. ⁵² For now, if there are five people in one house, they will be divided, three against two and two against three, ⁵³ The father will be divided against his son and the son against his father, the mother against her daughter and the daughter against her mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.» – In this verse and the two following, Our Lord dramatically sets forth the effects of the persecution foretold earlier. In terms of thought, it is an exact reproduction of a prophecy he had previously made to the Twelve (Matthew 10:34-35); but the expression is more vivid and more complete. The interrogative form given to the opening words, Do you think I came to establish peace…, the emphatic response No, the solemn assertion I tell you, already deserve attention in this respect. It is true that division lacks the picturesque character of sword. But the enumeration that follows, and which comments, so to speak, on the word division, the description of the two opposing camps that the Christianity came to create within the same family, and are certainly worthy of St. Luke. Five people will be divided. According to verse 53, the five members of the family are the father, the mother, the daughter, the son, and the daughter-in-law, that is, the son's wife, the latter being assumed not yet to have a separate household and to live in his parents' house. Three against two and two against three. Two represents the father and mother, three designates the children. The latter have accepted the religion of Jesus; the former have hardened themselves in their old prejudices: a delicate detail and one of great psychological truth. Thus, the strongest and most sacred bonds were suddenly broken on the occasion of Christ and his doctrine. Father against son… daughter-in-law against her mother-in-lawThe struggle between father and son, and between mother and daughter: the war because it originates from within the family itself, there is therefore no movement; the conflict between the mother and the daughter-in-law comes from outside, and it also erupts with greater intensity.

Luke 12.⁵⁴ He also told the people: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say: Rain is coming, and so it happens. ⁵⁵ And when you see the south wind blowing, you say: It will be hot, and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites, you know how to recognize the aspects of the sky and the earth, How is it that you do not recognize the time in which we live? ? – The words contained in these verses are a slightly varied repetition of Matthew 16:1-4 (see explanation). When you see a cloud rising in the west …therefore, on the Mediterranean side. The winds, crossing the sea, become saturated with vapors that soon transform into rain clouds. Thus, as soon as the Jews saw the clouds rushing in from the western regions, they would spontaneously cry out, without needing to think: the rain is coming, And they were not mistaken, for ancient experience proved them right., this happens. cf. 1 Kings 18:44. When you see the south wind blowing…It's the opposite. The east winds, before reaching Palestine, cross the Arabian deserts where they become scorching: they therefore unfailingly brought intense heat to the Jews. cf. Job 37:17. Hypocrites. With this severe but just epithet, the Savior rebukes the inconsistency his fellow citizens displayed in their conduct. When it came to simply appreciating the appearance of heaven and earth, they were perfect physiognomists; but as soon as it came to appreciating what Jesus calls the time we are, That is to say, the days of salvation that his presence and his work had brought them, they no longer understood anything about. What a sad contradiction. Undoubtedly, «it is useful to know the coming rains… as well as the intensity of the winds. It is important for the navigator to foresee the perils of the storm; for the traveler, changes in the weather; for the farmer, the abundance of fruit,» St. Basil, Hom. 6 in Hexam. Also, as the poet says (Virg. Georg. 1, 351-353): «So that we may learn these things by certain signs, 

The Father himself established the heat waves, the rains, and the freezing winds.» But shouldn’t we have been even more open to the signs by which the God of revelation had made the approach of the Messianic era so visible?

Luke 12.⁵⁷ And how is it that you do not discern for yourselves what is right? – Jesus solemnly repeats his rebuke, emphasizing the words by yourselves, thus showing that even illiterate people, aided by their simple common sense, were able to discern what is right, that is to say, as is evident from the context, the just judgments by which God will take revenge on those who have failed to recognize his Christ.

Luke 12.⁵⁸ Indeed, when you go with your adversary before the magistrate, try to extricate yourself from his pursuit on the way, lest he drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I'm telling you, you won't get out of here until you've paid every last penny.»– This short parable is closely linked to verse 57, which it aims to confirm. With only slight differences, Jesus had already presented it in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:25 ff.; but then he used it to make a special recommendation. charity with regard to one's neighbor, whereas the current application is generalized, spiritualized, so to speak. The dominant idea is this: While there is still time, do peace with God if he has cause to be angry with you, lest you incur eternal punishment. The specific details, which should not be rushed in the explanation, are taken from the judicial customs of the ancients. Obol. In the original text, it was the smallest of the fractional coins among the Greeks, one-eighth of an "as." This shows how rigorous the divine judgments would be.