22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. 24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:22-34 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Our Lord Jesus is here teaching important lessons to his disciples—truths he had already shared with them and would later repeat, because they needed instruction again and again.
- “Therefore, because so many are ruined by covetousness and an excessive desire for worldly wealth, I say to you, my disciples, take heed of it.”
- You, O man of God, flee these things, just as much as any man of the world (1 Timothy 6:11).
He charges them not to burden themselves with anxious, distressing cares about life’s necessities: “Take no thought for your life” (Luke 12:22). In the previous parable, Jesus had warned against the kind of covetousness rich people are most tempted by—a self-indulgent complacency in worldly abundance. But his disciples, who had little of this world’s goods and had left all to follow Christ, were vulnerable to another form of covetousness—anxious worry about basic needs.
“Take no thought for your life—whether to preserve it when it’s threatened or to provide for it with food or clothing, what you shall eat or wear.”
This warning is similar to Matthew 6:25 and following verses. The same arguments are used to encourage us to cast all our cares on God, which is the true way to free ourselves from them.
1. God, who has done the greater, can certainly do the lesser. He gave us life and a body without our help, so we can trust him to provide food for that life and clothing for that body.
2. God provides for lesser creatures and can surely provide for his people. “Trust God for food—he feeds the ravens (Luke 12:24); they don’t plant or harvest, yet they are fed and don’t die from hunger. Now consider how much more valuable you are than the birds. Trust God for clothing—he clothes the lilies (Luke 12:27-28); they don’t labor or spin, yet they are beautifully adorned. If God clothes the flowers—fragile and short-lived—won’t he all the more clothe you appropriately?”
When God fed Israel with manna in the wilderness, he also cared for their clothing. Even though he didn’t give them new clothes, he made sure their garments didn’t wear out (Deuteronomy 8:4). In the same way, he will clothe his spiritual Israel—if they are not of little faith. Our excessive worries come from weak faith. A strong belief in God’s all-sufficiency, his Fatherly relationship with us, and his promises for this life and the next would tear down these tormenting thoughts.
3. Our cares are pointless and ineffective, and therefore foolish to indulge. They don’t bring about what we desire and only rob us of peace (Luke 12:25): “Which of you, by worrying, can add a single inch to your height, or a moment to your lifespan? If you can’t do something so small, why worry about things just as far beyond your control? Instead, leave it to God’s providence.” As with our height, so with our condition in life—it’s wise to accept it and make the best of it, because worrying won’t change it.
4. Anxious pursuit of worldly needs doesn’t suit Christ’s disciples (Luke 12:29-30): “Whatever others do, you don’t seek what you’ll eat or drink. Don’t burden yourselves with exhausting labor or anxious thoughts. Don’t rush around like those wandering for food (Psalm 59:15), or like the eagle searching far for prey (Job 39:29). Instead, pray daily for your needs. Don’t be of doubtful mind—don’t be like unstable meteors, tossed by every wind. Be steady, composed, and trusting, not caught between fear and hope.” God’s children should not live in needless worry, because:
- That makes them no different from unbelievers. “All these things the nations of the world run after” (Luke 12:30). Those who live for the body and not the soul, for this world and not eternity, are consumed with food and clothing. Lacking a faithful God to rely on, they fill their lives with anxiety. But you, who are called out of the world, shouldn’t be like them. As Isaiah said, “Do not walk in the way of this people” (Isaiah 8:11-12). When worry creeps in, ask yourself: “Am I a Christian or a heathen? Baptized or not? If baptized, should I live as though I were still a Gentile?”
- Worry is unnecessary because your heavenly Father will provide. “Your Father knows you need these things, and he will provide them. He created your needs and will meet them. He is your Father, your provider, your guide, and the one preparing your inheritance. He will make sure you lack nothing good.”
- You have better things to pursue (Luke 12:31): “Seek first the kingdom of God. You, my disciples, are to preach the kingdom—let your heart focus on this work, and it will pull your thoughts away from worldly concerns. And all who have souls to save should seek the kingdom: seek to enter it, grow in it, and reach the glory of it. Then all these things will be added to you. Take care of your souls and trust God with everything else.”
- You have greater hopes (Luke 12:32). To free yourself from worry, you must first silence fear. Often, we imagine evils that never happen and drive ourselves into anxious care, trying to avoid them. Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” This comforting word is not found in Matthew.
Note:
- Christ’s flock is small and weak. His church is like a garden in a wilderness—like Israel in 1 Kings 20:27, “two little flocks of kids” surrounded by a vast Syrian army.
- Though outnumbered, Christ tells them not to be afraid: “Fear not, little flock, for you are safe under the care of your good Shepherd.”
- God has prepared a kingdom for Christ’s little flock—a crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4), a throne of power (Revelation 3:21), riches beyond earthly treasures. Those on his right hand are called to inherit this kingdom forever.
- The kingdom is given by the Father’s gracious will—not earned, but freely given, according to sovereign grace. “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight.” He owns it—he can give it as he pleases.
- The hope of this kingdom should calm all fears. “Fear no trouble—it won’t block your way to the kingdom. Fear no lack—for if your Father gives you the kingdom, surely he’ll provide for the journey.”
He also instructed them to secure their souls by storing up treasure in heaven (Luke 12:33-34). Whoever does this can face life without fear.
“Detach yourself from this world and its possessions. Sell what you have and give alms.”
That means: if someone truly needy is before you, and the only way to help is to sell your extra possessions, do it. Sell what hinders you from following Christ. Don’t feel ruined if you’re fined or imprisoned or exiled for Jesus’ sake and have to sell your estate—even if it was your family inheritance. Don’t sell to hoard or profit, but to give—this is the best investment, secured by God himself.
“Set your heart on the next world and look to it for your reward. Provide yourselves with bags that won’t wear out—not filled with gold, but with grace and good works. Grace is part of your soul and will go with you; your good works will follow, and God won’t forget them.”
This treasure:
- Will never run out—you can enjoy it forever and it will never diminish.
- Can’t be stolen—no thief can reach it.
- Won’t decay—no moth can corrupt it, unlike the clothes we wear now.
You know your treasure is in heaven when your heart is there too (Luke 12:34). If you think often of heaven, if you focus on it, hope for it, and fear falling short of it, then your heart is there. But if your heart clings to this earth, it likely means your treasure is here too, and you are lost when you leave it.