View Luke 12 in the note window.
1: He said to his disciples first - But afterward to all the people(Lu 12:54,Mt 16:6).
3: (Mt 10:27).
4: But I say to you, Fear not - Let not the fear of man make you
act the hypocrite, or conceal any thing which I have commissioned
you to publish.
5: Fear him who hath power to cast into hell - Even to his
peculiar friends, Christ gives this direction. Therefore the
fearing of God as having power to cast into hell, is to be
pressed even on true believers.
6: Are not five sparrows - But trust as well as fear him.
7: (Mt 10:30).
8: And I say to you - If you avoid all hypocrisy, and openly avow
my Gospel: The Son of man shall confess you - before the angels - At
the last day. (Mr 8:38,Lu 9:26).
10: And whosoever - As if he had said, Yet the denying me in some
degree, may, upon true repentance, be forgiven; but if it rise
so high as that of the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, it
shall never be forgiven, neither is there place for repentance.(Mt 12:31,Mr 3:28).
11: Take no thought - Be not solicitous about the matter or manner
of your defence; nor how to express yourselves.(Mt 10:19,Lu 21:12).
14: Who made me a judge? - In worldly things. His kingdom is not
of this world.
15: He said to them - Perhaps to the two brothers, and through
them to the people. A man's life - That is, the comfort or
happiness of it.
17: What shall I do? - The very language of want! Do? Why, lay
up treasure in heaven.
20: Thou fool - To think of satisfying thy soul with earthly goods!
To depend on living many years! Yea, one day! They - The messengers
of death, commissioned by God, require thy soul of thee!
21: Rich toward God - Namely, in faith, and love, and good works.
22: (Mt 6:25).
25: Which of you can add the least measure - It seems, to add one
cubit to a thing (which is the phrase in the original) was a kind
of proverbial expression for making the least addition to it.
28: The grass - The Greek word means all sorts of herbs and flowers.
29: Neither be ye of a doubtful mind - The word in the original
signifies, any speculations or musings in which the mind
fluctuates, or is suspended (like meteors in the air) in an
uneasy hesitation.
32: It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom
- How much more food and raiment? And since ye have such an
inheritance, regard not your earthly possessions.
33: Sell what ye have - This is a direction, not given to all the
multitude: (much less is it a standing rule for all Christians:)
neither to the apostles; for they had nothing to sell, having
left all before: but to his other disciples, (mentioned(Lu 12:22,Ac 1:15),) especially to the seventy, that
they might be free from all worldly entanglements.(Mt 6:19).
35: Let your loins be girt - An allusion to the long garments,
worn by the eastern nations, which they girded or tucked up
about their loins, when they journeyed or were employed in
any labour: as also to the lights that servants used to carry
at weddings, which were generally in the night.
37: He will come and serve them - The meaning is, he will show
them his love, in the most condescending and tender manner.
38: The Jews frequently divided the night into three watches,
to which our Lord seems here to allude.
41: Speakest thou this parable to us - Apostles and disciples:
Or to all - The people? Does it concern us alone? Or all men?
42: Who is that faithful and wise steward - Our Lord's answer
manifestly implies, that he had spoken this parable primarily
(though not wholly) to the ministers of his word: Whom his lord
shall make ruler over his household - For his wisdom and faithfulness.
43: Happy is that servant - God himself pronounces him wise,
faithful, happy! Yet we see, he might fall from all, and
perish for ever.
46: The Lord will appoint him his portion - His everlasting
portion, with the unfaithful - As faithful as he was once, God
himself being the Judge!
47: And that servant who knew his Lord's will shall be beaten
with many stripes - And his having much knowledge will increase,
not lessen, his punishment.
49: I am come to send fire - To spread the fire of heavenly love
over all the earth.
50: But I have a baptism to be baptized with - I must suffer first,
before I can set up my kingdom. And how I long to fight my way
through all!
51: Suppose ye that I am come to send peace upon earth - That
universal peace will be the immediate effect of my coming?
Not so, but quite the contrary.(Mt 10:34).
52: There shall be five in one house, three against two, and two
against three - There being an irreconcilable enmity between the
Spirit of Christ and the spirit of the world.
53: The father against the son - For those who reject me will be
implacable toward their very nearest relations who receive me.
At this day also is this scripture fulfilled. Now likewise
there is no concord between Christ and Belial.
54: And he said to the people also - In the preceding verses he
speaks only to his disciples. From the west - In Judea, the west
wind, blowing from the sea, usually brought rain: the south
wind, blowing from the deserts of Arabia, occasioned sultry heat.(Mt 16:2).
56: How do ye not discern this season - Of the Messiah's coming,
distinguishable by so many surer signs.
57: Why even of yourselves, without any external sign, judge ye
not what is right? - Why do ye not discern and acknowledge the
intrinsic excellence of my doctrine?
58: When thou art going - As if he had said, And ye have not a
moment to lose. For the executioners of God's vengeance are at
hand. And when he hath once delivered you over to them, ye
are undone for ever.(Mt 5:25).
59: A mite - was about the third part of a farthing sterling.
