Luke 12:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

NIV: But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

NASB: But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided to you.

CSB: "But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you.

NLT: Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

KJV: But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

NKJV: But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

This text was written in a culture where a poor person might own only one set of clothing. They would spend much of the day working for, finding, and preparing food just for that day. Most of the population were slaves or laborers on other people's land. Finding food to eat and clothes to wear was a significant endeavor.

Ever willing to challenge His students, Jesus tells His disciples they are not to worry about such things. God provides for the most banal examples of His creation—scavenger birds and grass—and He knows what His own children need. The days of their lives are more important. They are called to seek God's great, eternal kingdom, not try to hold on to their own earthly hovel.

The kingdom of God can be difficult to explain. It is the manifestation of God's power and sovereignty over His creation. Whenever we honor Him as our God, we are presenting the kingdom. God called His disciples to declare its coming (Luke 10:9) and to pray for its fulfillment on earth (Matthew 6:10). It was inaugurated with Jesus' first coming and will be fulfilled with His second. At its fulfillment, it will never be destroyed. It is filled with riches for God's followers that will never fail (Luke 12:32–34).

That "these things will be added to you" has many different interpretations. Some think it means that if we serve God, He will provide us with food and clothing. Others think this is a kingdom promise, and we will receive what we need in eternity. "Prosperity gospel" advocates pervert the message by claiming that if people donate to certain leaders, God will give them riches. God doesn't promise His followers that they will never starve or be without clothing. Nor does He promise earthly wealth. He will provide for us exactly what we need to fulfill His plan. Our submission to His will, and our part in His kingdom, will earn us a permanent treasure that can never be destroyed.

Luke 12:22–34 records Jesus telling His disciples to lay down anxiety and trust God for physical needs. He has already told them to reject fame, fear of death, and reliance on riches (Luke 12:1–21). Later, He will tell them they may have to leave family, as well (Luke 12:49–53). Instead, they need to focus on the task that Jesus will give them (Luke 12:35–48), to build the church after His ascension. Matthew 6:25–34 covers the same teaching, although perhaps at a different time and place.

Jesus teaches the disciples about proper priorities. This includes recognizing that God knows all things, even secrets. Believers should honor God more than they fear death, or than they worry about things like food and clothes. Christians are to remain ready for Christ's return, even as faith separates those who believe from those who do not. These ideas revolve around the central theme of verse 34: that a person's heart reflects what they value most.

Luke 12:1—13:9 compares the world with the kingdom of God. Jesus has condemned the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Luke 11:14–54). He now instructs His disciples to reject the fame and security that Pharisees crave, and hold lightly to their lives, wealth, security, and even family. He then warns the crowd to be wise about their relationships with other people and with God. The next two units each include a miracle and teaching on God's kingdom and salvation (Luke 13:10—15:32). Then the final section in the "travelogue" repeats that three-unit pattern (Luke 16:1—19:27) before Jesus arrives in Jerusalem.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.