Luke 12:48 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

NIV: But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

NASB: but the one who did not know it, and committed acts deserving of a beating, will receive only a few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

CSB: But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.

NLT: But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

KJV: But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

NKJV: But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Jesus finishes explaining an important perspective on leadership to Peter. Peter wants to know if the disciples are on the same level as the thousands in the crowd surrounding them. Jesus says no. Not only will the disciples have more responsibility, but they will also be judged by stricter criteria.

As leaders in the church, the disciples—and all leaders—are responsible for feeding believers with the truth about Jesus, salvation, and how to live a godly life. They are not to take advantage of their position by being lazy, indulgent, or abusive. They are also to be mindful that they are responsible for knowing Jesus' expectations of His followers. If they, personally, fail to meet those expectations, they will be judged severely (Luke 12:41–47). Those believers who do not know Jesus' expectations and fail will be judged less severely.

This is a hard passage to interpret. Jesus is comparing Christians to servants in a household and the disciples and future church leaders to higher-ranking servants who are given the responsibility to care for and train the others. In that context, a beating for failure to fulfill their master's expectations was normal.

Within the metaphor, however, what is the equivalent to being beaten? It may be the discipline God metes out on His children whom He loves (Hebrews 12:5–6), or merely the natural consequences of our actions. The literal beating was already taken by Jesus during His trials and while He hanged on the cross. James later writes, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1). Those who want to be church leaders and teachers need to bear this in mind. For those who are saved, Jesus carried the punishment for when they fail with this responsibility. For church leaders who are not saved, they will experience more torment in hell (Revelation 20:11–15).

Jesus' point is that Peter should not let his pride make demands that he is not willing to take responsibility for. Yes, the disciples will receive higher honor than the crowd. With that honor, however, comes significantly more responsibility and accountability.

Luke 12:41–48 records Peter asking if Jesus' exhortation to serve Him with integrity when He leaves applies to the whole jostling crowd (Luke 12:1) or just to Jesus' disciples. Jesus replies that the disciples will be held to even higher standards. They are the servants He places in authority over His followers—other servants. If the disciples abuse these other servants, they will be punished. Matthew 24:45–51 covers the same parable but probably at a different time.

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.