Luke 12:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

NIV: Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.'

NASB: But He said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.'

CSB: He then told them, "Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one's life is not in the abundance of his possessions."

NLT: Then he said, 'Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.'

KJV: And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

NKJV: And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Jesus is teaching His disciples that they will need to give up the right to their lives, when a man from the large crowd interrupts. For some unspecified reason, the man feels the inheritance he and his brother have received is not being properly split. The man wants Jesus to tell his brother to cooperate. Jesus refuses to get involved. Settling selfish sibling squabbles is not on His agenda (Luke 12:1–14).

He will, however, help the man reorient his priorities. He tells a parable about a rich man who gathers a great harvest. The man's profit is so great he can store it and not have to work again for several years. Regardless of how much effort the man put into earning that harvest, his stewardship reveals his heart.

The man's problem is covetousness. More specifically, it's "avarice:" he wants more than he needs. Men are given wealth to serve God's kingdom, not to hoard for themselves. While it is appropriate to save and it is also appropriate to enjoy God's abundant provision with thanksgiving, this man is not submitting his wealth to godly purposes. He doesn't mention God at all in considering his wealth. He doesn't speak of sharing what he has, or giving it to the poor, or using it to bless his community. He thinks that having money is reward enough. But that very night, he dies. His earthly riches mean nothing when he is dead. He should have focused on his relationship with God, instead (Luke 12:16–21).

When Jesus is finished teaching His disciples, He will return and build on this message. As the kingdom of God nears, the crowd needs to make peace with those they have wronged or risk losing their money and their liberty (Luke 12:57–59). Even more so, they need to make peace with God by repenting of their sins before God's patience runs out (Luke 13:1–9). Reconciling with their neighbor will make their lives more pleasant; reconciling with God will give them eternal life in paradise. Neither pride nor worldly riches can compare.

Luke 12:13–21 records Jesus taking advantage of an interruption to explain a proper perspective of wealth. Jesus has been warning the disciples that faithfulness to Him may require their deaths. A man in the crowd, possibly shouting in the middle of that teaching, demands Jesus settle a family conflict over an inheritance. Jesus declines that request but warns the crowd against temporary, earthly treasures if they distract from their relationship with God. He will return to this theme, telling the crowd to reconcile with people and God or risk earthly and eternal ruin (Luke 12:54—13:9). This parable is unique to Luke's Gospel.

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.