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Luke 12:13-21

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

13. And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15. 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. 16. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18. And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, [and] be merry. 20. But God said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21. So [is] he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Luke 12:13-21 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Luke 12:13

Theological / Devotional

One. That is, one of the “multitude” (see verse 1) that awaited Christ in the street outside the home of the Pharisee who had entertained Him (see chapter 11:37). This man who addressed Jesus had heard the Lord’s stern denunciations against the scribes and Pharisees (see chapter 11:39-52; COL 253) and His counsel to the disciples about appearing before magistrates (see chapter 12:11; cf. COL 252). He reasoned that if Jesus should speak to his brother with the same bold authority, he would not dare to do otherwise than what Jesus told him to do. He conceived of the gospel of the kingdom as nothing more than a means for furthering his own selfish interests. Compare the attitude of Simon Magus toward salvation (Acts 8:9-24).

Company. Greek ochlos, “crowd.” Ochlos is translated “people” in verse 1. For the chronological setting of this incident see on verse 1.

Speak to my brother. Rather, “order my brother.” Apparently both brothers were covetous; otherwise there would have been little likelihood of a quarrel between them.

Divide the inheritance. According to the Mosaic law of inheritance, the older brother received two shares of his father’s goods, and the remaining brother or brothers a single share each (see on Deuteronomy 21:17). Perhaps it was the younger son who in this case appealed to Jesus and objected to the older brother’s actually taking the double portion assigned to him by law.

By SdaBc