Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Luke
Book: Luke
Chapter: 12
Overview:
Christ reproves the interpreters of the
Law.
(1-12) A caution
against
Covetousness The
Parable of the rich
Man.
(13-21)
Worldly care reproved.
(22-40) Watchfulness enforced.
(41-53) A
warning to be reconciled to
God.
(54-59)
1-12 A firm belief of the doctrine of
God's universal
Providence, and the extent of it, would satisfy us when in
peril, and encourage us to trust
God in the way of duty.
Providence takes notice of the meanest creatures, even of the
sparrows, and therefore of the smallest interests of the
disciples of
Christ. Those who confess
Christ now, shall be
owned
By him in the great
Day, before the angels of
God. To
deter us from denying
Christ, and deserting his truths and ways,
we are here assured that those who deny
Christ, though they may
thus save
Life itself, and though they may gain a kingdom
By it,
will be great losers at last; for
Christ will not know them,
will not own them, nor show them favour. But let
No trembling,
penitent backslider doubt of obtaining forgiveness. This is far
different from the determined
Enmity that is
Blasphemy against
the
Holy Ghost, which shall never be forgiven, because it will
never be repented of.
13-21 Christ's kingdom is spiritual, and not of this world.
Christianity does not meddle with politics; it obliges all to do
justly, but worldly dominion is not founded in
Grace. It does not
encourage expectations of worldly advantages
By religion. The
rewards of
Christ's disciples are of another nature.
Covetousness is a
Sin we need constantly to be warned against;
for happiness and comfort do not depend
On the wealth of this
world. The things of the world will not satisfy the desires of a
soul. Here is a
Parable, which shows the folly of
Carnal
worldlings while they live, and their misery when they die. The
character drawn is exactly that of a prudent, worldly
Man, who
has
No grateful regard to the
Providence of
God, nor any right
thought of the uncertainty of human affairs, the worth of his
soul, or the importance of eternity. How many, even among
professed Christians, point out similar characters as models for
imitation, and proper persons to form connections with! We
mistake if we think that thoughts are hid, and thoughts are
free. When he saw a great crop upon his ground, instead of
thanking
God for it, or rejoicing to be able to do more good, he
afflicts himself. What shall I do now? The poorest beggar in the
country could not have said a more anxious
Word. The more men
have, the more perplexity they have with it. It was folly for
him to think of making
No other use of his plenty, than to
indulge the
Flesh and gratify the sensual appetites, without any
thought of doing good to others.
Carnal worldlings are fools;
and the
Day is coming when
God will
Call them
By their own name,
and they will
Call themselves
So. The
Death of such persons is
miserable in itself, and terrible to them. Thy soul shall be
required. He is loath to part with it; but
God shall require it,
shall require an account of it, require it as a guilty soul to
be punished without delay. It is the folly of most men, to mind
and pursue that which is for the body and for time only, more
than that for the soul and eternity.
22-40 Christ largely insisted upon this caution not to give way
to disquieting, perplexing cares, Mt 6:25-34. The arguments
here used are for our encouragement to cast our care upon
God,
which is the right way to get ease. As in our stature,
So in our
state, it is our
Wisdom to take it as it is. An eager, anxious
pursuit of the things of this world, even necessary things, ill
becomes the disciples of
Christ. Fears must not prevail; when we
frighten ourselves with thoughts of evil to come, and
Put
ourselves upon needless cares how to avoid it. If we value the
beauty of
Holiness, we shall not crave the luxuries of
Life. Let
us then examine whether we belong to this little flock.
Christ
is our Master, and we are his servants; not only working
servants, but waiting servants. We must be as men that wait for
their
Lord, that sit up while he stays out late, to be ready to
receive him. In this
Christ alluded to his own
Ascension to
Heaven, his coming to
Call his people to him
By Death, and his
return to
Judge the world. We are uncertain as to the time of
his coming to us, we should therefore be always ready. If men
thus take care of their houses, let us be thus
Wise for our
souls. Be ye therefore ready also; as ready as the good
Man of
the
House would be, if he knew at what
Hour the thief would
come.
41-53 All are to take to themselves what
Christ says in his
Word, and to inquire concerning it.
No one is left
So ignorant
as not to know many things to be wrong which he does, and many
things to be right which he neglects; therefore all are without
excuse in their
Sin. The bringing in the
Gospel Dispensation
would occasion desolations. Not that this would be the tendency
of
Christ's religion, which is pure, peaceable, and loving; but
the effect of its being contrary to men's pride and lusts. There
was to be a wide publication of the
Gospel. But before that took
place,
Christ had a
Baptism to be baptized with, far different
from that of water and the Holy
Spirit. He must endure
sufferings and
Death. It agreed not with his plan to preach the
Gospel more widely, till this
Baptism was completed. We should
be zealous in making known the
Truth, for though divisions will
be stirred up, and a
Man's own household may be his foes, yet
sinners will be converted, and
God will be glorified.
54-59 Christ would have the people to be as
Wise in the
concerns of their souls as they are in outward affairs. Let them
hasten to obtain peace with
God before it is too late. If any
Man has found that
God has set himself against him concerning
his sins, let him apply to him as
God in
Christ reconciling the
world to himself. While we are alive, we are in the way, and now
is our time.