1Tehdy se shromáždil zástup desítek tisíc lidí, takže šlapali jeden po druhém; začal říkat nejprve svým učedníkům: „Mějte se na pozoru před kvasem farizeů, to jest před pokrytectvím. 2Není nic zahaleného, co nebude zjeveno, a nic skrytého, co nebude poznáno. 3Proto vše, co jste řekli ve tmě, bude slyšet na světle, a co jste pověděli do ucha v pokojích, bude vyhlášeno ze střech. 4Pravím vám, svým přátelům: Nebojte se těch, kdo zabíjejí tělo, a potom již nemají, co by učinili. 5Ukážu vám, koho se máte bát. Bojte se toho, který má pravomoc vás po zabití uvrhnout do Gehenny. Ano, pravím vám, toho se bojte. 6Což se neprodává pět vrabců za dva haléře? A ani jeden z nich není zapomenut před Bohem. 7Vždyť i všechny vlasy na vaší hlavě jsou spočteny. Nebojte se! Jste cennější než mnoho vrabců. 8Pravím vám: Ke každému, kdo by se ke mně přiznal před lidmi, se i Syn člověka přizná před Božími anděly. 9Kdo mne však před lidmi zapře, ten bude zapřen před Božími anděly. 10A každému, kdo řekne slovo proti Synu člověka, bude odpuštěno. Tomu však, kdo by se rouhal Svatému Duchu, odpuštěno nebude. 11Když by vás vedli do synagog a před vlády a vrchnosti, nestarejte se, jak a čím byste se obhájili nebo co byste řekli. 12Neboť Svatý Duch vás v té hodině naučí, co je třeba říci.“ 13Někdo ze zástupu mu řekl: „Učiteli, řekni mému bratru, ať se se mnou rozdělí o dědictví.“ 14On mu řekl: „Člověče, kdo mě ustanovil nad vámi soudcem nebo rozhodčím?“ 15Řekl jim: „ Mějte se na pozoru a střezte se před každou chamtivostí, neboť i když má někdo nadbytek, není jeho život zajištěn tím, co vlastní. “ 16Řekl jim podobenství: „Jednomu bohatému člověku přinesla země hojnou úrodu. 17A on v sobě o tom rozvažoval a říkal: ‚Co budu dělat? Vždyť nemám, kam bych svou úrodu shromáždil.‘ 18Pak řekl: ‚ Udělám toto: Zbořím své stodoly, postavím větší a tam shromáždím všechno své obilí a zásoby. 19A řeknu své duši: Duše, máš hodně zásob na mnoho let; odpočívej, jez, pij, raduj se.‘ 20Bůh mu však řekl: ‚Blázne! Ještě této noci si od tebe vyžádají tvou duši, a čí bude to, co jsi připravil?‘ 21Tak je to s tím, kdo si hromadí poklady, a není bohatý v Bohu.“ 22Řekl svým učedníkům: „Proto vám pravím: Nepečujte úzkostlivě o svůj život, co byste jedli, ani o tělo, co byste si oblékli. 23Neboť život je víc než pokrm a tělo víc než oděv. 24Pozorně si všimněte havranů, že nesejí ani nežnou, nemají komory ani stodoly, a Bůh je živí. Oč jste vy cennější než ptáci! 25Kdo z vás dokáže úzkostlivou péčí přidat k délce svého věku jediný loket? 26Nemůžete-li tedy ani to nejmenší, proč se úzkostlivě staráte o to ostatní? 27Pozorně si všimněte lilií, jak rostou; nepracují ani nepředou. Avšak pravím vám, ani Šalomoun v celé své slávě nebyl tak oblečen jako jedna z nich. 28Jestliže tedy Bůh tak obléká trávu, která dnes je na poli a zítra se hodí do pece, čím spíše obleče vás, malověrní. 29Ani vy nehledejte, co byste jedli a co byste pili, a nezneklidňujte se tím. 30Toto všechno horlivě hledají národy tohoto světa. Váš Otec ví, že to potřebujete. 31Hledejte však jeho království, a toto vám bude přidáno. 32Neboj se, malé stádečko, neboť vašemu Otci se zalíbilo dát vám království. 33Prodejte svůj majetek a dejte almužnu. Udělejte si měšce, které nevetšejí, nevyčerpatelný poklad v nebesích, kde nepřichází zloděj ani neničí mol. 34Neboť kde je váš poklad, tam bude i vaše srdce.“ 35„Ať jsou vaše bedra přepásána a vaše lampy hořící. 36Buďte podobni lidem, kteří čekají na svého pána, až se vrátí ze svatební hostiny, aby mu, jakmile přijde a zatluče, hned otevřeli. 37Blahoslavení ti otroci, které pán, až přijde, nalezne bdící. Amen, pravím vám, že se opáše, uloží je u stolu, přistoupí a bude je obsluhovat. 38A přijde-li o druhé nebo třetí noční hlídce a nalezne je tak, blahoslavení jsou ti otroci. 39To vězte, že kdyby hospodář věděl, v kterou hodinu přijde zloděj, zůstal by vzhůru a nedovolil by mu prokopat se do domu. 40Také vy buďte připraveni, protože neznáte hodinu, v níž Syn člověka přijde.“ 41Petr řekl: „Pane, říkáš toto podobenství jen nám, nebo také všem?“ 42A Pán řekl: „Kdo tedy je věrný, rozumný správce, jehož pán ustanoví nad svým služebnictvem, aby jim v pravý čas dával příděl potravin? 43Blahoslavený ten otrok, kterého jeho pán po svém příchodu nalezne, že tak činí. 44Vpravdě vám pravím, že ho ustanoví nade vším svým majetkem. 45Kdyby si však onen otrok řekl ve svém srdci: ‚Můj pán dlouho nepřichází‘, a začal by bít sluhy i služky, jíst a pít a opíjet se, 46přijde pán onoho otroka v den, kdy to nečeká, a v hodinu, kterou nezná, oddělí ho a určí mu díl s nevěrnými. 47Ten otrok, který znal vůli svého Pána, a přece všechno nepřipravil a neudělal podle jeho vůle, bude velmi zbit. 48Kdo ji však neznal a učinil něco, co si zaslouží rány, bude zbit méně. Od každého, komu bylo hodně dáno, bude také hodně vyžádáno, a komu svěřili hodně, od toho budou žádat více.“ 49„Oheň jsem přišel uvrhnout na zemi; a jak chci, aby se již vznítil! 50Křtem mám být pokřtěn, a jak jsem svírán, dokud se nedokoná! 51Myslíte, že jsem přišel dát na zemi pokoj? Ne, pravím vám, ale rozdělení. 52Neboť od této chvíle bude v jednom domě pět lidí rozděleno: tři proti dvěma a dva proti třem; 53budou rozděleni otec proti synu a syn proti otci, matka proti dceři a dcera proti matce, tchyně proti své snaše a snacha proti tchyni. “ 54Říkal také zástupům: „Když uvidíte na západě vznikat oblak, hned říkáte: ‚Přijde prudký déšť.‘ A bývá to tak. 55A když vane jižní vítr, říkáte: ‚Bude horko.‘ A bývá. 56Pokrytci! Vzhled země a nebe umíte rozpoznávat; jak to, že tento čas rozpoznávat neumíte?“ 57„Proč i sami od sebe nerozsuzujete, co je správné? 58Když jdeš se svým protivníkem k vládci, usiluj o vyrovnání s ním už cestou, aby tě nevlekl k soudci a soudce tě nepředal biřici a biřic tě neuvrhl do vězení. 59Pravím ti, že odtamtud jistě nevyjdeš, dokud nevrátíš poslední haléř. “
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 WARNING AGAINST HYPOCRISY. (
Luke 12:1-
Luke 12:12)
meantime--in close connection, probably, with the foregoing scene. Our Lord had been speaking out more plainly than ever before, as matters were coming to a head between Him and His enemies, and this seems to have suggested to His own mind the warning here. He had just Himself illustriously exemplified His own precepts.
his disciples first of all--afterwards to "the multitudes" (
Luke 12:54).
covered--from the view.
2 hid--from knowledge. "Tis no use concealing anything, for all will one day come out. Give free and fearless utterance then to all the truth." (Compare
1Cor 4:3,
1Cor 4:5).
4 I say, &c.--You will say, That may cost us our life. Be it so; but, "My friends, there their power ends." He calls them "my friends" here, not in any loose sense, but, as we think, from the feeling He then had that in this "killing of the body" He and they were going to be affectingly one with each other.
5 Fear Him . . . Fear Him--how striking the repetition here! Only the one fear would effectually expel the other.
after he hath killed, &c.--Learn here--(1) To play false with one's convictions to save one's life, may fail of its end after all, for God can inflict a violent death in some other and equally formidable way. (2) There is a hell, it seems, for the body as well as the soul; consequently, sufferings adapted to the one as well as the other. (3) Fear of hell is a divinely authorized and needed motive of action even to Christ's "friends." (4) As Christ's meekness and gentleness were not compromised by such harsh notes as these, so those servants of Christ lack their Master's spirit who soften down all such language to please ears "polite." (See on
Mark 9:43-
Mark 9:48).
6 five . . . for two farthings--In
Matt 10:29 it is "two for one farthing"; so if one took two farthings' worth, he got one in addition--of such small value were they.
than many sparrows--not "than millions of sparrows"; the charm and power of our Lord's teaching is very much in this simplicity.
8 confess . . . deny--The point lies in doing it "before men," because one has to do it "despising the shame." But when done, the Lord holds Himself bound to repay it in kind by confessing such "before the angels of God." For the rest, see on
Luke 9:26.
10 Son of man . . . Holy Ghost--(See on
Matt 12:31-
Matt 12:32).
13 COVETOUSNESS--WATCHFULNESS--SUPERIORITY TO EARTHLY TIES. (Luke 12:13-53)
Master, &c.--that is, "Great Preacher of righteousness, help; there is need of Thee in this rapacious world; here am I the victim of injustice, and that from my own brother, who withholds from me my rightful share of the inheritance that has fallen to us." In this most inopportune intrusion upon the solemnities of our Lord's teaching, there is a mixture of the absurd and the irreverent, the one, however, occasioning the other. The man had not the least idea that his case was not of as urgent a nature, and as worthy the attention of our Lord, as anything else He could deal with.
14 Man, &c.--Contrast this style of address with "my friends," (
Luke 12:4).
who, &c.--a question literally repudiating the office which Moses assumed (
Exod 2:14). The influence of religious teachers in the external relations of life has ever been immense, when only the INDIRECT effect of their teaching; but whenever they intermeddle DIRECTLY with secular and political matters, the spell of that influence is broken.
15 unto them--the multitude around Him (
Luke 12:1).
of covetousness--The best copies have "all," that is, "every kind of covetousness"; because as this was one of the more plausible forms of it, so He would strike at once at the root of the evil.
a man's life, &c.--a singularly weighty maxim, and not less so because its meaning and its truth are equally evident.
16 a certain rich man, &c.--Why is this man called a "fool?" (
Luke 12:20) (1) Because he deemed a life of secure and abundant earthly enjoyment the summit of human felicity. (2) Because, possessing the means of this, through prosperity in his calling, he flattered himself that he had a long lease of such enjoyment, and nothing to do but give himself up to it. Nothing else is laid to his charge.
20 this night, &c.--This sudden cutting short of his career is designed to express not only the folly of building securely upon the future, but of throwing one's whole soul into what may at any moment be gone. "Thy soul shall be required of thee" is put in opposition to his own treatment of it, "I will say to my soul, Soul," &c.
whose shall those things be, &c.--Compare
Ps 39:6, "He heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them."
21 So is he, &c.--Such is a picture of his folly here, and of its awful issue.
and is not rich toward God--lives to amass and enjoy riches which terminate on self, but as to the riches of God's favor, which is life (
Ps 30:5), of "precious" faith (
2Pet 1:1;
Jas 2:5), of good works (
1Tim 6:18), of wisdom which is better than rubies (
Pro 8:11) --lives and dies a beggar!
22 (See on
Matt 6:25-
Matt 6:33).
25 which of you, &c.--Corroding solicitude will not bring you the least of the things ye fret about, though it may double the evil of wanting them. And if not the least, why vex yourselves about things of more consequence?
29 of doubtful, &c.--unsettled mind; put off your balance.
32 little flock, &c.--How sublime and touching a contrast between this tender and pitying appellation, "Little flock" (in the original a double diminutive, which in German can be expressed, but not in English)--and the "good pleasure" of the Father to give them the Kingdom; the one recalling the insignificance and helplessness of that then literal handful of disciples, the other holding up to their view the eternal love that encircled them, the everlasting arms that were underneath them, and the high inheritance awaiting them!--"the kingdom"; grand word; then why not "bread" (
Luke 12:31 [BENGEL]). Well might He say, "Fear not!"
33 Sell, &c.--This is but a more vivid expression of
Matt 6:19-
Matt 6:21 (see on
Matt 6:19-
Matt 6:21).
35 loins . . . girded--to fasten up the long outer garment, always done before travel and work (
2Kgs 4:29;
Acts 12:8). The meaning is, Be in readiness.
lights, &c.--(See on
Matt 25:1).
36 return from the wedding--not come to it, as in the parable of the virgins. Both have their spiritual significance; but preparedness for Christ's coming is the prominent idea.
37 gird himself, &c.--"a promise the most august of all: Thus will the Bridegroom entertain his friends (nay, servants) on the solemn Nuptial Day" [BENGEL].
38 second . . . third watch--To find them ready to receive Him at any hour of day or night, when one might least of all expect Him, is peculiarly blessed. A servant may be truly faithful, even though taken so far unawares that he has not everything in such order and readiness for his master's return as he thinks is due to him, and both could and would have had if he had had notice of the time of his coming, and so may not be willing to open to him "immediately," but fly to preparation, and let his master knock again ere he admit him, and even then not with full joy. A too common case this with Christians. But if the servant have himself and all under his charge in such a state that at any hour when his master knocks, he can open to him "immediately," and hail his "return"--that is the most enviable, "blessed" servant of all.
41 unto us or even to all?--us the Twelve, or all this vast audience?
42 Who then, &c.--answering the question indirectly by another question, from which they were left to gather what it would be:--To you certainly in the first instance, representing the "stewards" of the "household" I am about to collect, but generally to all "servants" in My house.
faithful and wise--Fidelity is the first requisite in a servant, wisdom (discretion and judgment in the exercise of his functions), the next.
steward--house steward, whose it was to distribute to the servants their allotted portion of food.
shall make--will deem fit to be made.
44 make him ruler over all he hath--will advance him to the highest post, referring to the world to come. (See
Matt 25:21,
Matt 25:23).
45 begin to beat, &c.--In the confidence that his Lord's return will not be speedy, he throws off the role of servant and plays the master, maltreating those faithful servants who refuse to join him, seizing on and revelling in the fulness of his master's board; intending, when he has got his fill, to resume the mask of fidelity ere his master appear.
46 cut him in sunder--a punishment not unknown in the East; compare
Heb 11:37, "sawn asunder" (
1Sam 15:33;
Dan 2:5).
the unbelievers--the unfaithful, those unworthy of trust (
Matt 24:51), "the hypocrites," falsely calling themselves "servants."
48 knew not--that is knew but partially; for some knowledge is presupposed both in the name "servant" of Christ, and his being liable to punishment at all.
many . . . few stripes--degrees of future punishment proportioned to the knowledge sinned against. Even heathens are not without knowledge enough for future judgment; but the reference here is not to such. It is a solemn truth, and though general, like all other revelations of the future world, discloses a tangible and momentous principle in its awards.
49 to send--cast.
fire--"the higher spiritual element of life which Jesus came to introduce into this earth (compare
Matt 3:11), with reference to its mighty effects in quickening all that is akin to it and destroying all that is opposed. To cause this element of life to take up its abode on earth, and wholly to pervade human hearts with its warmth, was the lofty destiny of the Redeemer" [OLSHAUSEN: so CALVIN, STIER, ALFORD, &c.].
what will I, &c.--an obscure expression, uttered under deep and half-smothered emotion. In its general import all are agreed; but the nearest to the precise meaning seems to be, "And what should I have to desire if it were once already kindled?" [BENGEL and BLOOMFIELD].
50 But . . . a baptism, &c.--clearly, His own bloody baptism, first to take place.
how . . . straitened--not, "how do I long for its accomplishment," as many understand it, thus making it but a repetition of
Luke 12:49; but "what a pressure of spirit is upon Me."
till it be accomplished--till it be over. Before a promiscuous audience, such obscure language was fit on a theme like this; but oh, what surges of mysterious emotion in the view of what was now so near at hand does it reveal!
51 peace . . . ? Nay, &c.--the reverse of peace, in the first instance. (See on
Matt 10:34-
Matt 10:36.) The connection of all this with the foregoing warnings about hypocrisy, covetousness, and watchfulness, is deeply solemn: "My conflict hasten apace; Mine over, yours begins; and then, let the servants tread in their Master's steps, uttering their testimony entire and fearless, neither loving nor dreading the world, anticipating awful wrenches of the dearest ties in life, but looking forward, as I do, to the completion of their testimony, when, reaching the haven after the tempest, they shall enter into the joy of their Lord."
54 NOT DISCERNING THE SIGNS OF THE TIME. (
Luke 12:54-
Luke 12:59)
to the people--"the multitude," a word of special warning to the thoughtless crowd, before dismissing them. (See on
Matt 16:2-
Matt 16:3).
56 how . . . not discern, &c.--unable to perceive what a critical period that was for the Jewish Church.
57 why even of yourselves, &c.--They might say, To do this requires more knowledge of Scripture and providence than we possess; but He sends them to their own conscience, as enough to show them who He was, and win them to immediate discipleship.
58 When thou goest, &c.--(See on
Matt 5:25-
Matt 5:26). The urgency of the case with them, and the necessity, for their own safety, of immediate decision, was the object of these striking words.
