Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 12:13-15
The temptation of greed 12:13-15 read more
Luke 12:13-34
Thomas Constable
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 12:13-21
2. The importance of the eternal perspective 12:13-21Jesus continued to teach His disciples the importance of following Him faithfully. Responding to a request from someone in the crowd, presumably not a disciple, Jesus warned against greed. Greed is one of the greatest temptations that disciples as well as other people face. It has lured many disciples from the path of faithfulness."If in the earlier section the hypocrisy of the Pharisees introduced teaching for the disciples on avoiding... read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 12:14
By asking this question, Jesus forced the man to consider who Jesus was. This was the fundamental issue for this man. He had appealed to Jesus as a judge, as the Jews often appealed to rabbis to settle such disputes. [Note: Morris, p. 212.] Jesus asked if he realized what He was doing. Really God had appointed Jesus as this man’s judge as well as everyone else’s judge. Hopefully the man faced the question of Jesus’ authority over him and became a believer, but this was not Luke’s concern in... read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 12:15
Jesus warned the man and the crowd, including His disciples, against every form of greed. Greed is wrong because it exalts possessions to a place of importance that is greater than the place they occupy in life. Quality of life is not proportionate to one’s possessions. There is more to life than that. Even an abundance of possessions does not bring fullness of life. The man had implied that his life would be better if he had more possessions. Jesus said that was not necessarily so. People... read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 12:16-18
Jesus told the parable of the rich fool to illustrate His point (Luke 12:15). He presented the rich man as an intelligent farmer. The farmer did only what was reasonable. Jesus was not faulting him for his plans. Likewise the man’s concern about his inheritance was a legitimate concern (Luke 12:13). read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 12:16-21
The parable of the rich fool 12:16-21 read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 12:19
The rich man’s folly lay in what he failed to consider, not in the plans that he made. His words to himself indicate that he thought his life consisted in the abundance of his possessions alone, but there was more to life than he realized, namely, life beyond the grave. The man used a common form of address in speaking to himself (cf. Psalms 41:6; Psalms 41:12; Psalms 42:5). "Soul" or "self" translates the Greek psyche that frequently represents the whole person, as it does here (e.g., James... read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 12:20
God said something different to the man than he had said to himself. This contrast shows the error of the rich man’s thinking. In the Old Testament a fool is essentially someone who disbelieves or disregards God (e.g., Psalms 14:1; cf. Luke 11:40). That is precisely what this man had done regarding the meaning of life. He had thought that he would be comfortable for many years to come (Luke 12:19), but God demanded his life that very night (cf. James 4:13-16). This loss of life contrasts with... read more
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 12:21
Jesus drew the application. A person who only enriches himself and does not lay up treasure in heaven is a fool (cf. Matthew 6:19; 1 Timothy 6:6-10; James 1:10). "For himself" contrasts with "toward God." This translation preserves the form of the contrast in the Greek text. The point of the contrast is the difference between riches on earth and riches in heaven (cf. Matthew 6:19-21)."The man in the story was called a fool for confusing time with eternity, his body for his soul, and what was... read more
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Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 12:13
Evidently the person who made this request viewed Jesus as an ethical authority ("teacher," Gr. didaskale, cf. Luke 7:40) that his brother would respect. His request appears to have been strictly materialistic with no spiritual overtones. The man voiced a legitimate concern. The request provided the setting for the teaching that followed. read more