Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 12:33

"Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth." — Luke 12:33 (ASV)

Sell that you have. Sell your property. Exchange it for that which you can use in distributing charity. This was the condition of their being disciples. Their property they gave up; they forsook it, or they put it into common stock, for the sake of giving alms to the poor (Acts 2:44; Acts 4:32; John 12:6; Acts 5:2).

Bags which do not grow old. The word bags, here, means purses, or the bags attached to their girdles, in which they carried their money (See Barnes on Matthew 5:38).

By "bags which do not grow old," Jesus means that we should lay up treasure in heaven. Our aim should be to be prepared to enter there, where all our wants will be forever provided for.

Purses, here, grow old and useless. Wealth takes to itself wings. Riches are easily scattered, or we must soon leave them; but that wealth which is in heaven abides forever. It never is corrupted; never flies away; never is to be left.

Wax. This word is from an old Saxon word, and in the Bible means to grow.

For "treasure," see Matthew 6:20; 1 Timothy 6:19.