Church Fathers Commentary Luke 12:24-26

"Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his life? If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest?" — Luke 12:24-26 (ASV)

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Just as before, when raising our minds to spiritual boldness, He assured us with the example of the birds, which are considered of little value, saying, You are of more value than many sparrows. So now, also using the example of birds, He conveys to us a firm and unwavering trust, saying, Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feeds them; how much more are you better than the fowls?

The Venerable Bede: That is, you are more precious because a rational animal, such as a human, is of a higher order in the nature of things than irrational creatures like birds.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But it is a great thing to follow this example in faith. For the birds of the air have no labor of tilling and no produce from the fruitfulness of crops, yet Divine Providence grants them an unfailing sustenance.

It is true, then, that the cause of our poverty seems to be covetousness. They have a toilless and abundant supply of food for this reason: they do not think of claiming for themselves, by any special right, the fruits that were given for common use. We have lost what was common by claiming it as our own. For nothing is truly a person’s own when nothing is permanent, nor is one's supply certain when the end is uncertain.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Now, whereas our Lord might have taken an example from people who have cared least about earthly things—such as Elijah, Moses, and John—He instead mentioned the birds. In doing so, He followed the Old Testament, which directs us to the bee, the ant, and other creatures of the same kind, in whom the Creator has implanted certain natural dispositions.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The reason He omits mention of other birds and speaks only of ravens is that the young of the raven are fed by a special providence of God. For the ravens produce young, but they do not feed them; instead, they neglect them. In a marvelous way, food comes to the young from the air, brought as if by the wind, which they receive with open mouths and are thus nourished.

Perhaps this was also spoken by synecdoche—that is, where the whole is signified by a part. Therefore, in Matthew, our Lord refers to the birds of the air, but here He refers more particularly to the ravens, as they are more greedy and ravenous than others.

Eusebius of Caesarea: By the ravens, He also signifies something else. The birds that pick up seeds have a ready source of food, but those that feed on flesh, as ravens do, have more difficulty getting it. Yet birds of this kind suffer from no lack of food, because the providence of God extends everywhere.

He then brings a third argument to the same point, saying, And which of you by taking thought can add to his stature?

St. John Chrysostom: Observe that once God has given a soul, it remains the same, but the body grows daily. Therefore, passing over the soul, which does not increase, He mentions only the body.

He does this to give us to understand that the body is not increased by food alone but by Divine Providence, based on the fact that no one, by taking nourishment, can add anything to his stature. It is therefore concluded: If you then are not able to do that thing which is least, take no thought for the rest.

Eusebius of Caesarea: If no one by his own skill has contrived a bodily stature for himself, and cannot add even the shortest delay to the predetermined limit of his life, why should we be vainly anxious about the necessities of life?

The Venerable Bede: Therefore, leave the care of directing the body to Him, by whose aid you see that you have a body of such a stature.

St. Augustine of Hippo: But in speaking about increasing the stature of the body, He refers to that which is least. That is, it is the least of things for God to make bodies.