Church Fathers Commentary Luke 12:32-34

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father`s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 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. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." — Luke 12:32-34 (ASV)

Glossa Ordinaria: Our Lord, having removed concern for temporal things from the hearts of His disciples, now banishes fear from them, from which unnecessary worries arise, saying, Fear not, etc.

Theophylact of Ohrid: By the "little flock," our Lord signifies those who are willing to become His disciples. This may be because in this world the saints seem small on account of their voluntary poverty, or because they are outnumbered by the multitude of angels, who incomparably exceed any number we can boast of. Our Lord gives the name "little" to the company of the elect, either in comparison with the greater number of the reprobate, or more likely, because of their devout humility.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: He shows why they should not fear by adding, for it is your Father’s good pleasure. It is as if He says, "How could He who gives such precious things grow weary of showing you mercy?" For although His flock is small in nature, number, and renown, yet the goodness of the Father has granted even to this little flock the portion of heavenly spirits, that is, the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, so that you may possess the kingdom of heaven, despise this world's wealth. Therefore, it is added, Sell what you have, etc.

The Venerable Bede: It is as if He says, "Do not fear that those who fight for the kingdom of God will lack the necessities of this life." But sell what you have for the sake of giving alms. This is done worthily when a person, having once forsaken all they have for the Lord's sake, nevertheless later labors with their hands to be able to both earn a living and give alms.

St. John Chrysostom: For there is no sin that almsgiving cannot blot out. It is a salve for every wound. But almsgiving has to do not only with money, but with all matters in which one person helps another, as when a physician heals, or a wise person gives counsel.

St. Gregory of Nazianzus: Now I fear that you might think deeds of mercy are not necessary for you, but are voluntary. I also thought so, but I was alarmed at the goats placed on the left hand, not because they robbed, but because they did not minister to Christ among the poor.

St. John Chrysostom: For without alms it is impossible to see the kingdom. For just as a fountain grows foul if it keeps its water within itself, so also do rich people when they hold on to everything they possess.

St. Basil the Great: But someone will ask, on what grounds should we sell what we have? Is it because these things are harmful by nature, or because of the temptation they pose to our souls? To this we must answer, first, that if anything existing in the world were evil in itself, it would not be a creation of God, for every creation of God is good. And second, our Lord's command teaches us not to cast away what we possess as if it were evil, but to distribute it, saying, and give alms.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Now perhaps this command is burdensome to the rich, yet to those who are of a sound mind, it is not without benefit, for their treasure is the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, it follows, Provide for yourselves bags which wax not old, etc.

The Venerable Bede: That is, by giving alms, the reward of which endures forever. This must not be taken as a command that the saints should keep no money, either for their own use or for the use of the poor, since we read that our Lord Himself, to whom angels ministered, had a bag in which He kept the offerings of the faithful. Rather, it means that God should not be obeyed for the sake of such things, and that righteousness should not be abandoned out of fear of poverty.

Gregory of Nyssa: But He bids us lay up our visible and earthly treasures where the power of corruption cannot reach, and therefore He adds, a treasure that fails not, etc.

Theophylact of Ohrid: It is as if He said, "Here the moth corrupts, but there is no corruption in heaven." Then, because there are some things that the moth does not corrupt, He goes on to speak of the thief, for the moth does not corrupt gold, but the thief takes it away.

The Venerable Bede: Should it then be simply understood that money kept fails, while money given to our neighbor bears everlasting fruit in heaven? Or, that the treasure of good works, if it is stored up for the sake of earthly advantage, is soon corrupted and perishes? But if it is laid up solely for heavenly reasons, it can be defiled neither outwardly by the favor of men (like a thief who steals from without), nor inwardly by vainglory (like a moth that devours from within).

Glossa Ordinaria: Or, the thieves are heretics and evil spirits, who are bent on depriving us of spiritual things. The moth that secretly eats away at garments is envy, which spoils good desires and breaks the bonds of charity.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Moreover, because not all things are taken away by theft, He adds a more excellent reason, and one which admits of no objection, saying, For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. It is as if He says, "Suppose that neither moth corrupts nor thief takes away; yet this very thing—having one's heart fixed on a buried treasure and sinking a divine work (that is, the soul) to the earth—how great a punishment it deserves!"

Eusebius of Caesarea: For every person naturally dwells on the object of their desire, and directs all their thoughts there, where they suppose their whole interest lies. If anyone, then, has their whole mind and affections (which he calls the heart) set on the things of this present life, they live in earthly things. But if they have given their mind to heavenly things, their mind will be there also. Consequently, they seem to live among people with their body only, but with their mind to have already reached the heavenly mansion.

The Venerable Bede: Now this must be understood not only concerning the love of money, but concerning all the passions. Luxurious feasts are treasures, as are the amusements of the carefree and the desires of the lover.