Church Fathers Commentary Luke 12:47-48

"And that servant, who knew his lord`s will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes]; but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more." — Luke 12:47-48 (ASV)

Theophylact of Ohrid: Our Lord here points to something still greater and more terrible. The unfaithful steward will not only be deprived of the grace he had, so that it will profit him nothing in escaping punishment, but the greatness of his dignity will instead become a cause of his condemnation. This is why it is said, And that servant who knew his lord’s will and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.

St. John Chrysostom: For not all things are judged the same for everyone; rather, greater knowledge leads to greater punishment. Therefore, a priest who commits the same sin as the people will suffer a far heavier penalty.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: For the person of understanding who has surrendered his will to baser things can only ask for pardon shamelessly, having committed an inexcusable sin by departing, as it were, maliciously from the will of God. The simple or unlearned person, however, can more reasonably ask for pardon from the one who punishes. This is why it is added, But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Here some object, saying, "The one who knows his Lord’s will and does not follow it is deservedly punished, but why is the ignorant person punished?" It is because when he could have known, he chose not to; being lazy, he was the cause of his own ignorance.

St. Basil the Great: But you might say, "If one indeed receives many stripes and the other few, how can some claim that God assigns no end to punishments?" We must understand that what is said here does not assign a measure or an end to punishments, but rather their differences. For a person may deserve unquenchable fire to either a lesser or a more intense degree of heat, and the worm that dies not with greater or more violent gnawing.

Theophylact of Ohrid: He goes on to show why teachers and learned people deserve a more severe punishment, as it is said, For to whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required. Teachers are indeed given the grace to perform miracles, but they are entrusted with the grace of speech and learning.

He says that nothing more is to be sought in what is given, but rather in what is entrusted or deposited, for the grace of the word needs to be increased. More is required from a teacher, for they should not be idle but should improve the talent of the word.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, much is also often given to certain individuals on whom is bestowed the knowledge of God’s will and the means to do what they know. Much is also given to the one to whom, along with his own salvation, is committed the care of feeding our Lord’s flock.

Therefore, a heavier penalty falls on those who are gifted with more abundant grace. The mildest punishment of all, however, will be for those who have added no further sins beyond the guilt they originally contracted. And among all who have added to their guilt, the punishment will be more tolerable for those who have committed the fewest iniquities.