Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 12:23

"For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment." — Luke 12:23 (ASV)

After a brief address to the crowd in vv.13–21, Jesus again turns to his disciples (cf. v.1). Observe the parallelism between v.22 and v.23: a comment on food comes first in each verse, followed by one on clothing. Verse 23 provides the support for the exhortation in v.22: there is more to life than these. The exhortation “do not worry” stands alongside the implied “do not covet” in this passage and the preceding one (cf. v.15); both rich and poor can be guilty of these sins.