Luke 12:32-34 and Waldenström’s Commentary
[Dr. Paul Peter Waldenström based his comments on a Greek New Testament text which he translated into Swedish. Tommy Carlson has translated both the Biblical text and Waldenström’s comments from the Swedish text, 2nd Edition, 1902. — Ed.]
Verse 32—Fear not1 you little flock;2 for it is your Father’s pleasure3 to give you the Kingdom.4
1. When the disciples looked at their humble station and weakness, they easily began to fear that they should falter and never win the Kingdom. But the Father trusted them.
2. With this the Lord means the little flock of disciples that surrounded him. The word can also be applied to believers in general. They are also a little flock, but the Lord is their Shepherd. (Psalm. 23; Ezekiel 34:11 ff., 23 ff; John 10; Matthew 26:31)
3. Verbatim: Your Father has decided with pleasure to give, etc. The same word is used in Matthew 3:17 and 12:18.
4. Namely, God’s Kingdom. For that Kingdom their hearts longed and that Kingdom they would receive. Note that the Lord does not say, the kingdom in highest degree or the kingdom to be accomplished, as some Bible scholars understand the word. No, the kingdom itself is what He has promised His disciples when it comes. Because the Kingdom was and is still something in the future, therefore the Lord taught us to pray and say "Thy Kingdom come." Now we have the congregation; when the Lord comes again, the Kingdom shall come. (Not accomplished, but come.)
Verse 33—Sell1 your possessions, and give alms,2 make yourselves3 purses that do not get old, a treasure that never ends in Heaven, where a thief never comes near, nor moths destroy it; Luke 16:9, acts 2:43, I Timothy 6:9, 11ff.
1. To verses 33-34, compare Matthew 6:19-21.
2. The Lord is talking here to His disciples whom He is sending out into the world to preach the Gospel. For the sake of the job, they needed to free themselves completely of all earthly troubles. Therefore, He demands of them that they sell all possessions and give the monies to the poor. That the Lord does not make this a general commandment for all believers is clear in the whole evangelistic history in which several rich persons appear as believers in Jesus. See Matthew 26:9, 27:57 and compare even Acts 5:4. The general commandment for those who have possessions can be read in I Timothy 6:17-19.
3. When you give to others, you yourselves win.
Verse 34—For where your treasure is, there is also you heart.