Luke 12 26

Luke 12:26 kjv

If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

Luke 12:26 nkjv

If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?

Luke 12:26 niv

Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Luke 12:26 esv

If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

Luke 12:26 nlt

And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?

Luke 12 verses

Luke 12 26 Meaning

Luke 12:26 teaches that since humanity lacks the ability to control even the most trivial aspects of life, such as one's stature or lifespan, it is illogical and spiritually misguided to worry about greater life necessities. The verse highlights human powerlessness and encourages a deeper trust in God's sovereign care and provision over worldly concerns, asserting that anxiety is a fruitless endeavor when control over essentials is absent.

Luke 12 26 Context

Luke 12:26 is part of Jesus' discourse to His disciples and the larger crowd regarding worries about life, provision, and wealth. This specific teaching, found from Luke 12:22-34, is a central theme in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (parallel in Matthew 6:25-34). Preceding this verse, Jesus admonishes His followers not to worry about food, drink, or clothing, using the examples of ravens being fed by God (Lk 12:24) and lilies being clothed more magnificently than Solomon (Lk 12:27-28). The immediate preceding verse (Lk 12:25) specifically asks who, by worrying, can add a single cubit to their life span, setting the stage for the rhetorical question of verse 26, which highlights humanity's utter lack of control over even the smallest, most fundamental aspects of existence. The overall context emphasizes radical trust in God as a caring Father and a call to prioritize seeking His Kingdom above all material concerns.

Luke 12 26 Word analysis

• If then (εἰ οὖν, ei oun): The particle "if" (εἰ) introduces a conditional clause, while "then" or "therefore" (οὖν) indicates a logical consequence or deduction from what has just been stated. This phrase directly connects the current point to the preceding argument about inability to add to one's life. It serves to draw a logical conclusion from a recognized inability.
• you are not able (οὐ δύνασθε, ou dynasthe): "οὐ" (not) provides absolute negation. "δύνασθε" (you are able) comes from dynamai, meaning to be able, to have power or strength. The phrase underscores the inherent human lack of power or control, specifically over life's most basic functions.
• to do (ποιήσαι, poiēsai): An aorist infinitive from poieō, meaning "to make, to do, to accomplish." In this context, it refers to exercising control or achieving an outcome. This word highlights that human inability extends to performing even simple, self-directed acts regarding life.
• even what is least (οὐδὲ ἐλάχιστον, oude elachiston): "οὐδὲ" (not even/nor) intensifies the negation. "ἐλάχιστον" is the superlative form of elachys (small, little, least). This powerfully emphasizes the utter insignificance or minimal nature of the thing that humans cannot control. In Matthew's parallel, this "least thing" is specified as adding a cubit to one's height or span of life (Mt 6:27). Luke generalizes it, perhaps to imply any utterly minor aspect of one's existence that remains outside human control. The point is if the most minor thing cannot be controlled, nothing else truly can.
• why are you anxious (τί μεριμνᾶτε, ti merimnate): "τί" (why) introduces a rhetorical question, which functions as a sharp rebuke or an appeal to logic. "μεριμνᾶτε" (you are anxious) comes from merimnaō, meaning "to be anxious, to be worried, to be distracted, to care for." This term points to the mental and emotional state of worry, often driven by a perceived lack or an uncertain future. The rhetorical question exposes the illogic and futility of such a state.
• about the rest (περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν, peri tōn loipōn): "περὶ" (about/concerning) indicates the subject of the anxiety. "τῶν λοιπῶν" (the remaining things/the rest) refers to all the other, usually greater, things that people tend to worry about—food, clothing, possessions, security, future—which are far more complex and outside human control than the "least" thing.

Words-group analysis:

• If then you are not able to do even what is least: This clause establishes the premise of human limitations. It is a logical foundation, stating that humanity utterly lacks control over fundamental, minute aspects of life (like controlling one's lifespan or basic physiological processes). This highlights dependence and underscores the irrationality of subsequent actions.
• why are you anxious about the rest?: This is a direct rhetorical question building upon the premise. Given human powerlessness over the "least," it presents the act of worrying about greater or "the rest" of life's provisions and circumstances as profoundly illogical and foolish. It exposes anxiety as a misplaced focus of control and a sign of spiritual shortsightedness, rather than an effective problem-solving strategy. The very act of worrying implies an assumption of control that the preceding premise has utterly denied.

Luke 12 26 Bonus section

The underlying polemic in Luke 12:26 challenges any belief system, whether conscious or unconscious, that places ultimate control over life's circumstances in human hands. This includes philosophies of self-reliance taken to an extreme or cultural norms that define success purely by material security achieved through anxious foresight. By highlighting the human inability to control "even what is least," Jesus underscores that ultimate power and providence reside solely with God. To worry about "the rest" is to functionally deny God's sovereignty and His fatherly concern. It is an argument against merimna (anxiety/worry) as a manifestation of a "little faith" (Lk 12:28), implying a deficiency in trusting God as the source of all provision, rather than external factors or self-generated security. This radical trust sets believers apart from those who seek worldly security as their primary aim.

Luke 12 26 Commentary

Luke 12:26 functions as a critical bridge in Jesus' discourse on anxiety and God's providence. It draws a stark contrast between human limitation and the pervasive human tendency to worry. By framing anxiety as an illogical response to an acknowledged lack of control, Jesus directly confronts a common human condition. The "least thing" refers to one's fundamental biological existence (such as adding to one's lifespan or height, as specified in Matthew's parallel), which lies completely beyond human manipulation. If one cannot even alter these basic, microscopic aspects of their own life by sheer force of will or anxiety, then worrying about broader, more complex external factors—like securing food, clothing, or shelter—is exposed as futile and misplaced. This verse encourages a complete reorientation of trust, moving from reliance on self-effort or anxious concern to absolute dependence on God's omnipotent and loving care. Anxiety, therefore, is not merely an emotional state but reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of humanity's place in relation to God's sovereignty. It is an invitation to radical trust, finding peace in the certainty that if God cares for ravens and lilies, He will certainly care for His children.

For example, when people fret over career promotions, financial stability for retirement, or future health outcomes, they are essentially worrying about "the rest." This verse calls us to recognize our true inability to guarantee these things and instead to release these anxieties to the One who genuinely orchestrates life, reminding us that such worries cannot add a single moment to our lives, nor can they guarantee our provisions.