Luke 12:15 (ASV)

Passage

And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man`s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Nearby Context

Luke 12:13 And one out of the multitude said unto him, Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.

Luke 12:14 But he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man`s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Luke 12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

Luke 12:17 and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "take", "heed", "keep", "yourselves", "covetousness", "life", and "consisteth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "take", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "But he said unto him Man who..." into verse 16's "And he spake a parable unto them...", so "said" and "take" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "said" and "take" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.