Luke 12:23 (DRB)

Passage

The life is more than the meat: and the body is more than the raiment.

Nearby Context

Luke 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God.

Luke 12:22 And he said to his disciples: Therefore I say to you: Be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on.

Luke 12:23 The life is more than the meat: and the body is more than the raiment.

Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens, for they sow not, neither do they reap, neither have they storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much are you more valuable than they?

Luke 12:25 And which of you by taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "life", "than", "meat", "body", and "raiment". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "life" and "than", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "And he said to his disciples Therefore..." into verse 24's "Consider the ravens for they sow not...", so "life" and "than" 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 "life" and "than" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.