Luke 12:23 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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

Luke 12:22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

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

Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

Luke 12:25 And which of you with 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 unto his disciples Therefore..." into verse 24's "Consider the ravens for they neither sow...", 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.