Luke 12:31 (KJV)

Passage

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Nearby Context

Luke 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

Luke 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rather", "seek", "kingdom", "things", "shall", and "added". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "rather" and "seek", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "For all these things do the nations..." into verse 32's "Fear not little flock for it is...", so "rather" and "seek" 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 "rather" and "seek" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.