Luke 12:56
ESV
You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
NIV
Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
NASB
You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to analyze this present time?
CSB
Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time?
NLT
You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.
KJV
Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
NKJV
Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?
What does Luke 12:56 mean?
Jesus is walking with the disciples through a crowd of thousands. He is trying to teach the disciples how to live on earth given the coming kingdom of God. They need to be careful to only speak the truth, be willing to give their lives in allegiance to Jesus, trust God for their needs, and wait for Jesus' return while shepherding other believers in their care (Luke 12:1–12, 22–48).In the middle of His teaching, a man from the crowd calls out, insisting that Jesus convince his brother to share the family inheritance. Jesus refuses; His earthly ministry was not to be a civil judge, nor should His followers be worried about worldly wealth. They need to spend their time building a relationship with God (Luke 12:13–21).
In Luke 12:54–56, Jesus returns to the crowd and their misplaced priorities. They can see a cloud or feel a breeze and predict the weather. But they can't look around them and interpret the spiritual situation. The Messiah is right in front of them. He is calling them to repent and seek reconciliation with God. They're willing to follow Jesus, but they're more interested in food than salvation (John 6:26, 66).
The assembled people need to stop worrying so much about their earthly lives. Money doesn't save. Being a good person doesn't win a long life (Luke 13:1–5). They need to reconcile with each other (Luke 12:57–59) and repent of their sins while they can (Luke 13:6–9).
The "present time" includes the many signs Jesus and the disciples have been performing. Jews should have a good working knowledge of the books of the prophets. They should recognize how Jesus' works affirm His identity as the Messiah. If pagan nations had witnessed His deeds, they would have repented (Luke 10:12–14)—even Sodom and Nineveh! The Jews, however, continue asking for signs without seeing (Luke 11:16, 29–30).
Luke 12:54–56 follows along as Jesus turns His attention back to the crowd. Previously, He warned them that seeking riches can take their attention away from building a reconciled relationship with God (Luke 12:13–21). Here, Jesus chastises the crowd for their refusal to see the signs that the kingdom of God has arrived. Their response should be to repent and reconcile with other people (Luke 12:57–59) and with God (Luke 13:1–9). Their time on earth is limited; if they don't act quickly, they'll face hardships on earth and eternal separation from God. Matthew 16:2–3 includes this warning, as well.
Jesus teaches the disciples about proper priorities. This includes recognizing that God knows all things, even secrets. Believers should honor God more than they fear death, or than they worry about things like food and clothes. Christians are to remain ready for Christ's return, even as faith separates those who believe from those who do not. These ideas revolve around the central theme of verse 34: that a person's heart reflects what they value most.
