Luke 12:56 Meaning and Explanation
“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?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Hypocrites — you can discern the face of the sky and the earth; how is it you do not discern this present time?
What Does Luke 12:56 Mean?
The verdict lands, and it carries the chapter's opening word: hypocrites (v. 1). Their failure to recognize the hour is not inability — they test the sky expertly — but unwillingness wearing the mask of ignorance. This time is the season of visitation: the Messiah among them, the kingdom announced, the hopes of the prophets converging on the One speaking.
Within the rebuke lies an invitation: the evidence is legible to anyone willing to look — His works, His words, the preparation of John. And every generation faces its own form of the question, alert to forecasts and headlines while the movements of God pass unexamined. Discernment of the times begins with honesty about what we might prefer not to see.
Luke 12:56 in the Original Language
kairos (καιρός), 'time' -- the appointed season, the decisive moment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 12:56
What does Luke 12:56 mean?
Hypocrites — you can discern the face of the sky and the earth; how is it you do not discern this present time?