Luke 12:32

As They Seek The Kingly Rule of God And Its Establishment Among Men They Must Recognise That It is Not All Just A Matter Of Numbers.

“Fear not, little flock; for your Father was pleased to give you the Kingly Rule.”

Jesus saw their thoughts and realised that they were puzzled about how the Kingly Rule of God could come about when they were so few. They had followed Him for some time and numbers had grown promisingly, and then they seemed to have fallen. Now they seemed again but few. And yet, they must have thought, surely if we are to bring in the Kingly Rule of God over men it will take a great army. But where were was this army? (John the Baptiser had probably been thinking the same thing - Luke 7:20). Why had Jesus allowed them to dwindle to so few? They still had completely wrong ideas about everything.

So lest they be afraid that somehow they would miss out on the Kingly Rule of God because of their small numbers, He assures them that it will not be so. They should recognise that the fact that they are here with Him is the guarantee of it. The Kingly Rule of God is in fact here in Him. And thus the Kingly Rule of God has already been given to them. They may see themselves as only comparatively few in number, ‘a little flock', and may be asking themselves how the Kingly Rule of God can possibly come about with so few, but they will find that it will be so, for it is the Father's good pleasure to give to THEM the Kingly Rule of God. They must rest within God's own will and purposes.

Rather than waiting for large numbers to enrol, they will shortly discover that, few in number though they may be, God will begin to introduce His Kingly Rule through them. It is His gift to  them, few though they are, because they are His sheep and His flock, and it will not fail because they are few in numbers. They need not think that because they are few they cannot belong to a King, or bring in His Kingly Rule, because kings usually have large flocks. A large flock is not required in this case, for He is more concerned about the quality. So let them seek to enter fully under His Kingly Rule now, ready for what is to come, and not worry about their numbers.

We can compare for the idea of the flock, Luke 15:4; Matthew 10:16; John 10:1; John 10:27; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2, also Isaiah 40:11, and recognise that only God could have determined to bring in His Kingly Rule through a small bunch of sheep.