Life of Christ 119
Jesus and His Apostles
are traveling and preaching through Judea in the Autumn before His death. Our
story today (Luke 12.13-34) is a continuation of a conversation He began
earlier in the chapter with the same crowd.
The Pharisees remind me,
in some respects, of the modern day prosperity gospel types for they believed
that 'whom the Lord loves He makes rich.' Thus, riches became a tangible way of
recognizing whom God was blessing. Of course, this isn't remotely scriptural.
It is actually highly corrosive to genuine spirituality for it begets a pursuit
of riches while justifying it as a pursuit of God's blessing.
Our story today begins
with an interaction between Jesus and the man in the crowd. The man's brother
had received the entire inheritance, as was customary at the time, and he
wanted Jesus to persuade his brother to split it with him. That sounds fair,
right? Not only that, but if this guy was a Pharisee, it was not only fair but
spiritual.
Jesus refused to get
involved, and instead discerned in the man's heart a spirit of covetousness.
'Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth' (Luke 12.15). He then took
advantage of the opportunity of the occasion to establish several principles
about money that are designed to help us overcome a covetous spirit.
First, let us remember
that we can't take what we acquire with us into the next life, contrary to what
the pharaoh's believed (Luke 12.20). There are no U-haul's on caskets.
Second, we are to be
rich toward God (Luke 12.21). We are to want Him and His work to have the use
of our money and property more than we do.
Thirdly, we are not to
be preoccupied with stuff (Luke 12.22).
Fourthly, God is already
well aware of what we need. Other than following the biblical principles of
hard work, saving, staying out of debt, etc. we are to trust God to care for
our physical needs and wants. Coveting has, at its root, the idea of lack, that
we are missing out on something. But God full well knows everything we actually
need, and provides for us very well. The Psalmist said, 'The Lord is my
shepherd. I shall not want.' In other words, I have no unmet need because I
have the best Shepherd of all. Embracing such an attitude goes a long way
toward defeating covetousness.
Fifthly, we are to put
God's kingdom first (Luke 12.31).
Sixthly, we are to
realize that the only way to actually keep something is to give it away. 'Sell
that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a
treasure in the heavens that faileth not' (Luke 12.33). Western Union doesn't
reach Heaven, but the offering plate does.
It isn't wrong to be
rich. Abraham is proof of that. It isn't wrong to save and invest for a future
time of need. The ant in Proverbs is proof of that. It isn't wrong to have a
goal and to work hard at providing something nice for your family. Solomon
built a palace for himself – but he built the Temple first. When God's kingdom
comes in second place in my life, in any area of my life, I'm in trouble.
Covetousness isn't a
matter of things. It is a matter of the heart. When my heart becomes turned
more toward what I want, in the way of physical, earthly, tangible things, more
than it is turned toward God then I have become covetousness. This covetousness
cannot coexist in a heart that loves God supremely. 'For where your treasure
is, there will your heart be also' (Luke 12.34).
What you love and what
you treasure are inextricably linked. Beloved, let us keep our treasure firmly
established in the next world, and our heart will be too.
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