“Then one from the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher,
tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ But He said to him, ‘Man,
who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?’ And He said to them, ‘Take heed
and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of
the things he possesses.’” —Luke 12:13-15
These verses precede the parable about
the rich man building bigger barns. Jesus had been talking to his
disciples about spiritual matters when the man asked Jesus about money and
civil injustice. The request revealed a couple
of things. First, it revealed the man’s heart.
He was not particularly interested in spiritual matters – what he wanted
was what was lawfully coming to him and he wanted Jesus to help him. Second, Jesus revealed that His purpose was
not to be a civil judge – Jesus is the eternal judge – who will separate the
sheep and the goats on that day. Jesus knew the man’s heart and the man’s
devotion. His heart was devoted to earthly wealth and pursuing his passion –
money, possession, and the accumulation of both.
“Do not love the world or the things
in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For
all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is
passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides
forever.” – 1 John 2:15-17
It is a part of our nature to lust after
these things. The idea that our world will be right if we just have enough
money and things. There is a stream of
thought that the proof of God’s blessing is that we have a bounty of worldly
possessions. If your friend was a
diabetic and struggled with eating the things that hurt them, why would you
offer them the very thing that was harmful to them.
“This Book of the
Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and
night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For
then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” – Joshua 1:8
It is in our nature to define prosperity
and success in terms of what the world treasures. Just like Jesus talking to the man about his inheritance,
God does not bless us with material wealth so that we can be at peace in our
hearts. The peace God wants us to enjoy is a fruit of the Spirit of God that
transcends our circumstances. If you pursue possessions as the source of your
peace, you will abandon your devotion to the Father. A couple
of verses for you to dwell on today.
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I
give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27
“Be anxious for nothing, but in
everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be
made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For
His Glory Alone
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