Luke 12:13–23
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Are You Ready?
Go ahead and try. Try to grasp that a trillion months is barely the beginning of eternity, and eternity is unconstrained by time. It will never end. This is why Jesus urges us to focus our lives on being well prepared for it, rather than distracted and pre-occupied by our needs and desires through our brief days on earth. In Luke chapter 12, Jesus puts his finger on the subtle motivations and natural pursuits of our human nature that lead to spiritual poverty. He teaches us instead the joyful way to wealth which lasts forever.
I suspect most of us, at some time in our lives, have dreamed of a financial windfall that could make life so much easier, and maybe even secure wealth for the rest of our lives. I used to dream of winning the local dream home though I never bought a ticket. My chances were nil of course, but the dream was still enchanting. For many people, the enormously popular purchase of lottery tickets is their way of buying hope.
There was a man in Jesus’ day who gathered with a crowd of thousands to be near Jesus. He was promised financial gain which was rightfully and legally his and his mind was set on it. We do not know the specifics of his circumstances, but we can speculate about his mindset.
He may have eagerly anticipated the elevated prestige his new wealth could buy for him. He also wanted to ensure the years to come would be full of pleasure.
Maybe the extra income would finally eliminate the struggle of providing for life’s expenses, such as reliable transportation, medical costs, increasing taxes or educational needs. The home was crowded, the furniture needed to be replaced.
Or, like far too many today, he wrestled with the basic daily struggle of securing food and warm clothes and adequate housing for those in his care. Perhaps debt hung in industrial sized chains around his neck, and he planned to free himself with this promised income.
We are not informed of this man’s circumstance. What is clear is that the loss of this windfall, and the injustice he felt, consumed his thoughts. It bothered him so much that in the middle of a crowd of thousands he called to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (12:13).
Ouch. A brother swindling an inheritance is a painful betrayal. His brother was supposed to love him and look out for his best. His share of the estate was something his parents had wanted him to enjoy, to bless him with and to provide for him. Perhaps he just wanted what he was owed, or perhaps the man’s eyes had become green with greed, and he had convinced himself he owned more property than was legally his. Inheritance disputes can arise easily in families. They are all too common today, just as they were among Gentiles in those days. They were less frequent among the Jews and when they did arise, the rabbis, as experts of the law, could be asked to help settle them.
Though far from humorous, his request reminds me of the times our married sons banter in the kitchen as they pitch in to clean up after a festive family meal. Inevitably, they revert to appealing to their former authority figure: Mom. Soon enough, I hear the playful banter and calls for intervention. “Mo-om,” the 6’5” man will call, “Joseph punched me!” “Mo-om,” his brother will mimic, “Jonathan whipped me with the tea towel!” Their eyes dance with mischief and they laugh aloud as I call back, “Boys, be nice to each other. You are the only brothers you have.”
This was not a playful request. In a society that used shame to keep people in line, this man’s public call for justice was quite likely in the presence of his brother. He did not ask Jesus to come with him and meet with his brother, but simply to tell him, I believe because the brother was also in the crowd. Jesus did not participate in shaming the brother, just as he will not shame you. He replies, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you” (12:14)?
Does Jesus not care? Jesus said the Father gave him authority to execute judgement so why deny this request? (Jn 5:22) Jesus had come to earth to call people to a far more important pursuit of eternal benefits and rewards. He rings a warning bell for us and tells a story.
He warns us to beware of every kind of greed that can surface in our hearts. We need to guard against the greed to own more than, receive admiration and envy, adulation and applause for your possessions, or to be better than, or at least equal to your peers.
We are cautioned not to ignore the silent dynamite of greed that can hide in our own human nature, because in the right conditions it can ignite. Paul told young Timothy that those who strive to get rich become entrapped with harmful desires that can plunge them into destruction. The love of money, he said, is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim 6:9,10).
Neither our possessions nor our perceived financial security measure our value or give us life. Life, our Lord says, is not measured by how much you own.
I know a Christian man who had a Christian business partner, someone he trusted, respected and considered a friend. Some time passed as they built their professional business before greed seemed to overtake his partner. The man was swindled from large amounts of unpaid earnings, always under the pretense there was never enough money to pay the contractual agreement. After several years of hoping for profits to increase, the man became aware of shady internal dealings by the trusted friend. He left the business.
Soon after, his former partner seemed to suddenly have an abundance of resources for a large, new, extravagant home and extensive vacations. The swindled partner wrestled through the injustice, but did not take the Christian business partner to court. He trusted God for justice and surrendered to 1 Cor. 6:7, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” The wronged partner continued to live contently and generously toward others. His character grew and shined brightly, reflecting Christ more and more. Many years later, the financial theft still affects him. But according to Jesus, who is the richer of the two?
Maybe you have also felt defrauded, held back, or unjustly treated by a family member, a boss, a group of people or government systems.
In verse 16, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man to help us lift our eyes higher and define true riches.
Why did God call the wealthy man a fool? Because he had invested his life in selfish pursuits, not in the things that matter to God. Jesus urges that relationships and being generous toward God are of higher eternal value than temporal comfort, pleasure and possessions. The fool’s attitude toward his treasure revealed where his heart lay and rings a second warning bell for us.
Work hard, store up and invest as much as you can so that one day, you can say to yourself, “I’m set for the rest of my life. Then I can take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy myself.” This is a very familiar attitude today, is it not? It is the pursuit of millions. In fact, self-satisfying pursuit is so common we can easily confuse the focus of our life, especially our non-earning years, to be about our pleasure and enjoyment. But this will leave us spiritually poor and unprepared for eternity.
Undoubtedly, it is wise and prudent to be attentive to what God has entrusted to you and ensure that as much as is within your ability, you have been faithful to secure financial provisions for your non-earning years. The danger for us comes when we fret, stew and strive over it, or decide retirement is about our own pleasure. In a church I once served in, I cringed when some newly retired seniors expressed the attitude, “I have served long enough in the church.” Fully capable and with much energy, they stepped back from sacrificial service and shifted their focus to their enjoyment. I am very grateful for our seniors at Alliance Community Fellowship who faithfully, sacrificially and cheerfully serve well into their seventies, even though their bodies are tired and ache. I regard them as saints, laying up heavenly treasures.
In our younger years we are wise to be vigilant about our attitude to what we possess - or lack. The Bible teaches us to be content with what we have because our value is not measured by the contents of our closet, garage, bank account or home. None of that comes with us when we die, so Jesus tells us to hold it all loosely and be willing to release it to him.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (I Tim 6:6-8).
Maybe you have played the comparison game. If you are human, which you must be if you’re reading this, I suspect you know the game. I remember one Sunday many years ago, I exited the church service when I noticed a woman about my age. That’s where the comparison ended. In every way she was superior to me. She was dressed to the nines with new heeled boots, stylish jewelry, a leather jacket, smart top and pants and highlights in her hair. I felt frumpy beside her, with no new clothes for the season. I played the comparison game - and failed. Unexpectedly, I heard God say to my heart, “Ria, what is more precious to me? A heart that loves me and others, or a cold, hardened heart?” “A heart that loves, Lord,” I realized. “Well then, don’t compare yourself to others.”
Maybe you assess how well you measure up with your stature, vehicle, postal code, tools, toys, titles or letters behind your name. It is part of our natural desire to pursue the things everyone else does, but Jesus shows us a much better way. His way affirms our high value in his eyes and helps us uproot the anxiety that often ties us in knots and makes our head ache.
Jesus goes on to describe what things are like in the Kingdom of God. It brings about the goodness, hope, peace, justice and freedom of Jesus through the Spirit of Christ within us. It is living sacrificially, serving gladly and surrendering our will to the Father just as he did.
From the unjustly treated man, to the rich but impoverished fool, to the Father’s promise to provide for our minutest and greatest needs, Jesus helps up prepare for eternity. He reminds us to prioritize what matters to God by focusing our lives on pleasing him and be willing to hold our possessions loosely. We can trust him to joyfully provide all our needs. This is laying up treasure in heaven that can never be taken away from you.
Blessed are those who do not demand their needs be met according to their standards before they follow after Jesus.
Blessed are those who do not stumble over injustice, financial security or dreams of deserved ease, but set their hearts completely on Christ’s eternal kingdom.
Blessed are those who grow in trust of their Father’s goodness and pursue his kingdom, for they will be given all they need and amass for themselves treasures in heaven.
Is anything holding you back from wholeheartedly pursuing Jesus and his kingdom? Ask Jesus to show you, and spend some time with him talking about what you have learned or been reminded of today.
Then close with this prayer Jesus taught us to pray in the chapter just before the one we examined, Luke 11:2-4
Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:
“Father, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
Give us each day the food we need,
and forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.
Author Bio
Ria and Jim Millwater reside in Grande Prairie, Alberta where they raised their three children. They now enjoy five beautiful grandchildren. God surprised Ria by calling her to minister as lead pastor in the hamlet of Hythe, Alberta in 2019. It is her privilege to serve this kind, loving and faithful congregation.
Phone: 789-356-3880
Email: hythealliance@gmail.com
Luke and Acts taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
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