Apr1

There’s an interesting story in Luke 12:13-21 where a man comes to Jesus and asks him to tell his brother to share his family’s inheritance with him.  Jesus quickly responds by saying “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?”  But the story doesn’t end there.  Jesus uses this man’s comment as an opportunity to further teach him and the crowd around.  He begins with a warning and his main point.  In verse 15 he says, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” 

What an amazing verse – Beware…guard against greed…Life is not measured by how much you own.  It kind of says it all right there.  BEWARE!!!  If you’re not careful, you WILL fall into the trap of our world that says happiness is measured by what you have.  So if you don’t have it, you wont’ be happy until you get it.  But that’s not true.  According to Jesus life isn’t measured by what you own.  You can’t take it with you after you die.  The New Living Application Study Bible has an interesting note which says, “Planning for retirement – preparing for life before death – is wise, but neglecting life after death is disastrous” (1579). 

Jesus concludes this little message by doing a little play on words for emphasis.  In verse 21 he said, “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”  According to Jesus greedy people are fools, and the rich people have a rich relationship with God.  Did you notice how Jesus used the word “rich” to imply the kind of relationship those people have with God and the connection back to the greedy people who think having more or being rich is what matters most? 

So how are you planning for this life?  Are you trying to story up earthly wealth or seeking to have a rich relationship with God?  BEWARE, Jesus also said “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).  So what’s it going to be?  It can’t be both. 
 

Tommy