“Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ²⁸ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. ³⁰ For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ Instead, strive for his^[f] kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. ³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:27-34

In Philippians 1:21 Paul says: “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” Luke puts it another way: when Christ is your treasure, your heart is Christ-like.  What is that like? According to the Gospel of Luke, Christ came down to minister to the last, least, little and the lost. Having an emphasis for those who are the lowest of society, the poor and the less privileged, Luke’s Jesus (his love, mercy and grace) is a treasure for all people – not just the rich and connected. This is why the church should be in the business of having a heart to serve those who are poor and less privileged. We can go to them and minister to their needs.  

Sometimes an individual is given wealth that defies description; as such, that wealth is a great blessing. But that wealth is also a great responsibility. The exercise of living out our faith, of doing the will of Jesus Christ, is one of the choicest riches any of us can experience. The things of this world are fleeting: and none of us can take them with us when we die. We should not put our hope in the riches of this earth, but into the treasures that await us all in heaven.

Pastor Dave

“Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” ¹⁶ Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷ And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” Luke 12:13-21

I love it when the Bible presents us realities that continue to be true today. I have performed many funerals in my ministry. Nothing can bring out the worst in people than the loss of a loved one – especially when it involves dividing property among family. It does not take much for greed and coveting to raise their ugly heads. It just reminds me that the Bible is not irrelevant and continues to speak to our situations today. That is why this text speaks to our reality like it did in Jesus day. Money, possessions and wealth can spark arguments between family members yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Jesus says, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” We are all familiar with the bumper sticker that reads, “The person who dies with the most toys wins.” The idea is that if we focus our lives on the accumulation of things, rather than on the spreading of G-d’s love and the sharing out of our abundance, then we have missed the mark.  All that we have are gifts from G-d – not marks for being more blessed than others. Accumulating great wealth and possessions are not marks for telling others that G-d loves us more. Instead, we should appreciate being rich in G-d – and sharing out of our abundance.

Pastor Dave