Today, we will be looking at the seventh parable in Luke's Gospel, found in chapter 12:13-21. It is one of those parables that will harden your heart or break your heart, but it will not leave your heart the same. It is one of those parables that will open your eyes or blind your eyes, but it will not leave your eyes unchanged. It is one of those parables that will sharpen your ears or dull your ears, but it will not leave your ears the same. It is one of those parables that will totally turn your way of life upside down and revolutionize your walk with God, or it will drive you even further away from His heart and His Kingdom. This parable is so powerful because it is so easy for us to identify with in America today. It paints of a picture of what it means to be an American, and sadly, what it means to be an American "Christian."
What instigates this parable is the shout of someone in the crowd. "Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Tell my brother to give me my money!
Stop! Let's think about this a minute. Jesus is on his way to the cross. He has washed his hands as far as material things are concerned. Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but he has no where to lay his head. He has come to bring people to God, not to bring property to people. But since the man brought it up, Jesus spoke to his issue. Guard against all covetousness! Literally take heed, beware, guard yourself. Jesus is not talking about making a defensive move. He is not talking about defending yourself from these urges when they come your way. He is talking about taking an offensive move, which is clear from the literal Greek. This is taking positive action to ward off a foe. It is kind of like building a high fence around your property. You take the first stop to guard your family. It is an offensive maneuver. Whereas, fighting off an intruder because you didn't have a fence, would be a defensive move. Jesus is saying, don't fight it off when it comes. Take action to keep it away! Go on the offensive. Take heed against ALL covetousness: All kinds of greed. Greed becomes so consuming that all of life becomes focused on the accumulation of wealth. Someone once asked one of the Rockefeller's, "How much money is enough?" His answer: "Always a little bit more." Greed becomes so consuming that all of life becomes focused on the accumulation of wealth. There is no room for anything else, not even God. So, Jesus says, guard against greed and covetousness because they will blind your eyes and dull your ears to more important matters and that is exactly what happened to this guy! Back up to the verses before he interrupts Jesus in verse 13. Look at what Jesus is talking about.
"I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. 8 "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
Then all of a sudden, after being told to fear God, after being told to have faith, after being told to be sure he acknowledges the Son of God before his fellow men, and after being warned about the unpardonable sin, he buts in with, "Tell my brother to give me my share of the inheritance." What part of Jesus' message did he miss? All of it! This guy cannot wait for Jesus to stop talking about spiritual matters and eternity and get to the good stuff! Material things! His inheritance! How could he!? How could we? Let's examine the petitions that we bring to Jesus: health, wealth, and temporal happiness for the most part. Let's think about where our mind wanders during the preaching of the Word of God and during study of God's Word? To work...to bills...to finances etc. That is why Jesus reminds us that the meaning and purpose of life is not found in the accumulation of wealth and possessions (verse 15). How desperately we need to be on guard that we don't get wrapped up in prosperity and pursuing possessions, prosperity, and the pleasures that this world offers. Next time we will see the parable that helps Jesus drive home this important and relevant point. Until next time...
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