LEARNING DAILY

Luke 12:15, And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist of the things he possesses”.

A crowd had gathered around Jesus and His disciples. At some point someone in the crowd interrupts Jesus saying He needed to tell the man’s brother to share “the inheritance with him”. Without knowing the real circumstances, it appears this man believed an inheritance has not been divided fairly and he wants Jesus to settle the dispute. Jesus refused to get involved with this matter; settling this sort of thing is not on His agenda.

 What Jesus does do is tell a parable about a rich man who has plenty. In fact, his harvest is so great that he could store it and have plenty for several years. However, the rich man chooses to pull down his barns, build larger and greater ones in order to store more and more grain. The man has a problem with covetousness; he wants more than he needs. It is appropriate to save, Jesus is teaching that it is also appropriate to use the wealth one has for God’s purposes. This man does not mention God at all or using it to help the poor and needy around him. He thinks the wealth he has been given is a reward in itself.

What is Jesus teaching?  Jesus is teaching people should fear God and men are to confess Him before others – this is the most important aspect of life. When the subject of possessions is brought up, He takes advantage of it, telling the crowd that obsession with wealth and possessions is covetousness and they are nothing when compared to the treasures of heaven.

For some reason God has blessed this farmer. It may have been because of the fertility of the land, or perhaps there was just enough rain and sunshine that the crops yielded a great harvest. Jesus did not look upon the results of the harvest in a negative way. Jesus was looking at the attitude of the man’s heart – he valued the wealth gained more than a relationship with God, the Creator of all things. Sadly, the man does not know he will die that night. His wealth will go to another, and the man will have nothing to show in eternity.

John wrote in his first letter a warning about the “pride of life. Be careful of wanting recognition that draws attention to you, without recognizing the One who gives in abundance. Be careful of the desire to gain more and more, beyond what you need or is your due. Be careful of greed that causes you to believe you never have enough. Paul gives warning in Colossians 3:5, “Therefore put to death your members which are on earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry”. Paul is telling the Colossians to put to death their old lives and put on the new lives as they walk on the narrow way into eternal life with God. Believers today must make a clean break with their way of life before they came to know Jesus Christ as Lord in order to live the way He demands as we walk with Him. I wish this was a one-time decision; I have learned it is a decision to be made every day.

Jesus is still reminding us that as Believers our most important task is to be sure our relationship with Him is to be the most important aspect of our daily life. Our hope is not the treasure or abundance we store up in this life; it is the treasure we store up in heaven.

Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).