Someone in the crowd says to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." Jesus helps this man to focus on what is most important. Jesus says who made me judge in worldly things-- His Kingdom is not of this world and it is greater than we could ever imagine! Greed is a worldly thing. Then Jesus tells the most wonderful Parable about riches. Jesus says,
"Be on your guard against all kinds of greed for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions" He begins. Then says this Parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 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. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 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?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
To be rich toward God is to have our comfort and joy in laying up treasures in heaven. We develop habits of generosity, kindness, expressing hope, and extending Jesus' love to others. The rich man in the Parable does not have a satisfied soul with his accumulation of riches, wealth, and goods. For it is when we a rich in faith, love, and generosity that we are rich toward God.
This is another time where Jesus speaks about how His servants view money and what we are to do with our money. Christians see money as belonging to our heavenly Father-- God gives us money to use for Kingdom purposes. We are to give to God's Church, humbly meet our living needs, and give money to the poor, needy, widows and orphans. We cannot take money with us when we die. As Jesus tells us, avoid the greed that money can cause.
Another thing about Jesus is that you do not have to divide or share the family inheritance. He gives each of us total access to every bit of the inheritance of God-- Jesus gives us salvation, He gives us New Birth and healing, Jesus takes all of our needs and He helps us, He showers us with blessings upon blessings as we trust Him and have faith in Him, He is our forgiving Savior, Jesus uses us in God's Kingdom as disciples to give to others, and Jesus is total love to us and for us. Our family inheritance is Savior Jesus Christ who is more wonderful than we can even conceive with our minds, yet our hearts know that He is just absolutely awesome and filled with compassionate love for us.
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 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.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 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. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 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?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” He 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. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Luke 12:13-24
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