Luke 12:13 One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
When a man approached Jesus looking for arbitration in an inheritance dispute with his brother, Jesus used the occasion to further elaborate upon heaven and hell. Though the Bible has clearly defined inheritance laws, Deuteronomy 21:15-17, Numbers 27:8-11 Jesus quickly diagnosed the questioner’s problem as covetousness. In other words the man wanted Jesus to give him something that rightfully belonged to his brother. Jesus wanted the man to understand that life doesn’t consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses. Like the man, we often think that we will find meaning, happiness, and peace if only we could have enough wealth or own the things we covet.
To make his point Jesus tells a parable:
Luke 12:16 He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly. 17 He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’ 18 He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’ 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
We live our lives like they never will run out. We devise great plans to enrich and satisfy our mortal bodies without any thought of planning for our immortal souls. We hoard treasure on the earth for ourselves but our earthly existence is a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14 There is nothing inherently wrong with having treasure on earth. Honest wealth is a gift from God. Ecclesiastes 5:19 However, we should not neglect using our time, gifts, and wealth to lay up treasure in Heaven.
How does God instruct us into how to store up treasure in Heaven?
Hint: Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 25:40, Matthew 28:19-20, and James 1:27: By living lives that imitate and demonstrate the practical, real world love of Christ.
You may object, asking: “Don’t we build bigger houses and bigger bank accounts because we are anxious about the future?”
Christ, anticipating that question, responds:
Luke 12:22 He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds! 25 Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height? 26 If then you aren’t able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? 29 Don’t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious. 30 For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek God’s Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you. 32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. 33 Sell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Where is your treasure?
If you have made Jesus your Lord and are serving him, you have no need to fear the future. Like the birds of the air you are in your Savior’s hands. God the Father knows your needs: food, clothing, shelter. If you seek God’s Kingdom, all these things will be added to you… It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.
The nations of the world are running around anxiously trying to secure the fleeting wealth of this world while your Father in heaven has given you the next eternal world with this present world thrown in. As C.S.Lewis said in Mere Christianity, “Aim at heaven and you’ll get the earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you’ll get neither.”
Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Look at the big picture. Don’t be like the unbelievers. After all, you can’t add any years to your life or inches to your height by being anxious. In fact by focusing all of your energy on this life you are ignoring the eternal life.
Because you never know if tonight is the night your soul will be required of you, Jesus gives this warning:
Luke 12:35 “Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning. 36 Be like men watching for their lord, when he returns from the wedding feast; that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you that he will dress himself, make them recline, and will come and serve them. 38 They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch, and finds them so. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.”
41 Peter said to him, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?”
42 The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes. 44 Truly I tell you, that he will set him over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, 46 then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn’t expecting him, and in an hour that he doesn’t know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful. 47 That servant, who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes, 48 but he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.
We should always be prepared and living in light of eternity like men watching for their lord. Because to whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.
In giving us life and granting us salvation through Jesus Christ, God has given us a treasure beyond imagining. We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 We must stop being self-centered. We must stop coveting. We must stop being shortsighted and anxious and start generously giving away the treasure that God has given to us. Because,
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery… The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.”
Galatians 5:1&22-23
What is the fate of those who have heard the Word of God and yet hardened their hearts, rejecting the call of the Holy Spirit? What is the fate of those cities and towns that saw the miracles and heard Christ’s teaching of the Law and yet refused to repent? Christ continues:
Luke 12:49 “I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled. 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division. 52 For from now on, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” Micah 7:6
Again, what is the fate of those who have heard the Word of God and yet hardened their hearts, rejecting the call of the Holy Spirit? What is the fate of those cities and towns that saw the miracles and heard Christ’s teaching of the Law and yet refused to repent?
The cities will face judgment: I came to throw fire on the earth.
The cities will also experience division: Quoting the ancient prophecy of Micah about Christ’s coming, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
This is not the popularly accepted picture of Jesus meek and mild. This is not the seeker-friendly, Jesus has a wonderful plan for your life, that the compromised churches offer to our culture. This is Jesus, the roaring Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Revelation 5:5 This is, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Proverbs 1:7 that the Bible teaches from cover to cover.
This takes us back to the theme of Luke’s Gospel: those who repented and accepted the baptism of John the Baptist are welcome into Christ’s kingdom. When they stand in judgment they will be wearing the righteousness of Christ as their covering. 2 Corinthians 5:21 Those who saw no need to repent remained condemned, uncovered, their sins exposed: they will stand and fall in judgment on the merit of their works. Isaiah 64:6
We have all experienced this division as we all have friends and family who have rejected Christ and, perhaps, have even carved us out of their lives because we have chosen to make Jesus our Lord, living different lives by the Father’s Kingdom values.
Luke 12:54 He said to the multitudes also, “When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens. 55 When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don’t interpret this time? 57 Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 For when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will by no means get out of there, until you have paid the very last penny.”
The first Promise of Jesus coming to the earth was given to Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:15 All of the sacrificial system and all of the temple worship looked forward to Jesus. All of the prophets spoke of how Jesus would come to make atonement for our sins and defeat death. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus, calling everyone to repentance, and Jesus himself performed miracles to authenticate his message. Despite all of this, the people paid more attention to the changing weather patterns than they did to the most prophesied and important event in all of history.
Didn’t they realize that after their short mortal lives ended they would stand before the Judge of the cosmos?
Christ then reminds them that if they were being taken to a local court they wouldtry diligently on the way to be released before standing in front of the judge. To avoid jail time they would plea bargain and pay restitution. Yet, knowing that they will be brought before God, the One who came to bring the fire of judgment to the earth, they do nothing. Again, they live their lives like they never will run out. They live like there will never be a final accounting ending in Hell.
Luke 13:1 Now there were some present at the same time who told him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way. 4 Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them; do you think that they were worse offenders than all the men who dwell in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.”
When our behavior is brought into question we become uncomfortable and start comparing ourselves to others. Upon hearing the example about judgment and being taken to court, Jesus was asked about an incident where Pilate murdered some faithful Galilean Jews offering the prescribed sacrifices in the temple. Without missing a beat Jesus immediately turned their question back to the topic he was discussing: repent and store up heavenly treasures by warning everyone that they will face the judgment of God. Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans? Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them; do you think that they were worse offenders than all the other men who dwell in Jerusalem?
Jesus answers his own questions for them. No, they were just mortal men just like you. And just like they died and will face judgment, so too will you. Take stock of your lives. Pay attention to the signs of the times. You are mortal so take care to preserve your immortal soul. To impress his point upon them Jesus told a parable:
Luke 13:6 He spoke this parable. “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none. 7 He said to the vine dresser, ‘Behold, these three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and found none. Cut it down. Why does it waste the soil?’ 8 He answered, ‘Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit, fine; but if not, after that, you can cut it down.’”
For three years a gardener tried unsuccessfully to get his fig tree to bear fruit. Because it did not bear fruit it was going to be cut down. It was a waste of space.
How long had Jesus gone throughout Israel trying to get the people to repent and accept the Kingdom of God?
After three years of teaching Israel about the Kingdom of God they continued to reject him and were about to be cut down. A fact that Jesus will elaborate on in Luke 21.