Luke 12:13-15 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. (14) And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? (15) And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Jesus was approached almost on a daily basis having people ask him for help. Some needed help seeing because they were blind. Some needed help because they had leprosy. Some asked for help on behalf of others. Most of them wanted help with health matters of one kind or another.
In our text today, we find a very unusual circumstance. A man comes to Jesus seeking his help. Instead of needing assistance from a medical standpoint, he asks for Jesus aid in settling a dispute about money. Apparently a family member had died, and this man was concerned that he was not getting his fair share of the inheritance. He felt that his brother was getting too much so he wanted Jesus to intervene.
Jesus initial response is interesting. “Why have you made me judge over you?” When you take this statement in the context, Jesus is telling the man that he is not interested dealing with trivial matters. Jesus came to earth for a very distinct purpose: The seek and to save the lost and to be the perfect sacrifice to save men from their sins. Jesus didn’t get involved in politics. He didn’t involve himself with money because they were a distraction from his real purpose. That is the context that he makes his main point in verse 15.
Beware of covetousness! Like Jesus, we need to understand what is important in this life.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Like Jesus, our primary focus in this life should be seeking the will of God. That doesn’t mean that we cannot have interests that are outside of the spiritual realm. Of course we can. However, if we are not careful...if we don’t “beware”, we can be wrongly convinced that life consists of the abundance of this world. This does not have to be just monetary. It can be anything that detracts us from God. There are lots of people that get so caught up with golf that they neglect many other things in this life. We can get caught up in politics that we take our eyes off of God. We can be so distracted by sports that watching every game consumes our attention.
We could spend all day listing things that cause us to take our eyes off of what is important. But instead, heed Jesus’ warning. BEWARE!
Reflecting His SON,
Dennis Hogan
Minister, North Hardin Church of Christ
1804 Sam Stewart Dr.
Radcliff, KY 40160
Questions, comments or further explanation? Contact me at: dennis.hogan@icloud.com
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