SCRIPTURE: Luke 12:32-34
“Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” (Luke 12:33)
Too often people stumble over this line and then dismiss the whole teaching.
The main point is that God has given us a treasure that exceeds all other treasure.
The kingdom of God (God’s better world) is an experience of deep joy, blessing, pleasure.
If offers a happiness that no material treasure can, one that will last behind this life!
To love, to share, to bless, to serve, to care, to comfort, to build up, to help, to stand up for justice, to be generous, to be patient, kind, forgiving… this is the truly rich life!
What good are our possessions if we miss out on deep, lasting joy?
What good is material wealth, if there is misery and sorrow and injustice all around us?
Jesus is urging us to focus on what really matters, on treasure that lasts.
And He is urging us to use our material blessings in a way that blesses (helps, serve, etc.) others.
This does not take away our joy, it expands it!
Makes me wonder why we hold our material blessings so tightly, and resist releasing them?
Is it because we are afraid we might miss out, or because we don’t care, or we are just plain selfish?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, I do share a little, but for some reason I still cling to my possessions. Help me to understand my heart in this, and help me to treasure what matters in my heart.
This passage reminds me of last week’s reading — seek first the Kingdom and all else shall be added unto you. Stuff is relative. I feel like I don’t have a lot… But many would feel like my small apartment and few possessions are a great abundance. Depends where you are from. I once watched a movie about the lost boys of the Sudan. Some of these boys were moved from a refugee camp to various parts of the USA. They had more opportunity and more money and “stuff” than they had seen in their lives, but they lost their sense of community and many if them were very unhappy. Video of them in the refugee camp shows them laughing, singing, and dancing with each other. Stuff gets in the way of love and community. God, I pray that you will continue to work in my heart so that I may be thankful for what I have, and also more willing to share it.
Sell your possessions and give to the poor? Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. These are tough words to try to comprehend. It is true that if I love my money, and I do, then my heart will be into that part of my life. I do spend a lot of my time thinking about my money, worrying if there is enough, worrying about unemployment, or unexpected expenses. I love watching it grow as the stock market climbs.
I was discussing this topic at a meeting last week, when it dawned on me that God doesn’t want to keep mankind poor and destitute. He wants to provide for us. He blessed people greatly that followed him. Think of Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, Etc. God went beyond just providing, and greatly blessed them. And what did they do with the blessing? Others around them were blessed because of them.
What about Jesus and the disciples? We don’t hear about his retirement plan. It is all about relationships with others, and showing others how to live in this world. What about the early church? They sold what they had, and made sure no one was wanting.
I am happy to live in Canada, where we try to take care of the vulnerable and poor in our society. I sometimes wonder about my life, if I were born at a different time in history, or in a different culture. I am very much a product of my circumstances.
I pray that I may not live for my financial situation. Help me God, to think of others, to bless others with my financial capabilities, and to remember that my relationship with you and those around me is more important than a number in my bank account.
“Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” Evangelicals are so committed to doing what Jesus said, and did. Do they/we fight over these words? Maybe a few radicals (Shane Claiborne) actually take them seriously, but most of us find excuses for why this doesn’t truly mean what it seems to say. Take the bible literally in Genesis, but not here, seems to be the message. So much time and energy wasted on debating things that we cannot explain or understand, while we explain away the things that are simple and clear. What could be clearer than “Sell your possessions and give to the poor”? If living like Jesus, doing what Jesus did, is the goal, then how about we start here?
I am not saying this because I want to do it… in fact the idea of following Jesus this radically scares me. I’m just saying that if the bible is true, then this should be true as well. Why don’t Christians spend more time discussing this… or more to the point… practicing it. What was Jesus’ mandate His disciples? — “teaching them to OBEY everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:20)
Observations/Application
This is the heart of the matter.
God has given the Gift of life everlasting in His place. with everlasting riches – love, joy, peace kindness, goodness, etc. I need to be like the man who sells his possessions and go after that pearl. All what I have is His, to be used for Kingdom work. Why do we spend the first half of our lifetime obtaining material possessions and the second half getting rid of it or spending it on our health? With nothing we entered the world and with nothing we leave. We will meet those whom we love.
What do I hold dear in my life? Money? Friends? What’s most important?
Give freely of the gifts the Lord has given for His purposes for advancing His kingdom here and now. That’s living for Jesus – today and always.
If you want to be happy live the JOY principle each day – Jesus – Others – Yourself In all things, Christ is first, Others second and I am least of all practising the greatest commandment – love.
God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name,
I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name,
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share His love as He told me to.
Chorus:
He said, Freely, freely you have received;
Freely, freely give.
Go in my name and because you believe,
Others will know that I live.”
All power is given in Jesus’ name,
In earth and heaven, in Jesus’ name;
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share His power as He told me to.
Chorus