Today’s reading is Luke 12
In Luke 12, Jesus spends most of His time teaching about the use and value of money. This is not surprising when we think about the fact that every day we make decisions that require the use of money. Look at your day…watch how many times you mindlessly swipe your credit card, write a check, transfer funds for a bill payment, order amazon, pick up lunch while you are out, fill your gas tank, stop at the grocery store. The list is long for ways we spend money daily and it doesn’t even include the big stuff of life that we plan for and stew over for weeks months or years before purchasing- houses, cars, kids college, retirement, vacation, a new roof, appliances…you get the picture. My guess is that some of us feel nervous and anxious just reading through the list. There is always something in life that we are stressing over because we don’t have the money that it takes to accomplish it, we haven’t saved what we had planned to save for a given event, or an emergency took funds that were allocated for another need. We need money on a daily basis and we spend a lot of our thought time trying to figure out how to make our money stretch to meet all of our needs and some of our wants. No wonder Jesus spends so many verses talking about money and trying to help us understand how we should be thinking about it.
Vs 6-“What is the price of five sparrows-two copper coins? Yet God doesn’t forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”
Vs 15-“Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
Vs 21- “A person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Vs 22-“I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear.” (vs 25) “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? (vs 26) If worry can’t accomplish a little thing like today’s food or clothing, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?”
Vs 28-“If God cares so wonderfully for the flowers that are here today and thrown in the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”
Vs 29-“Don’t worry about what you will eat or drink, your Father already knows your needs. Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”
Vs 32-“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the kingdom.”
Vs 33-“Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.”
Vs 34-“Whereever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
Vs 48-“When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”
Quite a few of these statements of Jesus are contrary to what our culture and times would advise. Some don’t even make sense on this earth. Jesus is trying again though His teachings on money to help us see that this earth is not our home. Our goal should not be to live our best and most fulfilling lives…our goal and focus needs to be on God and His framework for this “mist” of a life on earth so we can properly prepare for eternity in heaven with Him.
So let’s take a few more minutes to read back through Jesus’ words printed above and look at them with a heavenly lens instead of our default earthly lens.