July 3 I Saturday

Job 25-27

Acts 12

 

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”  —Ecclesiastes 5:10

 

On an average Sunday morning, when we were meeting in-person, I would be speaking, teaching and sharing transformational truth from Scripture. At the end of the service, someone would come up to me and ask a question or make a statement that had absolutely nothing to do with what I was just preaching. This was exactly what happened to Jesus. While He was teaching a large crowd on weighty things of life, and about preparing and steeling themselves for the oncoming testing of our faith, someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (Luke 12:13). This event shows that we could be sitting under the teaching of the Son of God Himself and completely miss it because our minds are distracted with what is happening in our own lives.

      Jesus gave a stark answer, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or an arbiter between you?” By His very response, Jesus had just rebuked the man. Jesus used this opportunity to go underneath the surface of this man’s life and do a deeper teaching to His disciples about the danger that this man was in. Jesus continued, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:14-15). This verse shows us exactly why we need to be on our guard against greed. This man was not hearing Jesus’s teaching because he was distracted and preoccupied with some relational discord in his own family—a desire for the estate to be given to him. 

      Jesus brings us to the heart of the issue, that life does not consist of an abundance of possessions. Like a boxing coach, He is instructing us to be active, be on the lookout and be on guard against greed that could easily creep into our life when we allow discontentment to grow. 

      Greed can slip into the life of any believer. In fact, greed can even slip into our theology. We see this in the early church as Paul warned Timothy, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9). Even in recent church history, there are prosperity gospel teachers, people who pervert the gospel of Jesus Christ into a means of financial gain. Yet, life is much more than simply accumulating wealth.

      May we find wisdom in the words of Paul, “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Timothy 6:6-7).

Prayer: Gracious God, forgive me for the times when I have been preoccupied with discontentment and greed. Thank You for the reminder that life is not about the abundance of possession. Help me be content with true life—You.

 


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