"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"
--Luke 12:34 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on August 10, 2013 of Psalm 135:15-21; Luke 12:22-40; Nehemiah 1-2.
Jesus was fairly well into His ministry and pretty much upsetting the religious leadership, comprised mainly of the Pharisees and Sadducees and their lackeys the scribes. Everywhere He went Jesus performed miracles, whether healing the sick, driving out evil spirits, feeding thousands with very little food, or even bring people back from the dead. And everywhere He went the people flocked to Jesus, gathering around Him in multitudes numbering in the hundreds and thousands. This had to rankle the self-righteous leadership, this Jesus from a podunk town in Galilee getting so much attention, drawing such large crowds. Jesus threatened their very foundations, which had become so far skewed from God's way that He could not let them continue. The Pharisees and Sadducees repudiated Jesus at every step, and tried to get the masses to do likewise. But still the crowds grew, and so did the count of His followers.
Jesus knew many would turn against Him. After all, that was part of the Father's plan. He knew the leadership would turn on Him and reject Him. But He also knew that many of the people, even of His close followers, did not completely understand all that was going on. So He instructed His disciples and those within earshot on how to deal with this rejection and what to do so as to remain faithful. His instruction tool of choice was the parable, giving people word pictures so they could better grasp complex and divine ideas. Today's focus verse concludes one such lesson, this one concerning covetousness. He tells us not to dwell on things of this earthly life, nor on what the world thinks important. We shouldn't worry about what we have to eat or drink or wear. God will take care of us. In fact, we shouldn't worry or fret or be anxious over anything, for worrying won't improve our lot one bit.
He tells us to give what we can to the poor, even if it means selling our material goods to get the money to give. But our focus verse gives us the crux of these instructions. Jesus doesn't want us to sell everything we have and give it all to the poor, for then we would be poor too, unless all those things have become too dear and precious to us. No, what He wants is that we divest ourselves of any of our earthly possessions if they have become a treasure to us, if we are obsessed with them, if we have made them our gods. Our treasure is stored up for us in heaven. Jesus is our ultimate and best treasure, and that is where our heart should be. Amen.
Lord Jesus, forgive us when we place too great an importance on the things of this world, when all the glitz of bright shiny things blinds us to what really matters, and that is keeping our focus entirely on You. Lord, sometimes we tend to worry about things over which we have absolutely no control. Please help us remember that our Father is in complete charge of everything and will take care of us. In Your most glorious name, Christ Jesus we pray. Amen.
Jesus knew many would turn against Him. After all, that was part of the Father's plan. He knew the leadership would turn on Him and reject Him. But He also knew that many of the people, even of His close followers, did not completely understand all that was going on. So He instructed His disciples and those within earshot on how to deal with this rejection and what to do so as to remain faithful. His instruction tool of choice was the parable, giving people word pictures so they could better grasp complex and divine ideas. Today's focus verse concludes one such lesson, this one concerning covetousness. He tells us not to dwell on things of this earthly life, nor on what the world thinks important. We shouldn't worry about what we have to eat or drink or wear. God will take care of us. In fact, we shouldn't worry or fret or be anxious over anything, for worrying won't improve our lot one bit.
He tells us to give what we can to the poor, even if it means selling our material goods to get the money to give. But our focus verse gives us the crux of these instructions. Jesus doesn't want us to sell everything we have and give it all to the poor, for then we would be poor too, unless all those things have become too dear and precious to us. No, what He wants is that we divest ourselves of any of our earthly possessions if they have become a treasure to us, if we are obsessed with them, if we have made them our gods. Our treasure is stored up for us in heaven. Jesus is our ultimate and best treasure, and that is where our heart should be. Amen.
Lord Jesus, forgive us when we place too great an importance on the things of this world, when all the glitz of bright shiny things blinds us to what really matters, and that is keeping our focus entirely on You. Lord, sometimes we tend to worry about things over which we have absolutely no control. Please help us remember that our Father is in complete charge of everything and will take care of us. In Your most glorious name, Christ Jesus we pray. Amen.
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