“Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’”

Luke 12:15
Although many Hollywood films would have you believe otherwise, a person does not have to be wealthy in order to be greedy. People of every social rank are obsessed with “stuff.” Even as a prisoner with an income of about $1 per day, I have to fight against being preoccupied with what I do or do not have.
The cure to greediness, Luke’s Gospel frequently emphasizes, is obeying Christ’s command to be generous. Honestly, I’ve searched for an asterisk (“…if you can afford it”), but there is no exception to this mandate. It applies to all, rich and poor alike.
Why is this so? One reason is because our generosity expresses confident faith in our loving Father, who delights to give us His kingdom (Luke 12:22-34). For another reason, the joy of knowing Him is an eternal treasure infinitely more valuable than all of this world’s combined riches (see Luke 4:5-8, 9:22-26, 10:17-22, and 14:12-14). Finally, even while we were His ungrateful and evil enemies, God was merciful and kind to us (6:35.36). That’s prodigal grace!



Scripture Focus

Luke 12:13-34

Insight

Our use of the gifts God gives us reveals whether our treasure is being hoarded away on earth or is accumulating in heaven.

Bible In A Year

  • Leviticus 9-10
  • Psalm 50
  • Luke 14

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