13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Someone from the crowd called out to Jesus to have Him settle a dispute he had with his brother who wouldn’t split their inheritance with him. Jesus denied his request and left him to think about the source of Jesus’ authority. Then He turned to the crowd and taught them to watch out for covetousness because life is not fulfilled in an abundance of things. Jesus then used a parable to illustrate the point. The story is of a rich man who was doing well for himself. He had an abundance of crops and decided to build bigger barns to store it all up for himself. Then he sat back thinking he had plenty for many years and decided to live the “good life”. His every thought seemed to be about himself and he mistakenly placed his trust in his possessions and the expectation of a long life. God called him a fool and brought an end to his life. Who then got to enjoy the things he had stored up? This is the expected fate for all who store up treasures for themselves, that their things will ultimately do nothing for them.
Jesus went on to explain what it meant to “be rich toward God”. While the rich man placed his trust in his abundance of wealth, we can do the same even without an abundance if we worry and are anxious about what we do not have. When we worry about what we lack, even if it’s a necessity, then we are still showing dependence on things and not on God. Jesus’ point isn’t that there is no significance to the things we need but that our focus must be on more than food and clothing. If we look at the ravens, who do not sow or reap and have no barns to store up food, we see they are well fed by God. We are far more valuable to God than the ravens. What does your anxiety do for you? Can it change anything? If not, why do you worry? Instead, place your trust in the God who looks after the plants that are only around for a few days. God knows what you need and if He looks after the rest of His creation, He will look after you. Jesus directs our focus on seeking His kingdom and then the rest will be supplied. Our desire for the kingdom should be so great that we are prepared to sell all we have, give to the needy, and invest in the kingdom. An investment in the kingdom of God is a secure investment that is not exposed to theft or decay. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. If we see our material possessions in terms of the kingdom, then our focus will remain on God.
Where is your focus? On things or on the King? Where are you storing your treasure? What is it you worry about? What is that worry accomplishing? Is it helping? If not, why are you still worrying? How can you replace your worry with trust?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
Ezra Rebuilds the Temple: Ezra 3