Luke 12:22-34

Luke 12:22-34

It is passages like this that tempt us to want to pick and choose what we want or to take things out of context or say “this is a metaphor” when clearly it wasn't. Building on the negative parable of the rich fool Jesus gives us proactive teaching about wealth. There are three parts to this teaching. The first is a lesson of God's providential care for birds and grass and how anxiety is the ultimate exercise in futility. We are generally comfortable with this teaching. We may not obey it, but we like the idea of God's provision for us. The second part is verses 29 - 33 in which Jesus applies the first point and reinforces our Father’s providential care. The world being bad pursues the wrong things, but the Father has given us the Kingdom and is happy to do it. Again, we have a teaching we are happy to hear and receive.

But then comes the third teaching. While we agree that we should not be anxious and are happy to see the coming Kingdom we are less thrilled with the practical application Jesus makes in verses 33 and 34. The grammar of verse 33 is not vague. The verb is emphatic; in other words, it is a command. This super generosity of which Jesus speaks is optional for us as His other commands are optional. The moment we say this is a metaphor or this is for specific people with specific calling we do the same with the command to love God. If we're trying to find the loopholes that allow us to accumulate wealth, we are revealing that our heart is more committed to having wealth than committed to the Lord.

This is not a command to advocate poverty, laziness, or idleness. In contrast, we should attempt to acquire as much treasure as possible. We should work hard and become massive producers of wealth, the more the better. Not so we can hold it, but so that we can give it all away, except what is given to us by the Father for food, shelter and clothing.

“God, grant me a heart that is generous like Your. AMEN”