LUKE 12:13-21: OUR TREASURE
As Americans, we easily misplace our
treasure. While it should be found in God alone, we place it in earthly things.
We also often justify our treasures by saying things such as, “It is not wrong
to be rich.” While this statement is true, it often becomes our crutch for
continuing to store up treasures on earth that are momentary and fleeting. Jesus
tells a parable in Luke 12:13-21, the parable of the rich fool, and in this
parable, we are forced to examine where our treasure is.
Luke 12:13-21
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Parable of the Rich Fool
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.”
Covetousness Is the Enemy of Finding
Treasure in God (vv. 13-15)
We
must realize the truth in what Jesus says here, the truth that covetousness is
our enemy. It, in no way helps us find our treasure in God, and in fact, it
prevents it. When Jesus was propositioned to become a judge in this situation,
he responded with one crucial point: be on guard against all covetousness. This
could be the thesis of this entire passage. Covetousness helps us in no way,
and it blocks our focus on Christ, where our treasure should be. We must see it
as that, find it in our lives, and severe it. Whatever it takes, we must rid
ourselves of covetousness. The fact is, however, that we do not do this. We
instead allow this important point made by Christ to pass us over. We simply drive
by it and do not allow this not optional command to penetrate our hearts and
affect our actions. For some, ridding covetousness may require something
extreme such as selling or getting rid of meaningful earthly possessions. For
others, it may not require something as extreme. There are, however, actions
that we must take to be on guard against this root of evil. When someone is on
guard, they are in constant watch. In other words, they are expecting an
attack. Be assured that covetousness will attack, and many times it is
unexpected. Therefore, we must examine ourselves to discover if we are, in
fact, on guard or if we are not prepared for the certain attack of
covetousness.
We Must Realize the Eternal Value of
Treasure in God and the Foolishness of Treasure on Earth (vv. 16-21)
With
God, there is eternal value; with the things of earth, it is momentary and
fleeting. This is why our treasure must be found in God and not in earthly
things. Jesus makes the point, in this passage, that the foolish rich man built
up his treasure in earthly things, but upon his death, these things would be
worthless to him. We must store up treasure in God and in heavenly things. This
means that our entire lives must focus on and exude the gospel. We cannot lose
sight of the importance of God. He is everything. A believer who is homeless
should be just as content and focused on the gospel as someone who is rich and
not in need. This is not the case, however, particularly in our United States
of America. If God truly is everything, then why do earthly things affect us as
much as they do? This should be convicting to all of us. Our treasure must be
in God who is eternal, not in earthly things, which are temporary.
Conclusion
We
can read this passage and talk about it all we want, but unless it affects our
actions and the way we live our lives, it is meaningless. Our treasure must be
found in God. Therefore, we must examine our lives and act accordingly.
