Hello friends,
whew wee!!!! It's been a hot one!!! Praise the Lord for air conditioning...and then praise Him for saving you from the fires of Hell!!!
The Bible is so amazing...look at the reading for this week. Jesus is teaching some pretty profound truths, and right in the middle, some guy yells out "tell my brother to give me what is owed me". Seriously! Isn't that guy listening? Who has the audacity to bother Jesus with a family dispute? How does it always boil down to, "how do I get what I want from Jesus?" I love Jesus' reply: “Mister, what makes you think it’s any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?” (v.14-MSG) In other words, I have not come to deal with your money problems! Then a huge powerful warning comes: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Does this speak to our culture or what?
Greed according to the greek word Jesus uses here is: covetousness - a desire to have more - which Jesus says is a heart issue (Mark 7:21). Paul says greed is a result of refusing to want God, and being given over to depraved mind (Romans 1:28-29). Greed is a mark of someone who does not know Jesus, and still living in the old, carnal life (Eph. 4:17-20). And, according to the the Word, there should not even be a "hint" of greed for God's holy (set apart and purified) people (Eph. 5:3). We are commanded to put greed to death - to kill the desire for material/physical possessions (Colossians 3:5).
To drive His point home, Jesus tells a story of a rich man who accumulated surplus - he had greed in his heart. The man is going to die, right after building barns (sheds, storage containers, etc.) to store his surplus. Who will get his accumulation of stuff? A question I have asked myself many times :( The striking line in the whole story is that God calls the man "a fool" (v.20) - the word literally means without reason - senseless, foolish, stupid; without reflection or intelligence, acting rashly. Sometime, if you want an interesting study, look up how a fool is described in the book of Proverbs.
After this illustration, Jesus tells His disciples and us how we ought to live (vss. 22-34). Read this section and ask God what it means for you. Be honest, vulnerable and open before the Lord. Let Him free us from our bondage to possessions.
Peace and Joy,
Mike
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