This weeks text focuses on passages that you have read before, but may not have thought much about, because, well, we certainly aren't Pharisees are we? Anyway, see the notes before and read the text and pray this week for God to reveal what we need to understand.
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The first 12 verses of Luke 12 carry the words of Jesus to a large crowd of people who were trampling on one another in their frenzy. What were they so worked up about? In Luke 11 Jesus had finished unloading a volley of insults and judgments against the Pharisees for their religious hypocrisy. The Lord's invectives had obviously drawn a crowd. People didn't talk like that about the Pharisees without generating controversy! So Jesus' response to the man about his inheritance must be interpreted in the light of this situation. He warned the people about attitudes of greed, and Jesus often scolded the Pharisees for the greed that fueled their religious elitism. In Luke 20:47 Jesus warns that the Pharisees "devour widows houses." They took advantage of the poor and defenseless to increase their own wealth. The man who demanded that Jesus intervene in his inheritance dispute probably did not have the level of wealth as did the Pharisees. But Jesus saw in his attitude something that troubled Him just as much. He warned the people to "be on guard against all greed." To the Lord, the greed of a Pharisee is just as sinful as that of a common man. We shouldn't be quick to lament the sins of the rich while downplaying our own. Greed comes in many forms and sizes, and it all leads to spiritual destruction.
How do you focus your priorities more on the life to come when the one you're in now demands so much of you? Your life with the Lord in heaven probably seems far away, yet we all know it could come tomorrow. Both the troubles and the pleasures of this life grab our attention and draw our hearts away from eternity. Jesus told us that we would have trouble in this life, but to take heart because He has overcome the world! A lot of people react to life situations instead of pro-actively preparing for them. Spending, saving, and giving according to a monthly budget is one way to guard against frivolous purchases. Making decisions ahead of time with family members about what kind of lifestyle you will live can alleviate the constant pressure to get more and more. More than anything, developing a habit of giving can open your family up to the lasting joys of contributing to eternal causes.
The first part of Paul's statement in Phil. 1:21 usually sounds strange to the ears of English speakers. How do we understand the word "Christ" when used as an adjective? Wouldn't it have been easier if Paul had written something such as, "living is Christian," or "living is Christ-like"? How is living as a Christian, itself, "Christ"? Perhaps it would help to consider all that it meant for Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ. He carried a message of hope and peace to a world that mostly didn't want to hear it. He made enemies with the religious establishment and made friends with sinners. He claimed to be the fulfillment of the Law and the Son of God. And He said that He was the only way anyone would get to the Father. He did all of these things because He loved people and wanted them to know the truth. For Paul, living was indeed "Christ" because he bore on his body the marks of suffering and persecution awarded for his proclamation of the gospel. But he also cherished the priceless moments in which he saw his gospel seeds bear fruit of repentance and new life.
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