JESUS HAS THE ANSWER

READING: LUKE 12:15-21 

Verse 15: “And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’”

Jesus was thoroughly and completely equipped for His ministry upon the earth. He was prepared with all wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He was able to solve any problem presented to Him, and confounded those who made the mistake of attempting to use trick questions against Him. However, Jesus did not use His perfected abilities to limit Him to the role of problem solver. Instead of merely solving problems and pumping out solutions, He addressed the heart level conditions that were the source of people’s struggles. His response in verse 15 above is an example of this. Leading up to that comment made by the Lord, He had met a man who felt wronged in the division of an inheritance. This man wanted Jesus to settle his issue, but the Lord refused to address the problem that he presented. Instead He warned the man about jealousy and greed. Jesus went to the heart of the man’s situation. He still does the same for us in ours! Although this quality of the Lord may frustrate people at times, it actually serves the very best purposes possible for our wellbeing. It means that the Lord Jesus ministers to us not based on our human understanding of our needs, but on His perfect and ultimate understanding of our needs. That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. Why do people measure their value by their possessions?

2. How does the Lord measure our value?