Luke 12:13-15

Luke 12:13-15 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Jesus sarcastically answers the man who seeks his inheritance. Rather than telling him to pray to God that justice prevails between the two, Jesus says, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Literally, he replies, this is not my mission. I have not come to ensure you will have justice or wealth, to make everything right in your life. We often substantiate God's love for us by what goes on in our lives. "Lord, bless me with a second car." Hmm, no second car, God must not be concerned with me; he does not answer my prayers. But, God is concerned with our lives. He knows every hair on our heads, but the daily pursuits enveloping our lives are not his primary concern for us. While He will guide us in buying a car when we need one, his primary purpose is to bring eternal life to us, perfecting our souls and using us for his glory.

Should we not pray or want God to make our brother divide his inheritance with us? We should pray about everything, but realize Jesus has a greater miracle and focus, our eternal salvation. Christians are inundated with this man's fleshly attitude. Lord, stop the wars. Lord, why are there wars? Lord, why do disasters happen? Lord, why did my brother, sister, or loved one die early? Lord??? These are all important questions, but none of them restore our souls or lead to life eternal. In Matthew 8:22, we read Jesus'rather callous remarks, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. Otherwise, there are more important activities on our agenda than burials. He indicates the world and the priorities of the Spirit are much more important than our earthly experiences. Since we go around once in this life, our flesh may struggle with this concept. Certainly, the Lord should be concerned about our inheritance, wars and injustice, and early demises, such as Martin Luther King's death or any untimely death. Yes, He is concerned, but that is not his primary mission. Jesus came to bring LIFE to people. His cross is the means to life, and his words alone give life. His death and resurrection ensure life, now and for eternity.

The mission of Christ remains clear: to rescue us from the throes of sin and its resultant death. We are his mission, not our lives. Yes, some people die early, face disasters, and are treated unjustly. God's heart is moved with compassion for the needs of people, but God's mission is not to erase or mitigate all the world's troubles, but to bring LIFE to a lost world. We need to keep that perspective or we will get discouraged. Jesus promised in this life we would face trouble, persecution, even unexpected deaths. He said people of the world will do evil to us, thinking they are serving their gods. He did not promise that everything will work out in our lives, that nothing deleterious will happen, but He did promise us LIFE, everlasting life with him and the peace and joy of that life.

YES, WE SHOULD PRAY. Prayers are answered and miracles do happen when we pray. My wife and I pray about everything in our lives, down to whether we should buy a shirt or not, but we know God is in charge, and his ways and plans are not always our ways and plans. Paul prayed continuously, and he prayed in tongues more than those around him, but I am sure he focused his prayers on God and his perfect will. So should we pray, for God alone knows our lives. Paul lived a spirit-filled life; however, things did not always work out for him; yet he prayed continuously, acted in faith, and moved for God. He was not overwhelmed by circumstances, did not despair and quit when people thwarted or harmed him. He prayed without ceasing and followed God. We follow his example, not looking back but moving forward. Instead of saying, woe is me, we rejoice always in all circumstances. This is extremely difficult, and I fail often, but we need to remind ourselves we are immersed in HIS WILL, not our own. We are immersed in his eternal sufficiency, not our own abundance. Jesus warns us to be on our guard because life does not consist in the abundance of possessions (the desires of our flesh), but in doing the will of God.