Focal Passage: Luke 12:13-21; 21:1-4
Just a few days after Christmas, many parents make the same discovery: half the toys their children were so excited about aren’t even being touched anymore. The “new” has already become ordinary. It’s a simple picture, but it reminds us of something Jesus wants us to understand — our stuff and our finances must be kept in their proper place.
In verses 13-15, a man approaches Jesus with what seems like a reasonable request. He wants Jesus to settle a family dispute about an inheritance. In that culture, rabbis commonly handled these kinds of disagreements, so at first glance it makes sense. But Jesus refuses. Why? Because the real issue wasn’t fairness — it was greed. The man wasn’t looking for wisdom; he wanted Jesus to side with him so he could get more. Jesus wasn’t sent to earth to referee family arguments. He came to address matters of the heart, and in this moment, He exposes a deeper danger: the love of stuff.
Brandon Johns
Jesus warns him, “Watch out.” It’s the same language you’d use if a thief were creeping up behind your neighbor. Greed sneaks into our hearts quietly. When the love of money or possessions begins to define success, when accumulation becomes the measure of worth, danger is already close. Jesus reminds the man — and us — that life is far more than the things we own.
To drive this home, Jesus tells a parable (16–21). The man in the story seems successful. His barns overflow, his investments are paying off, and he decides it’s time to relax and enjoy life. From a worldly perspective, he’s living the dream. But from heaven’s perspective, he’s completely unprepared. God tells him, “You fool. This very night, your life will be demanded from you.”
The man had planned for everything except eternity. He believed his security rested in his wealth, but he wasn’t actually in control of any of it. Everything he owned would soon be divided among others. He had built nothing that would last in heaven. When we live only for today—only for the comfort of this life—we show what we really think about ourselves, about others, and about God. True riches don’t come from things. They come from a right relationship with the Lord, one that shapes how we handle what He has given us.
Jesus gives us a living example of this in Luke 21:1-4. As He watches people give in the temple, the wealthy contribute out of their abundance. They give large amounts, but it costs them nothing. Then a widow drops in two small coins — everything she has. Jesus honors her, not because of the amount, but because of the heart behind it. The rich gave to be seen. She gave out of love and worship.
God doesn’t need our money. He wants our heart. And the way we give — whether we trust Him or cling to our possessions — reveals where our treasure truly lies. In the end, life isn’t measured by what we buy or store up, but by our relationship with Him. That treasure lasts forever. B&R
