The Strand Study Bible

LUKE

LUKE

1659

1. We will die once physically ( which after he hath killed – Rom 6:23a ) 2. We will die again spiritually ( hath power to cast into Hell )… twice ( Rev 20:14b ) Unless we are born again ( Jn 3:3b ), we will die three deaths: the physical, the spiritual and the eternal ( Gen 2:17b ). THE ADAGE IS TRUE: The end of this life is not the end of your life 12:6 Some have fancied a contradiction within this passage because Jesus repeats this lesson in Mt 10:28-31, and says, “ Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing ? ” However, both passages are correct. We are familiar with this method in our modern markets; pears may be sold for twenty-five cents a piece, but at the same time sell “five” for a dollar. Thus it was with sparrows (which, by the way, pictured people); they were so cheap that two sold for a farthing, but if a customer would buy two farthings worth, one sparrow was thrown in for nothing. And it is this one sparrow, too cheap to count in the transaction, which typifies God’s care for the human race. 12:13 Parable #18 is aimed at both unbelievers (Lk 12:13-21) and believers (Lk 12:22-34 and Mt 16:21-28) who are materialistically minded ( speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me ). A “fool,” according to Jesus, is someone who places temporal matters above eternal matters (Mt 6:24). Confronted by two greedy brothers, Jesus reveals three character flaws associated with being materialistically minded: 1. Assuming the more you have the less you want (vs 17-18) According to Ecclesiastes 5:12, people with money tend to worry about how they will spend it, meaning, people who “have” tend to worry about “having more.” It’s true: those who are consumed with the temporal have little time for the eternal. Spend more time managing the eternal and you’ll spend less time managing the temporal. Lesson - Never assume that a materialistic attitude doesn’t lead to self-centeredness. 2. Assuming you can satisfy the soul with supplies (vs 19) According to the Bible, the soul is eternal (Eccl 3:21 & 11:7-9 & 12:7,14) therefore, nothing temporal can ever satisfy it (Deut 8:3/Mt 4:4). Lesson - Never assume you can satisfy the perpetual with the perishable. 3. Assuming you will live long enough to enjoy all that you possess (vs 19) According to the Bible, it is the sin of pride to assume that you will be here to enjoy tomorrow (Jms 4:13-17). Lesson - It’s OK to plan for tomorrow –just don’t plan on being there ( Prov 27:1 ) NOTE – Learn to invest in the eternal or be consumed by the temporal (Mt 6:19-24). “No man can serve two masters…You cannot serve God (eternal) andmammon (temporal) at the same time.The eternal perspective can never be yours until it’s your only choice. THE ADAGE IS TRUE: What you possess (the temporal) is not as important as what possesses you (the eternal) 12:14 Jesus said, “I didn’t come to settle money matters. I came to settle eternal matters.” Don’t get caught up in yourself and what you have to have monetarily, for it’s of no interest to Jesus ( who made me a judge or a divider over you - Jn 18:36). Jesus will not be part of furthering someone’s selfish interests. He calls for people to serve God and others, not themselves. 12:15 If everything’s coming your way (vs 16), you might be in the wrong lane ( Take heed and beware of covetousness ). 12:20a Jesus told a story about a man who had temporal dollars but no eternal sense. He then called him a “fool.” Sad but true, much of the world’s ills are economic (a result of greed and covetousness). Jesus said that we are fools whenever we focus our attention on that which is not going to last (the temporal). Since only the eternal is going to last, the eternal perspective should be our only focus ( II Cor 4:18 ). THE ADAGE IS TRUE: It doesn’t matter how good you got it… you won’t always have it 12:20b This man was so blinded by his greed that he failed to see his opportunities (Lk 6:38 and II Cor 8:7-9 7 9:6-7) and his obligations (Eph 4:28). The result was he lost his soul . THE ADAGE IS TRUE: Just because you win at life (vs 16-19) doesn’t mean you’ve won at life (vs 20) 12:21 THE ADAGE IS TRUE: What a man is... is more important than what a man has 12:22,25 According to the Bible, there are two kinds of fear: healthy (Job 1:1), and unhealthy (Job 3:25 & 4:1-6). It’s important for the Christian to know the difference. In order to “ manage ” ( Take no thought for your life ) unhealthy fears, a person must acknowledge three truths: 1. Acknowledge the fact that worrying is futile (Mt 6:25-34) Jesus asks us, “Can we lengthen our life or increase our height by worrying?” The question answers itself. No, we cannot. Worrying, which is due to fear, is futile. 2. Acknowledge the fact that worrying is a lack of faith and a denial of trust (Phil 4:6-7) If faith spells freedom, then a lack of faith (which produces worry) spells bondage (I Jn 4:18 and Jn 14:15). Those who desire to manage their temporal fears must learn to meditate on the eternal perspective ( II Cor 4:18 ). 3. Acknowledge God’s forgiveness and stop poisoning the present by swallowing the pain of the past (Phil 3:13-15) 12:33 a The admonition here is to live to “live to bless others” ( Sell that ye have, and give alms ), not yourself. Although the dividends are postponed (Mt 6:19-20 and Lk 16:8 -9), they are perfectly safe. Pastors who teach on godly giving do their people a great spiritual service, for they teach them to invest in the eternal, not the temporal ( Prov 23:4,5 ), and to focus on the afterlife, not this life. 12:33 b No purse or treasure is worth having which is at the mercy of burglar or moth. 12:34 “Where your treasure is, your heart will lie there too.” Only by the sacrifice of earthly possessions will the mind be prepared to welcome the Kingdom. To hang on to what you have here is not only unnecessarily excessive, but it imposes a limitation upon the power and grace of God. THE ADAGE IS TRUE: What a man prizes has the effect of reducing his life to its own measure