Lord and Owner of Life (Luke 12:13-21)

When a man saw Jesus who rebuked the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, he was impressed and thought that Jesus would help him out in resolving the inheritance matter with his brother. Many a people misunderstand and even try to utilize Jesus to achieve their greed. When our Lord Jesus seriously charged the establishment of the nation Israel as the unmarked graves, He did it as the Owner of the nation and the Creator of the universe.

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; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:13-15)

Our Lord Jesus knows what is inside man, so no testimony about man is necessary for Him. “But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.” (John 2:24-25) Jesus knows that man is completely lost and fallen and under the monstrous force of the mastermind of lie, the devil.

Our Lord Jesus replied in a question, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” It is not really a question to answer but a rhetorical one to think about. Neither did Jesus deny the Lordship of everything in heaven and on earth. In fact, Jesus is more than a judge, the Creator of the universe. God has appointed the Son Jesus Christ as the Lord and Judge of all. “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.” (John 13:3)

Jesus warned the man to watch out and be on guard against all kinds of greed. The man desired to have the material inheritance and at an opportune time he wanted to utilize Jesus to achieve his greed. Fallen man thinks that he can handle everything except once in a while when a small help is necessary, as if he has appointed Jesus to do what he wants to do. No, it is not so. That’s far away from the truth. God the Father in heaven appointed the Son Jesus Christ as Judge and Lord for His work to be done.

Our Lord Jesus is the Maker and Designer of mankind and of the universe. He is the light to determine what is right and wrong from the core. “Through Him all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:3) Jesus sustains all things by His powerful word (Hebrews 1:3). Every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth should bow at the name of Jesus Christ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)

Jesus says that life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. In this parable, Jesus is not saying that material abundance is wrong because it is made and given by the hand of God. All things God made is good. Lord Jesus calls this man a fool. He is a fool because his eyes are shortsighted and unhealthy and so he is in the darkness. Jesus says, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.” (Luke 11:34)

Life is more than a material abundance. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” says Apostle Paul (Romans 14:17) This man in the parable thinks of himself and of this age only. He doesn’t appreciate God at all, who shines light and sends rain for the harvest. Although he can’t do anything without God, he considers himself like the one who deserves everything.

Jesus encourages His disciples with these words of truth: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6-7) Our Father in heaven is in charge of numbering even sparrows in the forest. Yet, the fallen mankind is so blind and unseeing that he cannot appreciate the grace and mercy of God and even His long patience.

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21)

Our Lord Jesus seriously warns the disciples to store up things for God, or they will lose all things. How can we be rich toward God? Jesus says, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20) The treasures in heaven mean the obedience of faith to the Lord whenever possible in the midst of troubles and difficulties. Our God offers us opportunities to practice the love of Christ in our midst.

When our children get in trouble and a phone call rings, that’s an opportunity to practice the love of Christ, believing that it has been given by the One in heaven who knows what it is and why it’s happened. We may not obey all the opportunities God has provided in our midst. However, the Scripture confirms that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). As Apostle John says, we honestly admit our failure and repent to the Lord. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)