“And one of the
company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the
inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a
divider over you?” – Luke 12:13-14
It’s trivial to speak often in the hypothetical. At its best state, at least I have found, all
you can hope for is a doorway to something profitable. Perhaps this is that. Hypothetically, if we could all somehow wear,
just for one day, glasses that gave us all eternal vision (instead of the typical
temporal vision); it would change the world.
Before we address this anonymous individual,
who asked of Jesus to divide the inheritance.
Would we pause a minute to reflect on who Jesus is to the people of that
day? To the scribes and pharisees he was
a blasphemer, resurgent, and threat to their power. To the Romans, he seemed a nuisance. To some Israelites he was the hope of Israel,
others a powerful prophet, and to some number; the Son of God. What is not clear in the scriptures, is who
Jesus was to this man who asked him to speak unto his brother. This man who was wronged, or at the verily
least, seemingly deserving of something temporal. What is clear is that he had a level of
respect for Jesus and realized that Jesus was a man of authority. Perhaps he thought that Jesus could, and
would, exercise this authority on his behalf so he could gain this world’s goods. From a temporal, worldly standpoint, there is
nothing wrong with this, but apply eternal vision. Here is Jesus, the Son of God, and he is
preaching to his disciples, and the multitude, warning them about the hypocrisy
of the Pharisees (outwardly pious, inwardly covetous). Exhorting them to fear God, and not man,
because man can kill the body, but God can destroy the body and soul. Comforting them in the fact that God takes
care of the sparrow and will take care of them if they trust in Him. Then this unknown individual (seemingly
interrupts Jesus, in my opinion) and asks Him if he will tell his brother to
share the inheritance with him. Jesus is
imparting unto him the riches of the ages, and he is asking for the riches of
the moment. Jesus is offering the Kingdom
of Heaven, and he is squabbling over a portion of his own kingdom. How foolish, how shortsighted, how very typical. Are we so different? Do we have our eyes fixed on making a dollar,
while running headlong toward the gates of hell? So, preoccupied with investing in our own
kingdom, that we forget to invest in His?
What justification can we offer to the Eternal God, and the bleeding
Lamb, when he asks at the judgment bar: “What did you do with those years I
gave you? Did you serve me? Did you honor me?” What did we do? Did we spend this life hording
creature comforts and bringing honor only to ourselves? “Who
hath made me a judge or a divider over you?” Why should the Son of God stoop so low, and
engage in something so trivial as this, and why should we? If the Judge of all Earth was willing to give
his life for broken, fallen, wretched sinners.
Giving us access to be saved and lift me up to a highway of holiness;
only to ask that we love and serve Him.
What justification can I bring to judgement if I spend my days focused
on my own temporal inheritance? What
justification will you bring? Lord help
us to see with eternal vision and lay up treasures in heaven.
“Beware of covetousness:
for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he
possesseth.” This was Christ’s answer
to the individual’s question.
Beware! There is so much more to
life than things, and yet it is so easy to get encumbered with things. “What
is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” What is money, entertainment, and inheritance
if we miss out on heaven, and the blessed experience of holiness that will take
us there?
