Luke 12:22-23
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Luke 12:22-23 (NIV)
So is Jesus speaking specifically to His disciples, as they prepare for the mission of spreading the Gospel? Or are these two verses also directed to us as believers and the church?
As a Husker football fan, I like to watch Adam Carriker’s podcast, The Carriker Chronicles, which “Takes the Pulse of Husker Nation.” Adam, a former Husker defensive lineman and 1st round draft pick of the Rams in 2007, many times will say, “I digress.” For those of you who have read prior devotions I’ve written, I will digress. I like to know “The Rest of the Story,” so I read the remainder of Chapter 12 to better understand the context of Jesus’ instructions to the disciples. From verses 13 – 21:
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.”
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.”
I’ve been blessed, as growing up and during my adult life, I’ve never experienced a time when I needed to worry about what I would eat, or what I would wear. In light of that, there are times I question whether I’ve stored up an abundance of possessions, and not given sacrificially to help more people, and be “rich toward God?” To those questions, I don’t have an answer.
What I do know is that since 1992 when I became a member of Southwood Lutheran, the messages of our pastors and participation in the Saturday Men’s Breakfast helped to grow my faith. Southwood also provided me with opportunities to grow my service. And my faith, service and financial giving grew significantly during the 30 years I attended services at Southwood, until Jane and I moved to Texas in 2022. I don’t know whether that makes me “rich toward God,” but I believe I’ve grown my relationship with God over those 30 years.
So where am I going with this message? After our move to Texas I missed Southwood Lutheran and the people I served with. After moving to Texas, Jane and I attended on-line services for 6 months, then began attending a church close to our home based on the services we watched on-line. For over a year and a half, the 45 minute sermons didn’t offer a message that resonated with me, like our Southwood pastor’s messages did. And while I served our new church as a parking attendant, front door greeter and barista, the church didn’t provide opportunities for service outside the church, and I never made real connections with the others I served with, like I had as an usher at Southwood.
While I still miss Southwood, and those I served with, I feel blessed that Jane and I made the decision to attend another church last October that very much has the welcoming spirit of Southwood, a servant’s heart and messages that keep me focused on the sermon. While our church, The Table Community Church is 45 minutes away in Fort Worth, another blessing is Jane and I are able to attend with our son Ben, and his wife Kristina. Thanks be to God.
Questions for Reflection:
- What about Southwood Lutheran drew you to attend for the first time, and to continue attending?
- Are you growing your relationship with God, through daily prayer, devotions, sharing your financial blessings, and through service with, and service to others?
Prayer:
Father in heaven, I, Thank You for the blessing of being a member/partner with Southwood Lutheran for those 30 years. My hope and prayer is that Southwood’s members and those attending Southwood experience the blessings I received through worship and service. I pray that we will continue to grow in our faith, and by sharing the possessions and talents You have blessed us with, we will bless others and become “rich toward You.”
In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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