God first - Riches and everything else second (Luke 12:13)
Dr. Roberto Miranda
(Audio: English, Spanish) ->Alternate
SUMMARY: In this passage, Jesus warns against greed and an excessive attachment to material possessions. He uses the example of a rich man who hoards his wealth without recognizing God or practicing stewardship. Jesus emphasizes the importance of seeking God's will and wisdom in all decisions and recognizing that everything we have belongs to Him. By practicing stewardship and giving to God what belongs to Him, we can experience the fullness and blessings of God in our lives. These ideas have practical implications in our daily lives and can shape our priorities and attitudes towards our possessions and resources.
The parable of the rich man who stored all his abundant crops in a bigger barn is used to illustrate the importance of having a vertical perspective in life. A horizontal perspective, focused only on material possessions and achievements, is impoverished and miserly. It is important to consider the eternal implications of our actions and decisions, and to prioritize our relationship with God above all else. Only God can truly satisfy the God-shaped vacuum in our hearts, and the awareness of our own fragility should motivate us to trust our lives to Him. Giving our lives to God is the root of joy and happiness in life.
God wants us to find rest and not be anxious by giving our lives to Him and trusting Him with everything we have. We need to commit ourselves to Him and His Kingdom.
The parable of the rich man who stored all his abundant crops in a bigger barn is used to illustrate the importance of having a vertical perspective in life. A horizontal perspective, focused only on material possessions and achievements, is impoverished and miserly. It is important to consider the eternal implications of our actions and decisions, and to prioritize our relationship with God above all else. Only God can truly satisfy the God-shaped vacuum in our hearts, and the awareness of our own fragility should motivate us to trust our lives to Him. Giving our lives to God is the root of joy and happiness in life.
God wants us to find rest and not be anxious by giving our lives to Him and trusting Him with everything we have. We need to commit ourselves to Him and His Kingdom.
Saint Luke – Chapter XII, starting in verse 13: “Someone in the crowd said to him: “Teacher tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” And Jesus replied: “Men, who appointed me as judge and arbiter between you." Then he said to them: “Watch out, be on your guard against all kinds of greed for men’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Then Jesus told him this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a rich crop and 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’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and there I will store all my grains and my goods. And I’ll say to myself: You have plenty of good things laid up for 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 prepared for yourself? And this how it will be with everyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God.”
Then Jesus told him this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a rich crop and 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’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and there I will store all my grains and my goods. And I’ll say to myself: You have plenty of good things laid up for 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 prepared for yourself? And this how it will be with everyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God.”
