Jesus then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
During His earthly ministry Jesus was always talking about the coming Kingdom of God, instructing His listeners to invest their lives in this kingdom, to be rich toward God while avoiding the temptation to build a comfortable life for themselves.
Knowing the power of money Jesus talked about it almost more than anything else. Of course we need money. We need it to provide for ourselves and the those we care about, to build a future, to have a safety net, to acquire goods and services that we need and want. Money gives us the ability to have a better life. Obviously Jesus knows this and He cares about our needs. “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7
But Christ lovingly warns us of the danger of money, the seductive pull it has, making promises of a fulfilled and happy life. The thing about money is that it has the insidious power to fill us with emptiness, an emptiness that can never be satisfied. And this emptiness leads to greed, thinking that by having more we will be filled. The problem is that we have a hole in our heart and the things we acquire can never fill our hearts. Money makes empty promises but only God can plug the hole and fill us to overflowing measure (“You prepare a table before me….my cups overflows.” Psalm 23)
And so Jesus repeats His message as He did in His sermon on the mount: “Don’t worry about your life but rather build for yourselves treasure in heaven.” This takes faith for it is an investment in an invisible kingdom, and the only way to see it is through eyes of faith. If we are christians we have God’s Spirit in us and therefore have this sight, for God has given us a measure of faith (Romans 12:3).
So my dear friends, look with your faith eyes. Remember the words of the writer of Hebrews: “Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
And finally, let us heed the words of the eternally wise God-Man. Don’t waste your time on foolish and ultimately empty pursuits…invest in the invisible kingdom of God. The reward will be staggering, and well beyond anything you could acquire for yourself in this life. “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).