Knock It Off, You Big Cry Baby Series

Luke 12: 13 – 21

Knock It Off, You Big Cry Baby

13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

I would like to share with you some deep secret that goes on within the church. Boy, I notice I got your full attention.

There are individuals that call or write and want to report other people’s sins. Are you shocked by this information? It happens almost on a daily basis. I find it also interesting that they will not give you their names. They just want to spill the beans, so to say.

Let me give you just one example of this type of action. I received a call from a woman who would not give her name. She says over the phone, ‘Do we allow people who are charged with child abuse serve in our Children Ministries?” I inform her that we do not allow this and that we do thorough investigations into all those who have volunteered to serve. The woman then goes on to tell me the name of a guy who is teaching in our first grade.

Now put yourself in my position, what would you do? Do you shoot, dribble, or pass the ball? You know that you cannot just hear this information and do anything for there might be a predator in your flock. So, I contact the guy and tell him that I have to speak with him ASAP.

The man comes in and I inform him as to why I needed to speak to him. Upon hearing the words that I heard on the phone you could see in his countenance that the information bothered him. I said that I needed his reply on what was charged about him.

The guy tells me that it was his ex-wife that called. She had committed adultery on him and after he found out she went on the offensive. She told him that if he ever wanted to see the kids again, was that he had to go to counseling. He didn’t know it, being so stunned, that she was planning to use this against him in order for her to not lose custody of the kids.

This is just one of hundreds of such awful investigations I have had to conduct based on evil people using the church as their own type of police force. Let me say to you that if you know of anyone who might suggest doing this type of evil do me a favor and cut them off at the pass. Tell them I hate their actions. They need to go up to the person and ask if they can help in anyway. In addition, pray for the person who might be in the situation. I love the phrase, ‘But for the Grace of God, go I.’

I see such an individual in today’s Scripture. Our Precious Lord and Savior Is very Gracious to this guy. I would have said, ‘knock it off you big cry baby! Don’t bother me with such silly matters.’

13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”

Please notice the lack of respect and personal awareness that this guy is giving to the Son Of God. ‘Hey teacher, tell Johnny to give me my money.’ Look again at our Lord response to the guy - “14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”

What did the guy ask our Lord for again? That He would judge the guy’s brother. Do you see our Lord’s great response? He turns it around and says to the guy, ‘Who Is It in this Universe that makes Me a Judge and Arbitrator over you.’