Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (v. 13).
People were always following Jesus; perhaps out of curiosity, perhaps they really believed in what he said, perhaps they were looking for a miracle or healing to take place, or for other reasons.
At this particular time, verse 1 says than “an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another”.
One man in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (v.13).
Scripture does not tell us if this was all money that was involved or if the inheritance consisted of land, buildings, or even some type of business.
Also, Scripture does not tell us if one brother was trying to take advantage of the other.
We do not know if the brothers had a close relationship with one another or whether the relationship was distant.
I’m sure you have heard of families that had nothing to do with each until someone died. At that time people seemed to come out of the woodwork in hopes that something of value might be waiting for them. Today, will specify how an estate is to be divided in the event of death. In the absence of a will, state laws govern how the estate will be divided.
In the Torah, the Old Testament Law provides guidelines for the distribution of an inheritance.
Also, Rabbis were required to interpret how this law applied in a given circumstance. Let’s look at what the Old Testament tells us.
Deuteronomy 21:15-17 states: “If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.”
This law points out how destructive life can be by having more than one wife. The law prevented men from choosing which eldest from which wife to leave the greatest inheritance. The first born son is first regardless of which wife conceived and gave birth. It makes no difference whether the wife was the favorite or more loved wife.
It may be that this man was the younger brother, although Scripture does not say, and he could not bear the thought that his older brother would be getting a double share of the inheritance.
Perhaps the older brother had no thought of giving the younger brother any more than was due him.
Maybe the one brother thought the other brother had done him wrong and the man’s only recourse was to appeal to Jesus to settle the question. Scripture, again, does not tell us this.
Perhaps the one brother thought Jesus would step in and change the Old Testament Law and divide the inheritance evenly.
Maybe the man in the crowd was a son from one of the father’s other wives.
Our text does not tell us if this was a situation as describes in Deuteronomy 21.
Jesus’ mission was not to make sure men received worldly or material possessions, but his mission was to save the souls of men.
That mission has not changed. Jesus died to pay our sin debt that we might believe in him, trust in him, and accept him as our personal Lord and Savior. By doing this our soul will be saved and will spend eternity with him in his kingdom.
Jesus responded to the man with these words: “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?’ (v.15)
Jesus was not about to step in and settle a civil suit.
Old Testament Law already specified what was to take place in such a matter.
This was an earthly matter, an earthly request and there were man made laws to take care of such matters. Civil matters are left in the hands of worldly people.
If this had been a heavenly inheritance, Jesus would have offered his assistance without hesitation. In settling a heavenly issue, Jesus knew where his authority originated. He could tell people who gave him his authority. The kingdom of Jesus is a spiritual kingdom.
Jesus knew that men were greedy and they would do whatever they could to gain worldly possessions.
Jesus was more concerned about moral issues than earthly issues. He was not interested in material issues and was not in the business of gaining money, land, or any other material possession for men.
He was not concerned about earthly wealth. He knew that people did have a tendency to place prosperity before human life. Jesus’ viewed human life different that did people. He was not interested in the earthly possessions because he knew life was far more than material wealth.
Jesus was interested in showing love and compassion to the people. If someone was sick, he wanted them to be well. When he saw a little child, he wanted to lift that child up in his arms and place a blessing upon that child. When he saw people wandering around like sheep without a shepherd, he wanted to be their Shepherd.
He wanted to care for people who were hurting or who were in sorrow. Jesus was interested in taking care of the people because he knew that life did not consist in worldly possessions. Life was more than worldly possessions. Worldly possessions do not make people happy, content, satisfied and with their future set upon heavenly things.
Jesus said to the crowd, “Take heed and beware of covetousness…” (v.15).
The word “covetousness” indicates greed or greediness to acquire or possess something. It could be an extreme desire for material possessions, skills, learning, or anything another person already possesses.
Covetousness and greed have been around since the creation of man. Man has always wanted more than is needed or something different than what he has.
The Tenth Commandment uses the word covet. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbors.”
Jeremiah 6:13 states: “Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.”
Jesus said, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (v. 15).
Story: “He Left It All”
A famous millionaire died of cancer. For weeks he suffered intolerable agony. Although surrounded by every luxury and receiving every possible care, he died as wretchedly as a pauper. There was the usual publicity, flowers, telegrams, an expensive bronze casket and a towering beautifully carved tombstone.
After the funeral a relative turned to another and said, “How much do you suppose that Harry left?” Back came the reply, “He left everything he had.”
Yes, Harry could take not one thing with him. He worked harder than a slave would. He grasped, saved, cheated, lied and where legally possible, he stole as he amassed his great fortune. He lived for self. He left all he had. He faced God without hope or plea. Harry was a poor fool. “What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” C. Leslie Miller – Gospel Herald
Many people believe that the more material possessions they have the happier they will be. The more education they have the happier they will be. The more prestigious job they have the happier they will be. The list goes on and on.
Bill Graham said:
“We are rich in the things that perish, but poor in the things of the spirit. We are rich in gadgets, but poor in faith. We are rich in goods, but poor in grace. We are rich in know-how, but poor in character. We are rich in words, but poor in deeds.”
Jesus said that our life does not consist in the material possession we have. Our peace of mind, our joy, our happiness, our comfort, and our eternal destiny does not depend upon our earthly possessions.
Story: “Seeing Only Self”
One day a certain old, miserly, rich man visited a rabbi, who took him by the hand and led him to a window. “Look out there,” he said. And the rich man looked out into the street.
“What do you see?” asked the rabbi.
“I see men, and women, and little children,’ answered the rich man.”
Again the rabbi took him by the hand, and led him to a mirror. “What do you see now?”
“Now I see myself,” the rich man replied.
Then the Rabbi said, “Behold, in the window there is glass. But the glass of the mirror is covered with silver, and no sooner is the silver added than you fail to see others, but see only yourself.” --Dawn
When we only see ourselves, we are blind to the needs and cares of others. When we are blind to others, we are also blind to God, because we serve God by serving others.
Verse 16 tells us that Jesus spoke a parable to the multitude of people.
Jesus said, “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully” (v. 16).
This man’s fields produced more crops than he ever dreamed of. The soil was rich, the rain came at just the right times, and the sun produced the correct amount of warmth for the crops. The yield was enormous, but the man was faced with a huge problem. What was he going to do with all these crops?
He had no room to store them in his barns. His barns were too small. This is a major problem in his mind. He got together with his staff of financial officers and together they decided to quickly tear down the small barns and quickly erect bigger barns in which they could story the crops.
This is man’s way of thinking this very day. When a person acquires more than what is expected, it may be in real estate, stock market, a huge bonus, the lottery, an inheritance, or some type of big sale, that person acquires a false sense of security.
This person begins to think worldly and loses sight of what life is all about. The person does not think about helping those who are less fortunate. He doesn’t think about how his wealth could further the work of God’s kingdom. He is only concerned about how much more he can acquire.
The man forgets that everything he has belongs to God and if he serves God, God will take care of his needs. The man doesn’t need bigger barns or more financial advisers; he just needs a bigger heart.
Jesus is trying to tell the people that it is not what a man has or possesses, but what a man is on the inside. Life does not consist of what we have externally, but instead life consists of what we are on the inside.
Verse 19 says, “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’”
When man begins to store his excess wealth, his downfall begins. He begins to hoard and acquire more than he needs. He begins to worry about what he possesses and how he can acquire more. Man lays awake at night worrying that he might lose his wealth or someone might try to take it from him.
He becomes stressed and the first thing you know, his health starts so falter. His heart beats faster because of his worry. He wears himself out because of sleepless nights and countless meetings with his financial staff.
Man keeps thinking that he can take it easy; eat, drink, and be merry. He keeps thinking that everything will work out to his advantage. He may be able to take life easy and eat, drink, and be merry for a short time, but what he fails to remember or realize is that life is uncertain and he has failed to make provisions for the close of his earthly life.
The man has attempted to satisfy his soul with earthly food, drink, and merriment, but he has failed to provide his soul with the demands of heavenly food.
Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).
Man today is no different than the man in the parable. Man’s idea of being rich is not the same as God’s idea. Man is concerned about the earthly life, but God is concerned about the heavenly life. Man is concerned about the body, but, God is concerned about the soul. Man is concerned about himself, but God is concerned about man.
God says to man today as he said to the man in this parable, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?”
None of us knows when God will close the book on our earthly life and call us home. Whatever earthly possessions we have will be left behind. When our earthly life began, God breathed the breath of life into us. When our earthly life ends, God will take that breath away.
Conclusion:
Covetousness or greediness is a sin.
Look at others instead of looking at yourself.
Store up treasures in heaven instead of on earth.
Wealth is not a sin in itself, but it becomes evil when it is the entire aim of man’s life.
Money can do a splendid service in helping those who are less fortunate.
God created you and if you serve him by serving others, he will take care of you.
One day your earthly life will end – choose you destiny now.
Jesus said, “…one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the thing he possesses” (v. 15).Amen.
