Welcome to Part 3!
I have been thinking about what God has shown me in Luke 12.
I've been looking for even the slightest evidence of Kingdom thinking in how I look at/think about/spend money and possessions.
I have to be honest, I fall short, very short.
As He almost always does, God is making His Teaching very practical in my life.
During this time, He gave our family an unexpected, very generous gift.
My first thoughts about this gift were, "What does God have for this?" and then,
"What can we buy? How can we spend it?"
Back to Luke 12 - -
After Jesus tells the disciples to trust God to care for their needs, to change their thinking and way of living from gathering to giving, He goes on to tell 2 more parables about how Kingdom people are to live.
These parables are about Servants and how they act when the Master is away for a while.
First Parable:
Master - has gone to a wedding feast and is away from his home.
Servants - while their master is away they stay ready, dressed, lamps are lit, waiting to immediately open the door when their master comes home and knocks, they are on alert, they are ready for their master even if he returns during the late hours of the morning.
Result:
Master will: 1 - get himself ready to serve and will serve the servants himself
2 - have the servants relax and recline at the table
3 - come up and will wait on his servants himself
At this point, Peter, Jesus' special student, asks:
"Is this about us, or is it to everyone else, too?"
Jesus answers with another parable about servants and a master who goes away for a while:
Second Parable:
Master - goes away for a time, puts an overseer in charge of feeding and caring for his servants
Good Overseer - is blessed, his master comes home and finds him giving servants what they need at the proper time
Result: Master puts this overseer in charge of all his possessions.
Bad Overseer - thinks in his heart, "My master will be gone a long time . . . "
- beats the servants
- eats and drinks and gets drunk
Result: His master comes home on a day he doesn't expect and finds the overseer not doing his will. The master cuts the overseer to pieces and assigns him a place with the unbelievers.
Moral of the Story: The Master will make a judgement about His servants. Everyone who has been given much - much will be required of them, more will be asked of him.
Both of these stories teach that
those in the Kingdom of God are to live lives READY for the Master's return. We know that Jesus is coming again and He has left us here, on His earth to do His Will. He has given us clear instructions. We are to be at work doing what He has left for us to do and ready at any minute for Him to return! We can expect reward or punishment for our behavior.
God's Judgement is Coming - Be Ready!
Verse 49 -
Jesus teaches that God's Judgement is coming. Jesus came to bring this Judgement - a fire that will destroy all that is not of God.
First, there will be a clear division of those who follow Jesus and those who don't - none so clear as in earthly families themselves.
He warns that we are to be wise and look at the signs of the times. The times are changing. Something new and different has come.
Verse 58 - Jesus warns that we should settle the case against us before going to court. I believe He is talking about the Judgement of God that will take place in His Holy Court.
Jesus is warning the people in the crowd to make every effort to settle our case with God before going to His Judgement Court.
Why? - because we are all guilty and we will pay everything we have as our sentence.
Natural Question comes to mind here? - How can I settle? What can I do?
And, this is where Jesus wants us to be . . . facing who we really are and asking God,
"How can I change this? Help me!"
My Summary:
-God cares for His People.
-Those who live in God's Kingdom give freely to others in need because God takes care of our every need.
-We think like this: "To whom can I give? How can I give? Whom can I bless?"
Not like this: "I better hold on to this because I might need it in the future. I better get stocked up in case something happens."
-People in God's Kingdom know that whatever they need, God will provide, whenever they need it.
-People in God's Kingdom are serving God, ready for Jesus' return - even if it seems like He is taking a long time to come back. We believe He is coming and we live like it - taking care of all He has given us to do in the mean time.
-People in God's Kingdom know how to read the signs of the times. We know the time of God's Judgement is coming and we have settle our case! Jesus is our settlement. He has paid the fine!
WHOO HOO! How I want to live my life in this TRUTH! I want to walk out on the water and trust God to care for me - freely giving and holding nothing back! I want to be found a faithful servant of my Beloved Master!
I know there is so much more to be found in the study of God's Word!
I am so thankful for my precious Teacher, the Spirit of God, that leads me into all Truth.
If there is error in any of my ideas/writings, I know HE will correct me and set me on the right path - the Path that leads to Life!
I encourage you to study for yourself God's Word! Let Him be your Teacher!
You will never regret it and you will never be the same!
