In 12:13-34 the Lord gives His disciples another kind of warning, the warning concerning covetousness. Luke places these two warnings together in a significant continuation. In Jerusalem there was not only the peril of religious hypocrisy, but also the peril of the covetousness of material possessions.
Luke 12:13 says, “And someone out of the crowd said to Him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” The Lord took this as an opportunity to warn the disciples about covetousness. First the Lord said to the one who requested that He tell the brother to divide the inheritance with him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or a divider over you?” (v. 14). Then He went on to say to His disciples, “Take heed and guard yourself from all covetousness; for no one’s life is in the abundance of his possessions” (v. 15). Then the Lord told them the parable recorded in verses 16 through 21.
If we are in the jubilee, participating in the New Testament inheritance of the Triune God, we need to beware of coveting earthly possessions. Our life in God does not depend upon such possessions. It may be better for us to dispose of our material possessions. In verse 33 the Lord says, “Sell your possessions and give alms; make for yourselves purses which do not become old, an unfailing treasure in the heavens, where a thief does not come near nor even a moth corrupts.” The point here is that as we are participating in the New Testament jubilee, we should not hold on to material possessions as an earthly treasure. We need to lay up treasures for ourselves in the heavens.
In 12:1-34 the Lord warned the disciples concerning religion and earthly possessions. While He was approaching Jerusalem, He spoke to them concerning these things. Hypocrisy and covetousness are great problems related to the enjoyment of the New Testament jubilee by the genuine followers of Jesus.
Beginning in verse 22, the Lord charged the disciples not to be anxious concerning their life. “And He said to His disciples, Therefore I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, what you should eat; nor for your body, what you should put on; for the life is more than food, and the body than clothing.” Since our Father in heaven takes care of us, there is no need for us to be anxious about food or clothing.
In verse 24 the Lord says, “Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap, for which there is neither storehouse nor barn; and God nourishes them. How much more valuable are you than the birds!” He also uses the illustration of lilies: “Consider the lilies, how they grow; they do not toil nor even spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass in the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, you of little faith!” (vv. 27-28). Instead of being anxious, we should have faith in our heavenly Father.
In 12:31 the Lord says, “However, seek His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you.” We should seek God’s kingdom, which is actually the New Testament jubilee. If we are seeking the jubilee, the Father will give us food and clothing. He will add these things to us. The Lord says that our Father delights to give us the kingdom (v. 32). Certainly He will never forget our need. The Lord clearly says, “Your Father knows that you need these things” (v. 30). We are here for the jubilee, the kingdom, and since the Father delights to give us the kingdom, certainly He will take care of our material needs. Therefore, we do not need to worry or have anxiety.
More than fifty years ago, the Lord charged me to give up my job and serve Him full time. When I was called by the Lord, I exercised my natural way of figuring concerning my living. I said, “Lord, I am willing to eat the leaves of the trees and drink water from the springs on the mountains. I am satisfied to live like this, but You must take care of my wife and children.” Of course, the Lord did not allow me to live this way. He took care of my needs and the needs of my family. The point here is that although we may not have faith in our Father, He is faithful.
Some of you may have the thought of serving the Lord full time. If you have the inclination deep within to serve the Lord full time, I encourage you to do it. Get out of the “boat” of your job, jump into the water, and see if you will “drown.” My experience was that after I left the boat, the Lord did not let me drown. At first, I told the Lord that I was in a good boat. I said that I trusted in Him but still needed a boat. However, the Lord told me to jump out of the boat. Then I told Him that I didn’t have that much faith. But it is not a matter of our faith; it is a matter of His faithfulness.
We all need to be rescued from the anxiety of life. There is no need for us to be anxious about food and clothing. The meeting of these needs depends on God’s faithfulness. He is faithful, and we should look to Him for what we need.