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Luke 12:32–34
“Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (vv. 33–34).
The early church father Cyril of Alexandria wrote wisely on Jesus’ teaching about not being anxious. As we have seen, believers do not have to sinfully worry about whether we will receive the necessities of life (Luke 12:22–31). Cyril wrote that Jesus “means that they must believe that certainly and without doubt their heavenly Father will give the means of life to those who love him. He will not neglect his own. Rather he will open his hand to them—the hand which ever fills the universe with goodness.” Cyril’s words are eminently biblical, but we are often slow to believe that God will not neglect us. We all too quickly fall into the trap of thinking that the Lord is just like sinful men and cannot be trusted.
Jesus says in today’s passage that we should never doubt the Father’s goodwill toward His children. As we see in Luke 12:32, it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. God gives generously (James 1:5), and He is not just looking for an excuse to withhold something good from His sons and daughters. He is far better than any earthly father and loves us perfectly if we are in Christ Jesus our Lord (Luke 11:1–13).
Grasping that core biblical truth will transform our relationship to material goods and enable us to give freely. If we do not doubt God’s provision, then we can use what we have to bless others abundantly, not feeling as if we have to hoard our resources just in case the Lord does not supply. We will know that He cannot fail to give us what we need and live accordingly.
That is the core point in Luke 12:33–34, where Christ says that we should sell our possessions and give to the needy, thereby receiving treasures in heaven. As many commentators note, Jesus is not calling for a vow of poverty or telling us to relinquish all property. He is not saying that we somehow merit eternal life by giving to the poor. If He were doing either of those things, He would be contradicting many other biblical teachings, and that is impossible. His point, rather, is that generosity to others manifests a heart in which money and material goods do not reign supreme. If we are seeking first the kingdom and striving to keep our lives free from the idolatry of materialism, the outward evidence of that is refusing to hold on to our wealth too tightly, instead using it to bless not only ourselves but others as well. To be generous is to show that one’s heart is set on heaven and the eternal treasure that is Christ Himself.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Matters of wealth are always matters of the heart. Income and net worth do not determine one’s righteousness, but only union with Christ, and one key piece of evidence that we are truly united to Jesus is that we are quick to share our time, talent, and treasures with those in need. How can you show generosity this day?
for further study
- Proverbs 28:8
- 1 Timothy 6:17–19
the bible in a year
- Esther 7–10
- Acts 6
- Job 1–6
- Acts 7:1–34