Luke 12:22-34: Little Things

Jesus called it a little thing. He asked, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing . . ." Amazing. Adding an hour to my life is considered not only a little thing but a "very little thing" by Jesus.

How much time and effort do we as a society throw at health care? How much worry and constant monitoring of exercise, sleep and diet goes on? Yet, he calls it a "very little thing."

It sort of jogs our sense of priorities. His view is so different from mine. Yet, that seems to be the very point of the passage. I get stuck in this world and lose sight of the big picture. I care about one hour of life; he calls that very little. I worry about money for living; he says I have an entire kingdom coming so I should feel free to give it away now. I worry about my things wearing out; he says I have possessions coming that will never wear out.

Today, maybe for once, I can live with a different focus . . . an eternal one.

Luke 12:13-21; American Fool

The subtitle in the text calls this the story of the rich fool. It would seem appropriate to call it the American Dream. Work hard, save for the future and retire comfortable; isn't that the dream we are taught from birth?

The text written so long ago seems to be quite timely. Is it speaking against hard work or planning? I don't think so; both are praised in other places. The punch line indicates that the text is speaking against a focus of life, i.e., a focus upon self care only.

In my rush to take care of self (or even family), how much effort do I give to take care of God's business? How much attention do I pay to the spiritual life on a daily basis? What and where is my treasure anyway?