BE READY

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OK, now you know not to worry about things that don't matter, you know that God is capable of providing for your needs, you know that you are most valuable to God, you know that the only way to satisfy your heart is to seek His Kingdom and become a channel for God's blessings to flow to the poor. But knowing it isn't doing it. Now, Jesus is saying that what is most necessary is to BE READY.

"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

Jesus concludes with a call to focus on what is really important. It is so very important that you be vigilant with respect to your relationship with your Master, Jesus, the King. If indeed this is a love relationship, then it's vital to act like it by being ready for Jesus to show up, even unexpectedly.

When the master arrives, the servants are to be ready. His coming or showing up is their most important priority. You are to be looking forward with great anticipation for Jesus and to stay awake or be watchful. You may be servants, but when the Master shows up He will serve you. This is how Jesus turns the world upside down. He upends the world system by making the poor rich and the rich poor.

Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?" The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers."

"The servant who knows the master's will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

So the conclusion is be dressed and ready for service. Keep your lamps burning. Be watching for him. Even if he is delayed, don't fall asleep. Be a faithful and wise manager. Feed the servants under your care. God has given you much. Be worthy of that sacred trust He has in you. Two words: BE READY.

STOP YOUR WORRY

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If you're going to be "rich toward God", then you must learn to trust God for your material needs: Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes."

Don't worry about your life, because there is more to life than food and clothes. First, Jesus says, "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"

Then Jesus moves from birds to flowers:"Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you-you of little faith!"

Don't you see, it's so empty and foolish to be concerned or worried about these things, because you are so much more valuable than birds and wild flowers.

"And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it." Jesus here gives us an insight as to how worrying is set in motion. It is when you set your heart on something that you want or think you need.

There are two reasons Jesus gives for such worry. First-"For the pagan world runs after all such things." Worry and seeking stuff is what the pagans do. Why? Because they are not walking under the King and His kingdom. Second-"and your Father knows that you need them." God already is aware of what you need. He is the most faithful one you can count on in your relationship. He knows what you need and is not shocked with the situation you find yourself in, so trust Him with it.

Probably one of the most common hazards you and I face is greed. The only way to escape the peril of greed is to pursue God's Kingdom. NOTE how Jesus puts it: "But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." All of the "stuff" we need will be taken care of, if we seek His kingdom and learn to trust Him with every part of our existence.

Jesus gives another insight into eliminating your worry and seeking His kingdom. He says, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor." Jesus is saying the same thing He mentioned in the previous paragraph. He wants us to serve as channels of blessings for others. And as long as we operate in His kingdom, He will bless us as the channels of His blessings.

Then Jesus says something that is curious: "Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys."

If you're neglecting to give to the poor and needy, then you will have an earthly purse that will wear out. However if you are a giver, you will have a heavenly purse that will never wear out.

So, if you worry about things that you cannot control and don't practice trusting God, then you will not be rich toward God and you will not be thriving-only surviving at best. Jesus gives the formula for practicing being rich toward God. 1. Don't worry about things that don't matter. 2. God is more than capable of providing for your needs and continually demonstrates it through how He feeds the birds and clothes the wild flowers. 3. You are the most valuable of God's creation. 4. Seek after His Kingdom. 5. Sell your possessions and give to the poor.

Then Jesus ends this section with the following: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." If your focus is on the kingdom, your heart will be the heart of God and you will know the fullness of a satisfied heart. If your focus is smothered with worries about how you're going to eat and clothe yourself, your heart will be worn out by struggling to hang on to a lesser treasure. You choose. Keep on seeking His Kingdom or drown yourself in your worries. It is ultimately your choice.

PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL

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In Luke 12:13-21 we come to the story of the rich fool. Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?"

Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;" NOW THAT'S RELEVANT FOR TODAY.

JESUS GOES ON TO SAY: "life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." The word for "life" Jesus uses is the word that speaks of quality of life. So, He is saying that your quality of life doesn't consist in all of your stuff.

And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'"

NOTE in those days everyone was in relationship to one another-family lived together and villages worked together in times of abundance and in times of loss. Yet this man "thinks to himself". You see, he consulted no one on his decision-no one, not even God.

"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.

Instead of sharing it with those in his family and village who are in need, he makes the decision to "store" his surplus in bigger barns.

And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." The purpose for his decision is so that he can take life easy, eat, drink and be merry. This is called retirement in most cases. However, Jesus has us all on a mission. It's our real purpose for being here. We are only satisfied if we fulfill our God-given purpose and that purpose is not hoarding stuff for ourselves, but to be self-giving. This has nothing to do with making money and increasing your possessions. There is nothing wrong with that. It has everything to do with how you use what you have. Since all you have belongs to God Who enabled and empowered you to gather it, He wants you to use it compassionately.

NOTE what happens to this man: "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

That very night of his boasting and his self-centered decision God "demanded" not only his stuff, but his life! The word used here means to "take it back" or "repossess" all you have and all that you are-your very life.

Jesus ends His story with a strong summary application: "This is how it will be with those who store up things for themselves but are not rich toward God."

RICH TOWARD GOD. It seems by Jesus' words that a person who is rich toward God does not live for himself-gathering and holding on to more and more stuff for himself. Rather one who is rich toward God takes thought of how to share his stuff and use it for the kingdom. Well, where are you in this story?

Think it over.

WARNINGS AND ENCOURAGEMENTS

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Speaking of hypocrisy, Jesus turns His attention to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, warning His disciples of this problem within themselves. Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Jesus makes it clear that He wants His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and He defines it as hypocrisy. Jesus is saying first to pay attention to the primary sin of the Pharisees. Second, He speaks of this sin as a leavening agent. The nature of yeast or leaven is that it quietly influences everything it touches-usually the dough. In a sense Jesus is saying to be careful that the attitude and mindset of the Pharisees can be so easily caught. Thirdly, Jesus is saying that the disciples need to be careful not to embrace or be caught up in the outward show of a Pharisee. These warnings could be summarized in Isaiah's description of hypocrites: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."

It's interesting to me that Jesus feels the need to give this warning to His disciples precisely when the crowds began to grow. With the larger crowds following along, it was much easier to go the way of the Pharisees-to please the crowd or to appear as the righteous.

So what is the antidote to this kind of hypocrisy? The primary antidote for this kind of hypocrisy is to be vulnerable about your struggle with being honest. In other words, the antidote is full disclosure. This is exactly what Jesus gives as His antidote. He says,

"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs."

Then, after giving this serious warning, He also gives them three words of encouragement. FIRST-DON'T BE AFRAID: "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

SECOND-PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BEFORE THE ANGELS: "I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever publicly disowns me will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven."

THIRD-THE SPIRIT OF GOD WILL TEACH YOU WHAT YOU NEED JUST IN TIME: "When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."

This section summarizes what it means to walk with Jesus. 1. There is a great danger in being contaminated by the religious leadership. 2. You must choose to counteract that contamination with a full confession of who you are. 3. Jesus will envelope you with His protection and His Spirit.

What is evident to me is that the only sure way to walk with Jesus without this contamination is to stick close. It's constantly asking the question What Would Jesus Do? (WWJD?). Or, a new way to view it is to discipline yourself to continually bring THE JESUS FACTOR into your life. Once THE JESUS FACTOR is introduced, you know what to do and say. THE JESUS FACTOR. Maybe THE JESUS FACTOR is the ultimate answer to WWJD?. When THE JESUS FACTOR is brought into your personal life, your marriage and family, your business life, your neighborhood and in your friendships, you know everything is going to be OK. Try using THE JESUS FACTOR and you'll see the difference it makes in you.

JESUS SAYS "WOE" TO LEADERS

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In Luke 11:37-54 the increasing spirit of confrontation comes to a head when Jesus was invited by a Pharisee to dinner. When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But now as for what is inside you-be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.

"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

"Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.

"Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it."

One of the experts in the law answered him, "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also." Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

"Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Because of this, God in his wisdom said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.' Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

"Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."

When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, waiting to catch him in something he might say.

I recently came across the writings of Donald Williams on the net and he opened to me three universal problems of the religious leaders Jesus was facing and it's still with us today.

The FIRST problem is formalism-a commitment to outward forms-rituals, practices, creeds, type of worship, believing that these forms are key to true piety and make you acceptable to God. These forms aren't bad in themselves, but there can be a tendency toward an external focus rather than what flows out of the heart. Jesus points out their excessive emphasis on washings and cleansings. He has already provoked this part of formalism by not following through on the ceremonial washing as He entered the house. The Pharisee gloried in his washings as one of the most important evidence of being so self-righteous.

Jesus offers two answers when the Pharisee questioned Him on not washing. The first was the parable of cup. Pharisees were so careful to wash the outside of the cup, but the leave the inside filthy. In other words, all that really matters is how someone looks. The second thing Jesus does is to fire away with some sarcasm. He says your fathers killed the prophets and you build the tombs. In other words, you are complicit in the process of even making the death of the prophets look good on the outside. Formalism is just too shallow to amount to anything genuinely spiritual.

The SECOND problem is legalism-Legalism is not just a strict stance on the Law. Legalism believes that by keeping a list of do's and don'ts you will be able to earn God's acceptance and salvation. The focus here is keeping whatever set of rules you have adopted and that devotion to keeping the rules becomes the empty activity, again proceeding without the heart for it. Jesus pokes fun at their practices of tithing. They took tithing to the point where they would go through their spice rack and carefully measure out a tenth of each jar-while ignoring the more significant matters of the Law, such as love. This practice became "burdensome"

You see, Pharisees are hypocrites. But they were hypocrites, not only in the sense of talking one thing and doing another. They were hypocrites, because they were "hyper-critical"-knit-pickers, feather-pluckers. The Sabbath also became a badge of legalistic righteousness. The practice of keeping the Sabbath also became an empty ritual or, in this case, Law that must be kept to the nth degree no matter what. So, legalists do things because they "have to", not because they "want to."

The THIRD problem is clericalism-Clericalism is the wrong kind of dependence on the position of clergy. Within clericalism there are two classes of people-first class and coach. First class believers are the clergy-those who are in the professional ministry. It's the tendency to put clergy up on a pedestal above everyone else in the body of Christ.

When a person is in the hospital, get the pastor. Call the priest immediately. When someone needs prayer, we must wait for the pastor. I strongly disagree with this thinking. When a clergyman prays over someone, he puts his empty hands on a person's empty head and prays for God to come through on his behalf. Anyone can do that.

Formalism, legalism and clericalism are all very much alive among us and act as dangerous cancers in our fellowships. Jesus was totally upset by those who seek the best seats of honor in the synagogues. He was livid over the fact that these pseudo-leaders took the key to knowing God and His ways as if they were the gate-keepers of faith. Yet, these same gate-keepers have never gone into a full faith relationship themselves while hindering others in the process.

For many years I've been saying, "We don't need more ministers. We need more people ministering." Lord, deliver us from thinking we're something when we're not, from following a man-made list of do's and don'ts and from the pompous spirit of clericalism. Lord, deliver us from our tendency to be drawn to any of these Pharisaical practices that are empty and destructive. Lord Jesus, deliver us from ourselves.