Beware of the Bigger-Barns Mindset
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Luke 12:21
“Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (Luke 12:13). Jesus saw the motivation behind this man’s statement and immediately addressed his heart problem: “Watch out!” He said. “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed. A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (v. 15). In other words, Jesus told him that increasing his wealth could never destroy the weed of greed that was choking his heart.
Jesus then told the crowd the parable of the rich man who decided to build bigger barns to store all his grain and possessions. This man was a fool, Jesus said, not because of his wealth but because of his attitude toward it. The man assumed his wealth would secure his future. He could “take life easy” and “eat, drink and be merry” (12:16-20).
We are bombarded on every side with a similar mindset: material possessions ensure security and satisfaction. But Jesus said we were to strive to be “rich toward God” instead (v. 21). What did He mean by that?
As the teaching in verses 22-34 indicates, the goal is to “set your heart” on that which has value in God’s kingdom. Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus lists some of those things: meekness, righteousness, and purity (Matthew 5:1-10). He also instructed His disciples to give generously to those who ask and to focus on loving others (5:42-45).
Greed is the by-product of believing that the accumulation of something—wealth, power, position—will bring fulfillment. True satisfaction, however, comes from pursuing a meaningful relationship with God and fulfilling His plan for our lives. This richness of life and purpose is what we truly seek.
Jesus also said, “You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24). Our hearts don’t have room for both, so we have to focus on one or the other – building bigger barns or building a storehouse of spiritual riches. The rich man in the parable and the brother who felt slighted had the same problem: they were more interested in storing up treasures on earth.
What will we choose?
DIG DEEPER:
Read Luke 12:13-34. What relationship do you see between greed and worry? How can faith in God’s goodness help us overcome both sins?
Read Psalm 62. The psalmist says we shouldn’t rely on riches in verse 10. What does he say we can rely on?
Read 1 Timothy 6:6-10. What is Paul’s counsel about riches? How does he make it clear that our attitude about money, not money itself, is the key issue?
Denise K. Loock
This devotion is part of a series, The Parables.