Monday, August 12, 2013
Luke 12:32-33a "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor."
DON'T BE AFRAID TO LOSE THINGS
Have you ever looked through a room in your house and realized that there was just too much clutter--that you needed to get rid of some things? Many people use the spring time of the year as a occasion to clean out closets and cupboards. They might give away, throw away, or sell things they don't want to keep anymore.
The trouble with spring cleaning, though, is that sometimes we run into things we just can't seem to part with even if we know we do not need them or use them anymore. The truth is, we get attached to certain things, certain things of this world. It's not hard to look around and see how common this is. People lavish a lot of time and attention on the things they have such as their cars, their houses, their careers, or their families. They expend a lot of effort in getting those things and they aren't inclined to let them go quickly or easily.
Jesus, however, reminds us that the clutter of this life is not so important. He even suggested to His disciples that they could sell their possessions and give to the poor. He doesn't mean you need to go out today and rid yourself of every single earthly blessings God has given you, but it is His way of illustrating for you that you do not need to be afraid to let go of the things you have collected on this earth. You need not get too attached to them.
We do not need to be afraid to let these things go because we have been given something far greater. "Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom," Jesus said. We have the blessings that come to us as a result of Christ's ruling activity in our lives, activity that centers on bringing us to eternal life. We have the forgiveness of sins through Jesus' death and resurrection. We have been brought to faith in that forgiveness by God's work in our hearts. We have an eternal inheritance in heaven ready and waiting for us. We have a loving Father in heaven who works all things for our good. So do not be afraid, little flock, "the kingdom [y]ours remaineth!" (The Lutheran Hymnal, 262:4).
