“‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your
Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give
alms.” Luke 12.32-33
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| New frontal donated to St Matthias by Aisha memory of her late husband Emmanuel RIP |
The question of
possessions and the challenge of Jesus’ words to go and sell them were put to Mr Cameron a few days ago in a
question and answer session in Darwen near Blackburn, it was also a challenge
for congregations up and down the country today as Jesus’ words reverberated
around countless churches up and down our land.
When one
reads the gospel it shows that Jesus spoke about two things more than anything
else, the Kingdom of God and money. Interestingly Jesus seldom talked about one
without talking about the other. In his preaching and teaching the two
are intimately intertwined.
The kingdom
of God is like – a man who had two sons and the younger came to him and
demanded half of the inheritance.
The kingdom
of God is like – a vineyard owner who pays everyone the same, no matter how
much or how little they had worked.
The kingdom
of God is like – a master who gives his servants varying amounts of money and
then judges them on how they have managed it.
Jesus knew
what he was saying and he said it very plainly. The already but not yet kingdom
of God has very important practical implications for how we treat our neighbours
and how we treat our money.
In this
Gospel passage, Jesus makes it very clear that the coming kingdom is firmly
rooted in the gospel of grace. The kingdom is not something we achieve or earn.
The kingdom is an unmerited and undeserved grace.
“Do not
be afraid little flock, for it is your Father’s
good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Yes, the
kingdom is a gift; it’s free, no strings attached.
But,
receiving the kingdom into our lives is costly.
The kingdom
changes the way we live our lives, it changes the way we define the purpose of
our lives, it changes the things we care about and worry about, it changes the
way we treat our neighbour and yes, it changes the way we manage our money.
“Sell
your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear
our, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth
destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
The
question to ask ourselves is where is our treasure or put another way what is
it that we treasure, and the answer to that question will reveal where our
hearts desire lies.
Accepting the
Kingdom of God and its priorities frees us from our captivity to the here and
now.
Accepting the
Kingdom of God and its priorities frees us from anxiety about worldly success,
the pursuit of all that glitters and leaves us free to embrace the love of God
and neighbour with all our heart mind soul and strength.
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