Author: Bill Hall

Then I’ll say to myself, You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.

Luke 12:19

This is the attitude of one who trusts in riches. They deceive themselves, thinking their riches will keep them from all trouble.

Heavenly Father, thank You, for You are the One Who can keep us from trouble. It is You Who are able to keep us safe and bless our lives. You are the joy and rejoicing of my heart! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there.’

Luke 12:18

Bigger Barns are not bad in and of themselves. However, this man’s plans revolved around his favorite person, himself. He did not take into consideration how his extra supply might be used to help others.

The Biblical understanding of material prosperity is as a means by which to be a blessing to others. Riches are meant to be shared, not hoarded.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the exceeding riches of Your grace! You are so magnanimous and beneficent! I will praise Your magnificent goodness and mighty justice. You are Perfect! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops?’

Luke 12:17

This man was so rich that the only problem he could think of was that he didn’t have room to store all that he had. This is a classic example of someone who had put all of his confidence in material possessions.

Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us a better way! We can live for Your glory and for eternity. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then he told them a parable: ‘A rich man’s land was very productive.’

Luke 12:16

Jesus has a lot to say about money and its deceitfulness. He was concerned about His rich hearers, who were by and large not understanding the truth about Him.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the right perspective in Your Word. The things of this world cannot satisfy anyway. We will live for You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

He then told them, ‘Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.’

Luke 12:15

Jesus teaches very clearly against materialism. Indeed, this verse right here is the clearest word ever said on the subject in all of history. A person’s life is not in how much that individual possesses.

Greed will lead to need. A person that lives for possessions will finally realize they are bankrupt, whether in this life or after it. Greed is a hard master that pays little.

Heavenly Father, thank You for telling us the truth about these things! I know Your way is perfect. You alone have the answers for life. I will look to You to find the right balance. You are the Center of it all. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Friend,’ He said to him, ‘who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?’

Luke 12:14

Jesus had been speaking of His spiritual authority. His acknowledgment of a person will indeed matter. And He is The Judge over all.

However, in this case He knew this man wanted Jesus to get involved in material squabbles among the people. This Jesus had not come to do. As He states to this man, He was not in a position legally to judge in these matters.

But, in the verses to follow, Jesus gives this man and the others there listening an idea of how He, as The Judge of All, views greed.

Heavenly Father, thank You for this day! Thank You for another opportunity to live for You! You are glorious and wonderful beyond all that I can imagine. Your Word is so amazing and brings to our lives wonderful things. I love You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Luke 12:13

This individual was very clearly hoping to capitalize on Jesus’s teachings. This person had possibly heard some other teachings of Christ and assumed they knew what He would say in this case.

There are many people who will misunderstand or misapply the teachings of Christ. Why? Jesus is the most effective teacher in history. As a result, His message is hard to ignore. So, if a person can appropriate His words to their ends, they have a big supporter in the eyes of others. So to be able to identify Christ’s message as source material is very desirable.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your truth! You make it available even though it gets misinterpreted by those who are out for their own gain. You are merciful to even allow us to know You. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said.

Luke 12:12

Ah the blessings of the church! The Holy Spirit of God is the One Who invigorates and empowers the church. He will lead on times of need and supply the words to say and the ways to go.

Heavenly Father, we can never thank You enough for Your beautiful gifts. To have the power of Your Spirit operating in our lives is just amazing. You have blessed Your church in so many ways. We will praise You forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Whenever they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you should defend yourselves or what you should say.

Luke 12:11

Jesus made it plain to His disciples on several occasions that they would be persecuted. But, they were not meant to plan ahead for the eventuality. Instead, Christians should allow the Spirit to lead in their defense.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your comfort through the Holy Spirit. You are so wonderful! I will praise You for Your loving kindness and truth. You are my defense! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

Luke 12:10

How does this verse line up with the previous two? Didn’t Jesus just say the Son must be acknowledged? Yes. But what He is saying here is that those who have not personally responded well to Christ do still have hope for forgiveness. However, because the truth about Christ is proclaimed by the Holy Spirit, ultimate rejection of Jesus is unforgivable.

This is an important truth to understand. Though sin is a problem, it is a problem with a perfect solution. God has made a way through Christ to solve it. But, unbelief is different. The Scriptures make it clear that unbelief will not be forgiven. There is no provision for those who finally reject what the Lord has revealed to them about Himself.

Heavenly Father, we love You! You have made the way of salvation perfect. You are wise and good. We will forever sing praise to You in Your holy presence. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.