Fighting over the Scraps

Thanksgiving

November 24, 2016

Luke 12:13-15

Fighting over the Scraps

In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Jesus is not a probate judge. He is the judge of the world, but on the Last Day He won't be probating your will, He won't be dividing up who gets what stuff. Frankly, He doesn't care about your stuff.

¹³Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or an arbiter between you?” (Luke 12:13-14)

But He does care about you. So when a man asked Jesus to help him get a fatter chunk of his dad's inheritance, Jesus wasn't interested.

It's true that Jesus always helps those who are desperate: terrified Jairus, sinking Peter, the humble Canaanite mother. But He didn't help Inheritance Man. He answered him essentially, “Man, this isn't My job.” And He went on to identify the sin that so often drives disputes over inheritance: greed. Jesus said:

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

Jesus doesn't want us to fight over the scraps of this world. And although there are lots of good things in this world, anything that pushes Jesus and His death and resurrection to the side is a scrap. Anything of this world that we hang on to for hope instead of Jesus' cross is a scrap.

Some scraps are easy to identify. But many scraps are in our blind spot.

America isn't going to save you.

The President isn't going to save you.

Lots of toys for Christmas isn't going to save you.

Cheap gas isn't going to save you.

A good harvest isn't going to save you.

A great house isn't going to save you.

The joy of family togetherness isn't going to save you.

A treasured family recipe isn't going to save you.

America, presidents, toys, energy, crops, houses, families, and food are all gifts from Jesus. But He didn't give them to us to save us; He sent Himself. And even though He knows that we turn these scraps into idols, He still gives us these things because He knows that we need them.

So don't fight over the scraps of this world. Use them; enjoy them, but don't hold on to them.

Instead cling to Jesus, the Giver of all good things. And above all the things He gives us, He gives us Himself. He gave His life on the cross to be punished for our love of scraps. He rose to life and left the tomb to speak peace to us. And even now He continues to serve us. With His water. With His words. With His body. With His blood.

For the Son of Man did not come to be Served, but to Serve, and to Give His Life as a Ransom for Many. Amen.