Luke 12:13–15

Then the Lord goes on to unveil blessings and heavenly principles of the deepest importance to the souls of His followers. But in the middle of His teaching, one of the company interrupts Him... The Lord wanted their hearts and affections. But, dear friends, man's heart — your heart and mine — is always occupied with earth, unless grace reaches it.

The idea of inheritance was anchored in the law (Num. 27:11; 36; Deut. 21:17). Was there anything wrong with receiving an inheritance, or with dividing an inheritance righteously? Surely not. But getting involved would have given the wrong impression. The Lord had come to "seek and to save the lost", not to make people materially richer... The man had mistaken His mission.

If men had received Him, He would certainly have divided inheritances here below. But as things were, He was no judge or divider over men or their affairs here below. Luke, as is his way, presents the Lord looking at once at the moral side of the matter. Indeed, the rejection of Christ does lead into the deepest understanding of the heart.

He surely had not come from the Father's side to settle lawsuits about property, or to act as judge between two covetous men... It was not a question of which was right or which was wrong, as to the property. According to Christ's pure and heavenly teaching, they were both wrong... The spirit of covetousness was clearly in the whole affair. Both defendant and plaintiff were governed by covetousness. One wanted to grasp, and the other wanted to keep; what was this but covetousness?

He did not go to law about the inheritance. He was "Heir of all things." The land of Israel, the throne of David, and all creation belonged to Him, but man would not own Him, or give Him possession... By submitting to death He crushed the enemy's power, and brought "many sons to glory."

There was much He passed by, such as the evening out of wealth. "Who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?" was His answer. Though appointed Judge for eternity, He would not settle the things of time in a scene stamped with death. He had come to put things right, but not in this way. So things are settled in the light of eternity. Men are met by what reaches the conscience, and the selfishness of the heart is laid bare.

He would not arbitrate. Yet He taught truth that would do away with the need for arbitration altogether. If the principles of the kingdom of God ruled, there would be no need for courts of law. People would not be robbed of their rights, so they would have no wrongs to put right... The Christian belongs to the kingdom, and must be governed by the principles of the kingdom.

Inheritance was governed by the law (Num. 27:11; 36; Deut. 21:17). Was there anything wrong with receiving an inheritance? Was there anything wrong with dividing one fairly? Surely not. But getting involved would have given the wrong impression. The Lord had come to "seek and to save the lost", not to make people richer in possessions. He makes this point with a question. He had not come as a judge in the affairs of this life, or as a divider of inheritances. The man had mistaken His mission.

He had not come to set things right in this world at that time, though He will do it when He comes again. If He had been accepted as Messiah, He would have done it then. But God's plans ran another way. It was quite right that the man should have his inheritance. Yet as Messiah He was rejected, so He could not then set justice and judgment on the earth. At that time He had come about men's souls.

He had certainly not come from the Father's side to settle lawsuits about property, or to arbitrate between two covetous men. Covetousness ruled both the defendant and the plaintiff. One wanted to grab, and the other wanted to keep; what was this but covetousness?... It was not a question of which of them was right about the property. By Christ's pure and heavenly teaching, they were both wrong... He did not go to law about the inheritance. He was "Heir of all things." The land of Israel, the throne of David, and all creation belonged to Him. But man would not own Him, or give Him possession.

The more we look at this, the more we see His amazing perfection. Society was very far from what God intended it to be. Yet He will not take Caesar's place and put it right. He had not come to patch up the old garment. He had come to go to the cross and die, so that in resurrection He might set up an entirely new order of society. In that new order every moral and social question would be settled according to God's own thoughts.

He had not come to be a judge. He had come as the revelation of God in perfect goodness. One day He is coming as both a judge and a Divider. But that was not His character in that day.

Those who belong to Christ have nothing directly to do with governing the world. They are plainly not of the world, just as He was not (John 17:14, 16). He even refused to arbitrate when a man asked Him to step in unofficially. He would be no judge or divider of an inheritance (Luke 12:13-14)... He came into the world to bear witness to the truth, and that is the mission of the Christian.

Slavery is foreign to Christianity. Yet putting earthly wrongs right was not the Lord's aim in His first coming (see Luke 12:14). It will only be done when He comes again. So the will of God for His people now is this: accept the conditions that mark their own times, and in them make His teaching attractive and honour His name.

The spirit of covetousness was clearly in the whole affair. Covetousness ruled both sides of the case. One wanted to grab, and the other wanted to keep. What was this but covetousness? "And he said to him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?" It was not a question of who was right or wrong about the property. By Christ's pure and heavenly teaching, both were wrong.

He was not come to set things right in this world then; though He will do this when He comes again. Had He been accepted as Messiah, He would have done so then; but the counsels of God were otherwise. It was quite right that the man should have his inheritance; but as Messiah He was rejected... He was then come about men's souls; therefore He says to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness."

The question is not just about getting something in a wrong way. No, that is not the point. It is this. In the heart of man there is a settled determination to acquire. The urge to acquire is natural to the human heart. That heart busies itself with the things of time — the things of the senses — the things of this life.

Covetousness involves no dishonesty. It is not even harsh or sharp dealing. It is no more than the desire for more. It is the very spring of modern effort — the drive to better yourself, praised in everyone from the workman to the millionaire. So the creature becomes the object, and not God. That is why covetousness is called idolatry. It is man looking down, not up in dependence on God.

Always remember this. Riches are a snare to the rich man. But for a poor man to envy a rich man because of his riches is as bad or worse. It just shows that he would have riches too if he could. It is not a question about riches. The Lord wants to get souls into heaven, and riches will not take them there; that can only be by being rich towards God.

This anxiety for Christ's help to settle questions comes from the heart's desire for something it does not have here below. Here the Lord judges the effort to hold on to your position. He exposes the eagerness after earthly righteousness — "be on your guard against all covetousness." The rejection of Christ, and the revealing of heavenly things, led into the true path of faith. That path means trusting God for whatever He gives. It means relying on Him, not on man, in every difficulty. It means being content with what we have. God arranges all to faith.

Well, you say, what does his life consist in? That is a very serious question. What does your life consist in? Is Christ your life? You know what Paul said, "For me to live is Christ." That was life indeed... but in having Christ as an object and motive. The Lord reads our hearts very simply. He knows the danger of the urge to acquire in the human heart, whether it is the heart of an unconverted man or the heart of one of His own people.