Warnings and Woes

(Luke 6:24-26)

Do you have young kids?

Have you ever had to watch kids in the kitchen or on the beach or around the barbecue? They run around without a fear in the world and if you don’t watch them it often ends in tears.

Even when you do watch them, they are so darned quick that they are into mischief and hurt themselves before you can yell, “Look out!”

Listen to Good Advice

What about when it is you instead of a young child? Do you take warnings and listen to advice?

Jesus in this section of scripture is giving you and me some really good advice. He is telling us that seeking the satisfaction and comfort of this world is not necessarily the best use of your time or your life.

Look at his words. Woe to you that are rich, or are full now, or that laugh now or who the people of this world think highly of. He is telling you that it is not a good thing to be in these places.

The Problem of Seeking the Things of this World

When you seek the things of this world you are not seeking Jesus.

All of the pride of this world and the things that man values so highly are not important to God. God knows that the things man seeks are futile for man seeks the things that are temporary and transitory.

Money can be lost in a flutter of the economic markets. Possessions can be lost, stolen or damaged. Other goods will wear our, rust or fall into decay. Position and power in the world does not last.

So why seek the things that are not going to last? Why look for the things that will wear out?

And in these scriptures Jesus shows us that if you seek the comforts and satisfactions of this world, you have received your reward and there will be no reward from God. This is because when you seek the things of this world you are not seeking God for God is not found in the things of this world.

Jesus is Priority One

In this section Jesus is telling us that our priorities need to be realigned. We need to make Jesus our first priority and seek the things that are of God.

So should you not laugh? Should you have no money or not be comfortable? No, Jesus is not saying that at all. But when it is your focus and your priority to seek these things first, then you have missed the point.

God will and does provide for his people. He will never forsake his people or leave them in need or in want of the things to sustain life. And he blesses those who seek him.

But the first priority is to seek his kingdom and the things that please God. Then all the rest come later. When we do this we receive the benefits of all that Jesus offers and most importantly we receive the eternal blessings of life that does not fade, rust or decay and cannot be taken away from you.

(Picture sourced from stock.xchng https://www.sxc.hu/ loaded by resignent)

For more information and further reading check the following:

Seek First the Kingdom of God
Salt of the Earth and Jesus Establishes the Standards of Christianity