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October 23, 1983
If visitors from another planet came to earth to observe Western culture, what would they conclude about our objects of worship? Many Christians are distracted from Christ’s kingdom by wealth or worry—concerns like those of the rich man in Jesus’ parable, Alistair Begg points out. Self-centeredness can consume anyone. Even if we don’t feel rich, we can fall into greed, not knowing the shortness of our days.
13sSomeone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14But he said to him, t“Man, uwho made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15And he said to them, v“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16And he told them a parable, saying, w“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17and he thought to himself, x‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my ybarns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up zfor many years; relax, aeat, drink, be merry.”’ 20But God said to him, b‘Fool! zThis night cyour soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, dwhose will they be?’ 21So is the one ewho lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
22And he said to his disciples, f“Therefore I tell you, gdo not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24hConsider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. iOf how much more value are you than the birds! 25And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his jspan of life?3 26If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,4 yet I tell you, keven Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, lO you of little faith! 29And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor mbe worried. 30For nall the nations of the world seek after these things, and nyour Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, oseek phis5 kingdom, qand these things will be added to you.
Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.
