The Treasure that Traps Us

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:13-21).

The heart of the greedy brother was revealed to the Master in his arrogant and premature request for Jesus to order his brother to divide their inheritance between them. His heart was captivated by a deceitful desire for treasure that was not his, could not increase his stature, and could not bring him peace. This encounter would soon lead Jesus to warn about the power of treasure to ensnare the heart… “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34). Today the Master describes the warning signs of the treasure that traps us.

Coveted treasure traps us. In this parable, Jesus warned against covetousness because desiring and acquiring what belongs to someone else is a trap. The brother was deceived into thinking that the inheritance belonged to him today, but an inheritance is not to be possessed until the true owner dies or relinquishes it. If it is possessed ahead of time it will most certainly be less than it could be if left to grow through years of investment. The truth is children of God are fellow heirs with Jesus Christ… “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16-17). As His children we have an incredible inheritance that makes anything this world has to offer pale by comparison… “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11). With our focus on our eternal inheritance we can discern and resist any coveted treasure trap this world might tempt us with.

Conceited treasure traps us. In this parable, Jesus warned against conceit because building a false and haughty opinion of ourselves by amassing an abundance of possessions is a trap. It is deceitful to measure the value of our lives by the amount of material things we have in light of the truth that real disciples believe our lives are bound up in Christ… “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) and we are learning to trust Him to meet all of our needs… “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Dying to self and living for Christ will help us avoid the conceited treasure trap as we enjoy the blessings of His perfect provision today.

Comforting treasure traps us. In this parable, Jesus warned that seeking comfort and peace in storing up material goods is a trap. If we become consumed with preparing for a safe and comfortable future we are likely to take our eyes off of the present world and God’s purpose and plan for us today. When we are overly concerned about and planning for the future we hope to enjoy, we miss the unique and wonderful plan God has for us in the days to come. To avoid the dangerous trap of comforting treasure we should have a generous spirit toward all that God has blessed us with so we can be a growing part of His kingdom building work every day…” And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). Let’s avoid the comforting treasure trap by living for Christ today as we trust Him with tomorrow.

As we grow up into Christ, we find our worth and provision in Him and we learn to avoid…

The Treasure that Traps Us.