Jesus turned back to his disciples and his next words are interesting. They pre-suppose the disciples’ faith. He tells them that if they have faith, then it should be placed in God, not in the accumulation of material goods … and not in depending on those things we have accumulated.
Jesus spoke only to his disciples using this depth of information. Those who have no faith in God would never understand what it means to depend on God alone for their needs. It is foolishness to depend on the things of the world.
In Luke 12:24, Jesus asks his disciples to consider the ravens. Notice the use of the same language from the parable of the rich fool. The raven does not sow or reap, they have no storehouses or barn and yet God feeds them. God provides for them, even though, the raven is an unclean bird of prey (Deuteronomy 14:14). He will do so much more for those who love him.
Living within God’s will is more important to life than having plenty.
After Jesus addresses the issue of food, he speaks to them about clothing. More than likely, he was speaking about the life we each have. We grow, as a lily does and there is nothing we can do about that. We will continue to grow and God will continue to provide for us. We age and if God provides for a lily whose lifespan is minuscule compared to the eternal life we have been given … how much more will he provide for each of us.
In this passage, Jesus presents four prohibitions when it comes to how we deal with possessions and needs. First of all, in Luke 12:22, we are told not to worry. Then, we are not to set our heart on what we eat or drink (Luke 12:29), he repeats that we should not worry (Luke 12:29) and then in Luke 12:32, we are told to not be afraid.
These are the things that drive us to overcompensate: worry, fear, concern over our basic needs. Jesus tells us that we are prohibited from doing these things. In Luke 12:28b, Jesus calls us people of little faith. It is these things that prove to the world how little faith we really have.
God is generous with us. God desires to give us the kingdom. Give your possessions to the poor and build up treasure in heaven
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