“…for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions…” (Luke 12:15)
Jesus was never rich by any means, in terms of monetary values. It’s clear that His parents – Mary and Joseph – lived by simple means. Mary has always been considered a “lowly handmaiden” (Luke 1:48) and Joseph, a carpenter (Matthew 13:55). Carpentry, according to historians, was a needful service in the community, but not one where you might make a great deal of money.
When Jesus was crucified, it is strongly suggested that the only possession He had was a “garment,” (John 19:23), seamless, that the soldiers gambled over.
In Luke 9:58, Jesus admits to an “almost homeless” situation: “…but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head…” Maybe this is why He is so able to describe His evangelistic ministry to His disciples when He teaches them: “Whatever city or village you go into, find somebody in it who is worthy and stay there until you go on your way.” (Matthew 10:11) Our Lord knew how to “live off the land.” His life was simple. He wasn’t overwhelmed with “things” that might have otherwise weighed Him down unnecessarily.
I have found-throughout the years-that the more our monthly income was committed to bills and otherwise, we have gotten along much better! We have felt more secure with life and ministry when we had less to worry about!
The abundance a Christian should be celebrating daily is the gift of life itself. Every morning our prayer should contain great thanks for the gift of each new day. Maybe the second sentence in that prayer is to seek God’s guidance of how we can be open to the privilege of service in the world, how we can use this gift of time and a new day to the best of our abilities (and use it without an abundance of physical gifts).
Seize the day. Do not worry about tomorrow or next week or next year (Matthew 6:34). Take what God has given us: love, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. Then use those simple gifts and be kind to all you meet in this one day.
Then, relax in the evening. In the morning, repeat. You’ll be glad that you did!
Just remember: God loves you and so do we!
Pastor Jim