Luke 12:13-48
A careful look at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, while He was here on earth, will help the believer better understand what is important, or not, to God as we navigate our way to heaven through this chaotic world.
We are so prone to losing focus or misplacing our priorities when it comes to making the daily choices of life, which either set us on course for heaven or off course for hell. Therefore, learning from the only One who successfully traversed His way through earth to heaven without any faltering step or failing vision should naturally be the goal of the heaven-bound Christian.
God Himself recommended Jesus Christ to all who desired to know the way to heaven when He said, “…This is my beloved Son: hear Him.” Luke 9:35
Listening to Jesus, whether from the pages of the Holy Bible or through the voice of the Holy Spirit, has always proven helpful to those who have practiced this as a daily routine. Except for infants or children who died under the age of accountability, everyone else who successfully navigated their way to heaven did so by listening to and following the Word of God; and this ‘Word’ is Jesus Christ Himself. John 1:1-4, 14; 17:1-3; 12:26
“And this is life eternal: that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” John 17:3
In today’s study, we shall be looking at the exemplary life Jesus lived on earth as He prepared to fulfill His mission on earth and to ascend back to heaven in triumphant victory. If we carefully study His life, we will notice that three things were characteristic of it. They are as follows:
Firstly, He never lost sight of His vision or His mission by getting caught in the web of worldly pursuits or ambitions. He repeatedly announced His mission statement to all who heard Him. Matthew 18:11; Mark 9:31; 10:45; Luke 9:44, 56; 19:10; John 4:31-36
“For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
Even though He lived among those who were willing to make Him King and proclaim Him Lord, yet He preferred the way that would lead to His crucifixion because His vision for the redemption of mankind was to be fulfilled only that way. John 6:14, 15
Secondly, He did not compromise with the world for the riches or pleasures it offered. Matthew 4:8-11; Luke 9:57-58; 16:13-15
“And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.'” Luke 12:15
He was the Lord of the earth and could have had anything He wished for, but He chose an austere life so He could be the perfect sacrifice for the redemption of lost mankind. He was unselfish and humble. For His triumphant ride into Jerusalem, He borrowed a donkey, even though He could have easily ridden there in kingly glory and pomp if He had wanted. Matthew 21:1-6
Thirdly, He was faithful to the end in doing the will of God who sent Him. Even in the face of bitter persecution and opposition from the religious leaders and followers of His day, He still remained faithful to God’s Word. He sought no easy way to accomplish His mission of redemption for mankind. He embraced the only way — the way of the cross. Mark 14:32-36; John 6:38
“And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.'”_ Mark 14:36
When Pilate subtly sought to release Him at the trial, He remained silent and uncooperative with him because He knew what the Father wanted done. Isaiah 53:6-11
“I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” John 17:4
In the same vein, if we must transit successfully from this world to a glorious entrance into heaven, we must imbibe these virtues from the life of Jesus Christ by:
- Maintaining the vision of our call in Christ
- Taking our attention away from all worldly allurements and easy living
- Finally, remaining faithful to God till the very end of our lives on earth
To help us achieve these lofty goals, we will further expand the teaching under the following headings:
- AVOIDING WORLDLY PURSUITS THAT KILL OUR VISION Luke 12:13-31
- TAKING PRACTICAL STEPS THAT HELP US FOCUS MORE ON HEAVEN Luke 12:32-40
- AVOIDING CARELESS AND UNWATCHFUL ATTITUDES IN OUR DAILY LIVING Luke 12:41-48
In the first part of this study, we laid emphasis on the exemplary life Jesus Christ lived while on earth. The excerpts are reproduced below:
Firstly, He never lost His vision for His mission by getting caught in the web of worldly pursuits or ambitions. He repeatedly announced His mission statement to all who heard Him. Mark 10:45
Secondly, He did not compromise with the world for the riches or pleasures it offered. He was the Lord of the earth and could have had anything He wished for, but He chose an austere life so He could be the perfect sacrifice for the redemption of lost mankind. He was unselfish and humble. Matthew 21:1-6
Thirdly, He was faithful to the end in doing the will of God who sent Him. Even in the face of bitter persecution and opposition from the religious leaders and followers of His day, He still remained faithful to God’s Word. He sought no easy way. He embraced the only way — the way of the cross. John 6:38; Mark 14:36
By these examples, Jesus laid the foundation and rules of living for those who would follow in His footsteps all the way to heaven, where He now waits to welcome them to eternal life and glory.
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11
To help us live a life worthy of God’s Kingdom here on earth and, ultimately, in heaven, we shall look at this study in the order outlined below:
1. AVOIDING WORLDLY PURSUITS THAT KILL OUR VISION FOR HEAVEN
Luke 12:13-31
In the scripture passage above, two characters come into focus:
a. A man who wanted to acquire material wealth. vs. 13
b. A rich man who wanted more wealth. vs. 18-19
The first man interrupted a sermon to make his demand concerning his father’s wealth. His state of mind is revealed to be far removed from the issues of God’s Kingdom, which was being preached at that moment.
The second man was so satisfied with his strategy for managing his wealth for a lifetime, without realizing that death could come calling at any moment. Both of these men represent the two categories into which Satan lures people to the detriment of their salvation and entrance into God’s Kingdom.
First, he keeps them busy searching for wealth, and when that is acquired, secondly, he preoccupies them with the rigors of growing and maintaining the wealth for a lifetime.
“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26
1 Timothy 6:6-12, 17-19; Proverbs 23:4-5; 27:24
2. TAKING PRACTICAL STEPS THAT HELP US FOCUS MORE ON HEAVEN
Luke 12:32-40
It is interesting to note that God’s instruction toward the use of riches we acquire is quite the opposite of what we are used to as natural humans. The natural man wants to hold on to riches, while God advocates the disbursement of it to the needy.
The disparity lies in the fact that whereas God wants us to come back home to Him at the end of our lives, we on the other hand are more willing to hold on to earthly life and, therefore, spend our lives preparing to live long and prosperously on earth as if it is all there is to live for.
The Lord Jesus gives us the following practical steps to help us break free from this illusion:
a. Do not accumulate riches here on earth.
Keep what you need and distribute the rest to the needy around you. It is unrighteous to save money you do not immediately need to use when all around you there are people living in poverty and want. Proverbs 24:11-12; Deuteronomy 15:11
“For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” Deuteronomy 15:11
b. We should be ready to leave this world without prior notice.
For this to be possible, our lives must be free of worldly attachments. We should be able to dispense with anything — even life itself! Matthew 10:39; Luke 12:35-38; Philippians 1:20-23
“For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.” Philippians 1:23
c. We should not leave this all-important issue of our eternal destiny to chance. Luke 12:39-40
We must diligently pursue our goal of pleasing the Lord by the services we render to Him, and to people around us, with a view to drawing heaven’s attention to ourselves. 2 Chronicles 16:9; Malachi 3:16-18; Hebrews 6:10-12
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Hebrews 6:10
In the second part of this study, we focused on embracing practical, daily Christian living as a sure way of making adequate preparation for the kingdom of heaven. The best assurance you can ever get about making it to heaven at last comes from living the life of heaven here and now on earth; for we must practice now on earth the life we shall live in heaven forever.
We outlined three points for consideration:
- Avoiding worldly pursuits that kill our vision for heaven
- Taking practical steps that help us focus more on heaven
- Warning against careless and unwatchful attitudes
Having explored the first two points in our last study, we shall now explore the last point.
3. WARNING AGAINST CARELESS AND UNWATCHFUL ATTITUDES
Luke 12:41-48
Whether we are driving, riding, or walking on foot, the only way to avoid going off course is by carefully watching the way we go. This is also true about our spiritual journey to heaven. We could run into potholes or, worse still, crash off the road if we become careless and unwatchful.
Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
“But watch in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry…”
2 Timothy 4:5
But the question is: What should we watch and be careful for?
a. Watch Out For The Signs And Times Of The Lord’s Coming
Luke 12:40-44; Matthew 24:4-7; Philippians 3:20-21
“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” Matthew 24:42
Every true Christian must be time-conscious. To be otherwise minded is not a good sign at all. When we bear in mind how much the Lord expects of us, and what little time there is for us to live and fulfill our call before He comes or before we die, then we would definitely treasure every second of our life and strive to put it to good use.
If what is happening around the world is anything to go by, then we can be certain that the return of Jesus Christ might just be around the corner. He will come soon! What this means for the Christian is more preparation and labor for God’s kingdom; and time is a major factor here!
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20
b. Watch Over Our Character And/Or Habits
Luke 12:45-46; Galatians 5:7-9; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, 15:33-34; 1 Peter 2:1-3
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1
It is surprising how easily we learn bad characters or habits. The same cannot be said about good morals. Every Christian interested in making heaven must watch carefully what goes in and around their lives. Bad contents in television, movies, cell phones, social media, and immoderate fashion, etc. are all potential breeding grounds for bad character and habits.
When we invest our time and money more in these than in the kingdom of God, then it is obvious we have become spiritually leavened!
c. Watch Out For Satan And His Numerous Agents
Luke 12:47-48; 1 Peter 5:8-11; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Jude 1:3-4, 16-21; Matthew 24:10-13
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
More than ever before, Satan and his host of agents are on the prowl, infiltrating Christian homes and congregations, to turn away as many as they can from the way to heaven. We must constantly be on the watch.
Satan is not interested in stopping preachers from preaching, or Christians from going to church, as long as what they do is not in accordance with the will of God. His agents are in the church, in our offices, business premises, neighborhoods, etc., to ensure this happens.
“Whom resist, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” 1 Peter 5:9
In concluding this study, I want to ask the reader the following questions:
- Are you serious about living with Jesus Christ and God the Father in heaven for eternity?
- If you do, then, has this desire for heaven positively affected the choices you make in your daily life?
- Do you deliberately allow God’s Word to moderate your habit?
- Do you feel your need for God’s intervention in helping you live a holy and victorious life each day?
- Do you have that inner witness of the Holy Spirit that you’re truly on course to heaven?
If the answers you give to the questions above are a consistent ‘yes’, then you must keep at whatever you’re doing to get this far! Just keep praying and striving for perfection in your daily walk with God. Soon the celestial curtains would be drawn to either reveal the Lord descending from heaven for His Church, or you ascending up into His outstretched arms at the fullness of your days here on earth. Whichever comes first, just be sure that you’re ready!