๐๐๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ฎ:๐ฏ๐ฎโญ-โฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ โ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ป๐ผ๐, ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ, ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟโ๐ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ. ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ด๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ, ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐น, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ป๐ผ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ต ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐. ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ.
After pointing out Godโs glory in all creation – in birds, flowers and grass and saying how trite they were โ even in their existence โ to human beings, Jesus gave the โthereforeโ passage above. Itโs both supremely endearing and challenging, even convicting.
The โlittle flockโ is nonetheless the object of Godโs pleasure and recipient of the very Kingdom of God. This flies in the face of any โbig flockโ mentality. Small is good in this passage, and of course Jesus was speaking to the small band of original believers. As the church grew, โlittle flockโ would no longer describe it, except in comparison with the overall population.
A strong part of Jesusโ description of the creation was Godโs care for it. It was and is God who waters the earth, sends sunlight to plants and provides food for all the animal kingdom. This is an indication of his care for people, whom God cares about more. There is hierarchy in the creation, and humankind is its apex.
The instruction to sell possessions and give to the needy implies that one has possessions and one is not needy. Far from any human socialistic system, this is generosity after Godโs own heart.
And once exercised, there is a new treasure obtained. This is a restatement of the proverb:
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ต:๐ญ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ถ๐ ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ถ๐บ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ.
โฆ which is an almost scandalous truth concerning the heavenly economy. God becomes the debtor to human kindness and generosity. A reward is kept in eternity for the generous.
The final statement โ โFor where your treasure is, there will your heart be alsoโ – shows that giving oneโs possessions takes them off the throne of oneโs life. You cannot worship something you give away and even renounce. Once done, the heart of a person โ his/her intents and purposes โ are directed and reside in heaven.
So, who is needy around me? Hands would go up if the question is asked. But clearly, there is godly counsel to be gained in this. Do I give grudgingly of any resource โ finances, time, energy, etc. ? If so, that needs cleansing and correcting. I have freely received; get over yourself O my heart.
Do I demand notice and reward for my acts of kindness in this life? If so, Jesus says I have received my reward in full. That is NOT the treasure described in this passage. Give and I will prime the pump of blessing in my own life; that is very true. Let me be Godโs conduit โ his pipe โ of blessing. Let it flow.