Luke 12:32-40 (NRSV)
Read Luke 12:32-40 on biblegateway.com
Verse 32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Verse 33Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. Verse 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Verse 35"Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; Verse 36be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Verse 37Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. Verse 38If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. Verse 39"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. Verse 40You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."
Devotion
I love the saying sometimes attributed to blessed Martin Luther, “If the world were to end tomorrow, I would still plant a tree today.” It keeps my faith real. Whether he said it matters not. What matters is that we remain vigilant in the kingdom – ready, willing, and able to care for the earth today.
Contemporary environmental catastrophe may have something to do with what we treasure. Perhaps in this gospel Luke reminds us that Jesus primarily takes the fear away by putting our treasure in hearts that cannot be consumed, lost on the New York Stock Exchange or stolen by a thief.
Jesus reminds us that fearless living – that is, kingdom living – has to do with where we put our hearts more than where we put our possessions. He reminds us that our hearts are eager and ready when we keep the light burning.
Prayer
Fearless God, we give you thanks for settling for nothing less than our whole selves. We pray that we may live your gospel fearlessly. Amen.