City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler.

The Word

32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

-Luke 12:32-34

Reflection

Jesus’ says, “Fear not . . .” because He was anticipating His audience’s response to His previous instruction. Jesus had just commanded them to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and to not be concerned about money, food, and clothing.

When I read this my twisted, movie-infested mind was drawn back to the famous scene in the 1971 movie, Dirty Harry, where after a brief exchange of gun shots with a bank robber, Clint Eastwood, is pointing his cannon of a gun at the bank robber on the ground about to reach for a gun: 

I know what you are thinking. Did he fire six shots or only five. Well to tell the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost count myself.

-Harry Callahan, Dirty Harry (1971)

If you’ve seen the movie, you know Harry hadn’t lost count, and what follows is quintessential Eastwood. 

Now, I know what you are thinking, “Who is Dirty Harry, and why does Scott quote from these ancient, culturally irrelevant movies in his devotionals?” All I can say is that it’s what comes to mind.

While this movie probably is culturally irrelevant and almost certainly culturally offensive, it is relevant to the scripture above. Harry Callahan knew what the bank robber was thinking, and Jesus knew what His audience was thinking. 

Jesus’ audience was thinking: “What if I stop seeking after money, clothes, and food, and instead focus on seeking the kingdom of God? You say these things will be added to me, but what about this kingdom of God stuff—will I obtain that?”

After telling them not to fear, Jesus refers to them as “little flock” — an endearing term that evokes Jesus’ role as the Great Shepherd, the Sovereign One who sees, understands, and controls all. He was reminding them they were in good hands. 

Then Jesus answers their main question. Jesus says that not only would they receive the kingdom but that it gave the Father joy to give it to them. What they were seeking they would find not only because Jesus was promising it but because the Father wanted to give it to them.

In short, if they sought the kingdom of God, they could rest assured they would enjoy the benefits, covering, and blessing of the reign of King Jesus in their lives.

Application

What follows from that statement is logical. If the thing you are seeking is secure, you needn’t hold onto the things you are setting aside to seek it. 

And if what you are setting aside is temporal and can be lost but what you are seeking is eternal and secure, you should be even more willing in the trade. It is no sacrifice to give up what cannot be kept to gain what cannot be lost.

Simple. Profound. Quintessential Jesus. 

It’s only up to us to obey and live it.

Prayer

Lord, help me always being willing to give up what I cannot keep to gain what I cannot lose. In Jesus’ name, amen.