Post by Cindy on Feb 12, 2016 11:02:45 GMT -5
I was thinking about how when a parent dies, often the siblings left behind begin arguing and fighting over who's going to get what. They often wind up having such hard feelings toward one another that they never have a good relationship with one another after that. In some cases, the adult children didn't have a great relationship before hand, but in many cases they got along just fine before their parents died. I wonder if any of them ever think about how horrible it would make their parents feel to know that they weren't loving each other and supporting each other? I know that if that happened to my children when I died, I'd want to turn every one of them over my knee and spank them like the two year olds they're acting like! Of course I couldn't since I'd be dead, but still, that's how I'd feel about it.
Then, when reading Luke 12:13–21 (which I'll post at the end for you) I had to wonder if any of the adult children in situations like this, ever considered how Jesus reacted to the same thing? In Israel, the first born got a double portion of the inheritance, so maybe this man wanted his brother to give part of it to him. We don't know for sure of course. All we know is that at least two brothers were fighting and arguing over their inheritance. Just like today, they weren't happy with what they were getting. Someone wanted more. Sometimes it's simply outright greed that causes this, and other times it's sentiment. But if something your parents had is sentimental to you, reminds you of their love, the love they had not only for you, but for your siblings as well, doesn't it seem rather crass to fight about it with them? What do you think that Jesus would have said if He had answered this man? It's not at all impossible to know that. We know a great deal about how the Lord wants us to act toward others. Let's look at some of the things that Jesus might have said to this man if He had answered him.
We've been told that we're to always make every effort to do and/or say what leads to peace, not division, for strife and division are from Satan, not God. (Romans 14:19; Romans 12:17–18) We are to love, honor and serve others above ourselves, and think of their needs as being more important then our own; and we're to even submit to them out of our love for Jesus. (Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:3; Galatians 5:13–15; Ephesians 5:21; Ephesians 4:2) If they hurt us, or sin against us, we're to forgive them the way the Lord forgive us. (Colossians 3:13–14; Ephesians 4:31–32; 1 John 3:16)) That's more then just saying, we forgive them or telling them that. It means that in spite of how we feel, we have chosen to commit ourselves to forgive them and not bring the matter up again, not even to ourselves. By forgiving the way the Lord does, anger and resentment cannot fester within us and cause us to grow bitter; we don't begin or continue to slander them or gossip about them, and therefore we can live together with them in peace and love. We're reminded that love, God's kind of love, is sacrificial, not selfish, and that we're to love with deeds and not just with words. (1 John 3:16; 1 John 3:18) If someone, even a sibling, asks for something, we're to give it to them and do so lovingly and freely. (Matthew 5:42) We are not to be focused on material things, but instead have our focus on God and His Kingdom and our Eternal lives and all He has waiting for us. That is our real inheritance and what we should be looking ahead toward.
The problem is that instead we come up with all kinds of "reasons" why we should be the ones to have such and such and not our brother or sister. They even sound quite legitimate and perhaps they are. Maybe, if we went to court over it, we'd even win. Would it be worth it though? Really? Not according to Jesus, no matter what the material value of it was worth. Our Lord teaches us that nothing is more important than love. The only thing that ever legitimately comes between people (assuming one of them is a Christian) is the Gospel and the Truth of His Word. Since that has nothing to do with an earthly inheritance though, that doesn't work here. Do you remember that Jesus told us: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”” (John 13:35) We even sing songs about it, but we often don't act like it at all. Instead, we show love only to those who love us, and do nice things for us, and say nice things about us. When they stop making us happy, we stop loving them; we leave and find someone else to love. Praise God that He's not like that! He loved us long before we even knew it. He loved us when we were still His enemy and hated Him, and were rebelling against Him. He still loves us, even after He's saved us and we still rebel by not loving others the way He commands us to. He keeps on forgiving us and loving us anyway. On top of that, He never treats us as our sins deserve, the way we treat others. He doesn't hold anything against us, the way we do others.
My mother died when I was 20 and my father died when I was all of 25, and since I didn't have any brothers or sisters, there was no argument over any inheritance. Bruce and I don't have much that's worth anything, so hopefully there won't be anything for my children to fight over. We only hope to leave enough to pay for the funeral and any last bills still owing. I doubt there will be anything more other than that. I hope and pray that when the time comes that my children will love and honor each other, wanting the best for each other and not looking for anything for themselves. I hope they'll have each other to lean on, to rely on, and to love for the rest of their lives. I imagine that's what any parent would want for their children. I can't imagine any parent being pleased about it if their children began fighting over their inheritance, can you?
“Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”” (Luke 12:13–21)
Then, when reading Luke 12:13–21 (which I'll post at the end for you) I had to wonder if any of the adult children in situations like this, ever considered how Jesus reacted to the same thing? In Israel, the first born got a double portion of the inheritance, so maybe this man wanted his brother to give part of it to him. We don't know for sure of course. All we know is that at least two brothers were fighting and arguing over their inheritance. Just like today, they weren't happy with what they were getting. Someone wanted more. Sometimes it's simply outright greed that causes this, and other times it's sentiment. But if something your parents had is sentimental to you, reminds you of their love, the love they had not only for you, but for your siblings as well, doesn't it seem rather crass to fight about it with them? What do you think that Jesus would have said if He had answered this man? It's not at all impossible to know that. We know a great deal about how the Lord wants us to act toward others. Let's look at some of the things that Jesus might have said to this man if He had answered him.
We've been told that we're to always make every effort to do and/or say what leads to peace, not division, for strife and division are from Satan, not God. (Romans 14:19; Romans 12:17–18) We are to love, honor and serve others above ourselves, and think of their needs as being more important then our own; and we're to even submit to them out of our love for Jesus. (Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:3; Galatians 5:13–15; Ephesians 5:21; Ephesians 4:2) If they hurt us, or sin against us, we're to forgive them the way the Lord forgive us. (Colossians 3:13–14; Ephesians 4:31–32; 1 John 3:16)) That's more then just saying, we forgive them or telling them that. It means that in spite of how we feel, we have chosen to commit ourselves to forgive them and not bring the matter up again, not even to ourselves. By forgiving the way the Lord does, anger and resentment cannot fester within us and cause us to grow bitter; we don't begin or continue to slander them or gossip about them, and therefore we can live together with them in peace and love. We're reminded that love, God's kind of love, is sacrificial, not selfish, and that we're to love with deeds and not just with words. (1 John 3:16; 1 John 3:18) If someone, even a sibling, asks for something, we're to give it to them and do so lovingly and freely. (Matthew 5:42) We are not to be focused on material things, but instead have our focus on God and His Kingdom and our Eternal lives and all He has waiting for us. That is our real inheritance and what we should be looking ahead toward.
The problem is that instead we come up with all kinds of "reasons" why we should be the ones to have such and such and not our brother or sister. They even sound quite legitimate and perhaps they are. Maybe, if we went to court over it, we'd even win. Would it be worth it though? Really? Not according to Jesus, no matter what the material value of it was worth. Our Lord teaches us that nothing is more important than love. The only thing that ever legitimately comes between people (assuming one of them is a Christian) is the Gospel and the Truth of His Word. Since that has nothing to do with an earthly inheritance though, that doesn't work here. Do you remember that Jesus told us: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”” (John 13:35) We even sing songs about it, but we often don't act like it at all. Instead, we show love only to those who love us, and do nice things for us, and say nice things about us. When they stop making us happy, we stop loving them; we leave and find someone else to love. Praise God that He's not like that! He loved us long before we even knew it. He loved us when we were still His enemy and hated Him, and were rebelling against Him. He still loves us, even after He's saved us and we still rebel by not loving others the way He commands us to. He keeps on forgiving us and loving us anyway. On top of that, He never treats us as our sins deserve, the way we treat others. He doesn't hold anything against us, the way we do others.
My mother died when I was 20 and my father died when I was all of 25, and since I didn't have any brothers or sisters, there was no argument over any inheritance. Bruce and I don't have much that's worth anything, so hopefully there won't be anything for my children to fight over. We only hope to leave enough to pay for the funeral and any last bills still owing. I doubt there will be anything more other than that. I hope and pray that when the time comes that my children will love and honor each other, wanting the best for each other and not looking for anything for themselves. I hope they'll have each other to lean on, to rely on, and to love for the rest of their lives. I imagine that's what any parent would want for their children. I can't imagine any parent being pleased about it if their children began fighting over their inheritance, can you?
“Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”” (Luke 12:13–21)
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