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I am using readings from the 49 Week Bible Challenge as the basis for these devotions. I encourage you to join me in this discipline. Today’s readings are Luke 12; Psalm 49; Job 20; 27.
Luke 12:13-21
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Psalm 49:16-23
Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed
—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again see light.
20 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
A quick internet search reveals just how relatively wealthy most Americans are by global standards.
If you have an annual income of $15,000, you are among the top 10% of earners globally. A household income of $30,000 places you in the top 5%. Earning between $60,000 and $70,000 a year puts you in the top 1% worldwide. In terms of net worth, having $93,000 in assets places you among the top 10% of the world’s wealthiest individuals. To reach the top 1%, a net worth of approximately $870,000 is required. In fact, an American with even a modest home, some retirement savings, and a vehicle is often wealthier than 90–95% of the global population.
In Jesus’ day, such comparisons would not have been so easily quantified. There were no investment firms or stock markets as we know them today. But people still recognized wealth when they saw it. The man who wanted Jesus to intervene in a family dispute over an inheritance shows that people were just as concerned about wealth then as now.
Jesus’ response points us to a different measure of wealth—and offers a clear warning against covetousness and greed. He knew how easily our heads are turned and our eyes grow green with envy. “Be on your guard,” he says. There is real danger—eternal danger—in being rich in the world’s goods but poor toward God.
Jesus undoubtedly drew from the Old Testament, including passages like Psalm 49. His parable of the rich man echoes the truth of verse 20: “Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.”
Yet Jesus’ warning and the psalmist’s message, while similar, have different emphases. The psalm encourages us not to fear when others grow rich. Jesus warns us not to be drawn into the pursuit of riches. In both cases, the reason is clear: wealth is not the true measure of life or happiness. Our hope is eternal—anchored in the promises of God and his salvation.
We cannot pay our way into heaven. We cannot buy our way into the kingdom of God. The price would be too high; there is not enough money in the world to settle that debt.
But what money can never achieve, faith in God and trust in his unfailing love can. We need not envy our wealthy neighbor, nor fear the powerful entrepreneur. Their fortunes will come to an end. But those who fear, love, and trust in God above all things are eternally rich in his grace, provision, and steadfast love. Whether rich or poor by human standards, those who belong to God are rich beyond measure.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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