Luke 12: 29-34  “and do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.  For the pagan world runs after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.  But seek His Kingdom and these things will be given to you.  Do not be afraid little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you His Kingdom.  Sell your possessions and give to the poor.  Provide purses for yourself that will not wear out , a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief come near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”

I have in the past struggled with this passage.  I still do in some ways as I see people daily  whose most basic needs are not being met and I don’t fully know what that means.  But I have decided that I don’t think this should stop me from being grateful for all that I have.   For acknowledging that in the few times in my life, especially now, when I have sought God’s kingdom first everything I have needed has come to me plus more.  And that running after material wealth does not in the end make me happy and worry and fear bring no benefits at all.  Richard Rohr’s whose commentary on Luke, “The Good News according to Luke” I am reading again (prob the third time) puts in this way,  “That’s why the call is to faith, to believe.  Such faith is the opposite of anxiety.  Without faith you’re necessarily going to be concerned with security questions.  If God isn’t for you, you must be self-preoccupied.  When you stop believing in a loving God, you revert to yourself.  The Gospel has freed us from grovellig before God or trying to gain God’s approval.  We have it.  God loves us unconditionally.”  

I do want to say that over the years I have met some incredible people, who are totally unfocused on self or material wealth, who do not have a faith in God so I don’t know if this is true for everyone but it is for me.  The truth is for me “where my treasure is there will be my heart also” and thus I want my heart sent on the eternal things of God, on love and trust, family and community and all the things that really matter. Again, as Richard Rohr puts it, “Live on earth, what matters in eternity.  The focus of your time and your money will tell you what you God is and what’s important in your life”

Matthew 5: 42  “give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

I decided a few weeks back to give this ago.  One afternoon an elderly man put his hand out to me and I refused.  I had told myself numerous times that I could not give to everyone who asked and thus this man missed out.  As he walked away head bowed low these words came to me.  I went home and found the passage in Matthew and I felt a strong sense it was God rebuking me.  I decided to test out if I could give to everyone who asks.  Perhaps I cannot give to everyone exactly what they ask for but I think I can give something.  As people have been very generous to us in supporting our projects perhaps I could do the same.  And thus far it seems I can.  I have actually realised that I do not encounter beggars as much as I thought I did and usually they are not asking for much.  A coin or two at the most, not even one AUD.  I have only really been tested once and I tried to follow this principle.  Who knows if it was right or what I will do if it happens again but for now I have been moved by this passage.