Christian Age Luke 12:13-14 And one of the company said to him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. A camp-meeting incident taught us what manner of spirit was in this man. An honoured preacher was closing a moving sermon; his appeals to sinners were full of spiritual power; his voice was husky with deep feeling; the tears were streaming down his face as he urged sinners to repent and penitents to believe. A slight movement near by attracted our attention. Just outside the railing around the communion-place were two men deeply engaged. A life insurance agent, on one knee, ciphering out his arguments to his victim, who leaned toward him. The scene brought up the man who interrupted the sermon of Jesus. What would people think of a man who should, from his pew, cry out to the preacher in the midst of a mighty discourse, "What is the price of cotton to-day?" "What is gold worth?" He would perhaps be put out. Certainly he would deserve it. Such a man was he who broke in upon the sermon of Jesus with his request for the Master's intervention in the matter of a contested inheritance. How humiliating a thing it is that a man's mind could be so filled and saturated with business that the most solemn and awful words of even Jesus were heard as an idle, meaningless voice — heard and not feared. Mark our Lord's answer. He dismissed the man with one sharp word: "Man, who made Me a judge or a divider over you?" But the lesson must not be lost. This wickedness of utter worldliness is instructive. Turning to His disciples, Jesus "said unto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness." See what covetousness can do to the heart of man; see what it does in this man! It has consumed him! (Christian Age.) Parallel Verses KJV: And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.WEB: One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." |
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