Friends and neighbors marveled at the love and unity of a certain family, but then everything changed when the father died and left a sizable inheritance. Coalitions were formed, accusations were made, arguments erupted, bitterness developed, and thick walls were erected. Unfortunately, this tragedy is not unique and occurs in many families when greed is involved. “For the love (or coveting) of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (I Timothy 6:10) It is significant that the command to “beware of covetousness” was given in the context of an inheritance dispute. A man was in turmoil over his brothers handling of the estate, and asked Jesus for help. “Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me (Luke 12:13) Most likely this was a younger brother, because the firstborn son traditionally was the one to divide the inheritance and the one who had rights to a double portion (see Deuteronomy 21:17). Instead of becoming embroiled in an inheritance dispute, Jesus replied, “Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?” (Luke 12:14). Then Jesus turned to the crowd and pointed out the covetousness that was involved in this appeal. If we are tempted to covet an inheritance, we should remind ourselves that we brought nothing into this world and we will take nothing out. Years ago, a wealthy widow asked a Christian leader for advice on writing a will that would guarantee that her money would be given to Christian ministries instead of to her married son who was not living for the Lord. She was told her that it was likely her son would challenge such a will by trying to prove that she was mentally incompetent, so she obtained professional evaluations from two qualified doctors. She was also reminded her of the Scripture that says a house is a proper inheritance to give to a son (see Proverbs 19:14) So, she gave her son and his family a home and specified further amounts for her grandchildren, because Scripture states, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his childrens children” (Proverbs 13:22). She also stipulated that if her son contested the will, he would lose everything. In spite of these precautions, her son hired some clever lawyers who challenged the will and were able to accomplish exactly what the mother had feared. This experience is one of many that affirm the wisdom of distributing surplus funds while a person is still alive so that they can be channeled and used in ways that honor the Lord. We need to use wisdom in writing a will and make sure we clearly communicate our wishes to those who will receive an inheritance from us. Also, because children learn much from their parents example, it is important to demonstrate contentment with the things that we have and reject any emotional attachments to an inheritance. If it is unfairly divided, lets remind ourselves that God supplies far more than an earthly inheritance and that relationships are more important than money. “… Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a mans life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses” (Luke 12:15).
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 23:28:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015