Whose Mind?

Today and for the remainder of the week, we shall be looking at people and places where the mind of God was not sought, thus people went by their own self-understanding and self-interpretation. These all resulted in pure folly. In addition, these will all be presented with a few, Mind-Halt pauses, where we are compelled to hear the Lord saying these words. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.

Today’s picture comes from a parable which Jesus told to a crowd, where someone asked Him about getting involved in possession-distribution. The person wanted Jesus, with His firm authority and strong sense of justice - right and wrong - to tell his brother to divide the inheritance, so that he will get his share. In our minds and certainly in my mind, it is only fair for family inheritance to be evenly divided. That is my way of thinking and perhaps yours also. But here it is that Jesus shows His different thinking and acting.

Mind-Halt: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.

Listen to this. One person asks of Jesus a simple, reasonable request, no big miraculous work, just to speak to his brother and Jesus goes off on a tangent, it seems. He turns to the entire listening crowd and gives a strong warning. Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. Luke 12: 15b. It was after these words that He told this ‘Parable of the Rich Fool'. We are looking specifically at these words of the rich man. Then he said, This is what I‘ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. Luke 12: 18. Here are the facts.

It was Creator God’s mind to give extra to one who was already rich. In other words, this man was well off and lacked nothing.
It was Creator God’s will to give surplus to one who never asked for anything more. God gave without one having to ask.
It was Creator God’s way of operating in giving more to the one who had already had sufficient.

Mind-Halt: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.

Where is this taking us? We are taken straight to the thoughts of the rich one who has received an abundant harvest. After seeing how bountifully he had been blessed, his thoughts, which gave rise to his planned way, were totally of self and self-seeking and absolutely nothing of others. Is this why God gave such abundance to him, to bring him a disturbed mind and thoughts of wondering what to do? There he is, a bit perturbed about his sudden, inadequate storage facility. What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. Luke 12: 17b. He thinks about his abundant blessings and makes the wise, intelligent decision, in his opinion, to tear down his barns and build bigger ones.

If you and I are honest, we will admit that our thoughts and actions would be exactly the same. Can’t you hear him saying and reasoning through to himself? God has smiled upon me. I never asked Him for added abundance, for He has been good to me and has made me rich. I am very grateful for the extras He has bestowed upon me. This is fantastic! I will ensure their safety and that I have them all securely in my care, by breaking down the old storage and building bigger ones. What are the thoughts of this rich, blessed man? We view them from this one verse. This is what I‘ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. To do or to carry out one’s plan, means that one has already thought about what one is doing.

It is plain to see that he thought that God had given him surplus for self-use and self only. His thoughts were all selfish, not of Father God. He was so into self that he was willing to invest precious time, money, skill, energy and displacement for a while, to fix and plan his life as he thought fit.

Mind-Halt: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.

Clearly, this was not God’s intention in granting him increase. Whatever God’s reasons were, whatever God’s mind here was, I don’t know. What I do know for sure is that the blessed and favoured man’s mind was totally against God’s and his thoughts were radically different from God’s. We know this, because of Jesus’ words in the parable. You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? Luke 12: 20b.

Remember, this parable has been used to show us that we must never take our blessings for granted. It is wise that we should always, not just give thanks, but seek God’s mind and way as to how He wants us to respond.