We’ve heard it said numerous times—if you took all of the money in America and divided it up equally among every person, in 25 years the same people would have all of the money again.  Let’s be very careful as Jesus is going to speak to us here to be sober by that statement concerning the rich.  In the twelfth chapter of the book of Luke, we see the Lord speaking, and in verse 13, the Scripture says, “And one of the company that were standing there came to Him.”  We’re seeing the providence of God, that’s being provided through the Spirit of God and the presence of God at the first part of this chapter.

Following this, “One of the people came and said, ‘Master, speak to my brother, that he divide this inheritance with me.’”  Just pause for just a moment.  He’s upset, he doesn’t think the inheritance is being divided properly, or maybe this person who is the executor isn’t giving up what he was supposed to get.  We don’t know that; that’s a family issue.  But we do know, in the Jewish families at this time, that God has established that the elder son would always receive a double portion, so we don’t know what’s going on here.  We don’t know whether it’s somebody not wanting to have the elder with a double portion.  Maybe he’s being held out on; we’re not given that information.  Here’s the information we are given:  Make him divide the inheritance with me.  “And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?  I’m not getting involved in this issue.”

But He said, “Let me give you this info—whoever it is that’s complaining here, let me give you this little bit of information:  Take heed,” and that word is a powerful word when it's talking about taking heed.  It says to become very, very cautious, to become diligent in your observation of your surroundings.  “Take heed, discern, look with a purpose, beware, be on guard.”  Okay?  “Look at the spirit that you’re moving in.  “…beware of covetousness, for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).

We need to reverse our thinking from that which is in America today.  Amen?  The Scripture’s very clear.  We brought nothing into this world, and we’re taking nothing out.  I’ve told this story maybe a dozen or more times, but I’m going to tell it again because I like it.  There was a covetous man, and he wanted to be buried with all of his money.  So, all of these hundred-dollar bills were put together, and they stuffed them in his coffin, just as much as they could stuff in there.  And they stuffed them in the coffin, and people were walking by and acknowledging him.  And one man stepped up there, and he was there for a good while, and one fellow turned to the other guy, and he said, “Man, he must have really loved him.”  So, when he began to leave, they stopped him and said, “You must have really loved him.  What were you doing up there?”  He said, “I was cashing a check.”  You brought nothing in, taking nothing out.  “What does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”

So, there’s so much spoken along these lines of covetousness.  Beware of covetousness.  If your eye offends you, do what?  “All that is in the world, lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16).  You know what will help you beware of covetousness?  Stop hanging out with people that are covetous.  Stop hanging out with people who—all they do is look to get more.  They hang around all of the wealthiest events that are taking place and all of the shakers and movers.  You know, you can imbibe spirits from negative people too.