In the sermon this past weekend, we looked at the final idol in the Desires of the Heart series: The Idol of Possessions. In Luke 12, Jesus stops his teaching to address a question about inheritance from a man in the crowd. Instead of directly answering the man’s question, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach the crowd about the idol of possessions. Using a parable, Jesus points out that what the man is really after is much deeper than filling his pockets and his barns; he is looking for something that will satisfy his soul. Jesus’ conclusion is straight to the point when He explains to the crowd that it is foolish to store up an abundance of wealth in an attempt find satisfaction, joy and peace. Having wealth or possessions isn’t idolatry in itself, but becomes an idol when we look to these things for joy and satisfaction. Instead, Jesus reveals the good heart of God to give us more than we can acquire or store up on earth by giving us access to His eternal Kingdom. True peace for our souls is only found in pursuing a life that is so immensely satisfied in God alone, we are filled with joy and willingly loosen our grip on our earthly possessions.
