The Cares of Life
A Wise or Foolish Man
ALL
the words of the Savior, and all the things which He taught, have
been spoken and given for a purpose. That purpose was, and is, to
“preach good tidings unto the meek…to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening
of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year
of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that
mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of
righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.”
Isaiah 61:1-3. The purpose of the instruction of the Son of God is to
bring us healing, deliverance and freedom. He seeks nothing but to
guide and direct our feet away from the many traps and snares set by
the devil. Christ’s instructions have not been given to
withhold freedom
from us, but to give
freedom—freedom from all the lies and false concepts of life
and happiness propagated by that “roaring lion”, the
“adversary the devil”, who walks about “seeking
whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8. What blessings would be
reaped if we would but hearken and give ear to the words of our Lord,
as He said, “…blessed
are they that hear the
word of God,
and keep it.”
Luke 11:28.
When
the Savior told His disciples that He would be leaving to prepare a
place for them in His Father’s kingdom, and that He would
return to take them to Himself, He then added, “And whither I
go ye know, and the way
ye know.” John 14:4. At this, the disciple Thomas asked, “Lord,
we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know
the way?” verse
5. Jesus tells him the way to His Father’s kingdom by replying,
“I am the way…”
Christ is the Way to life everlasting. How important, then, is the
instruction He gives! And how much more important it is that we
follow that instruction! “Therefore whosoever heareth
these sayings of mine,
and doeth them,
I will liken him unto a wise
man, which built his
house upon a rock:
and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house; and it fell
not: for it was
founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth
them not,
shall be likened unto a foolish
man, which built his
house upon the
sand:
and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house; and it
fell: and great
was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27.
Surely,
the Shepherd and Bishop of souls (1 Peter 2:25) knows what
instruction our soul needs that, when followed, will make us overcome
this world and this life. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a
man keep my saying,
he shall never see
death.” John
8:51.
“And
why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
Luke 6:46
“One
Thing is Needful”
“NOW
it came to pass, as they went, that he [Jesus] entered into a certain
village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her
house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’
feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving,
and came to him, and said, Lord, doest thou not care that my sister
hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. And
Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful
and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary
hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42. As Christ came to visit that day, Martha was
“cumbered” with the business of meal preparation and
hospitality. She was filled with concern over the comfort of her
guest. But when she later comes to Him, He tells her, “thou art
careful [anxious]
and troubled about many
things”. Such is
the result of focusing time and effort on temporal matters and the
cares of this life. Indeed, those things with which Martha occupied
herself had been temporal
cares and tasks. Not only was this the reason for her being “anxious
and troubled about many things”, but it also was the cause of
her failing to recognize true importance, for instead of spending
time with her special visitor, she busied herself with “much
serving.”
Many
of us, today, make the same mistake as Martha. Truly, we become so
wrapped up in, and focused on, temporal matters and cares of life
that we, too, fail to recognize that which is of true importance. The
cares of life cause us to be needlessly “anxious and troubled
about many things”. Remember the words of Christ: there is only
one thing
“needful”. And what is that one thing? From the story, we
learn that Mary had found and chosen it; and that which she had
chosen was Christ! She chose to sit at the feet of her Savior and
listen to the words He spoke, rather than the cares of life. And
because of this, she partook of the special blessing that one
receives when listening to, or reading, the words of Christ. In John
chapter 6 and verse 63, Christ tells us what that special blessing
is. He said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words
that I speak unto you, they
are spirit, and they
are life.” There
is nothing more important, nothing more “needful”, than
spending time with the Savior, the One who loved us enough to “pour
out his soul unto death” that we might live (Isa. 53:12). Peter
admonished the believers of his time thus: “But grow
in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ…” (2 Peter 3:18). Christ, too,
declared how vital it is that we have a personal knowledge of Him.
“Many
will say to me in that
day [the day of His
2nd
coming], Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy
name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I
never knew you:
depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:22, 23. And
when the Lord gave the parable of the five wise and five foolish
virgins, and speaking of the time that the bridegroom appears, He
said, “Afterward came also the other virgins [foolish], saying,
Lord, Lord, open
to us
[the door to the marriage feast]. But he [the bridegroom] answered
and said, Verily I say unto you, I
know you not.”
Matthew 25:11, 12. It is not possible to “grow in the
knowledge” of our Lord and Savior, and have a personal
knowledge of Him, if we do not set time aside to spend with Him—on
account of being occupied with the tasks and cares of life! We must
ever remember the truth: only “one” thing is “needful”!
“Seek
ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is
near.” Isaiah 55:6
As
we have seen, all the words and instruction of Christ have been given
for the purpose of steering His people to the right and true path.
The words spoken to Martha that day are no exception!
The
Cause of Unfruitfulness
“AND
when much people were gathered together, and were come to him [Jesus]
out of every city, he spake by a parable: a sower went out to sow his
seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden
down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a
rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it
lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up
with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up,
and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he
cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples
asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you
it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to
others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they
might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word
of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the
devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should
believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they
hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a
while believe, and in time of temptation [testing] fall away. And
that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard,
go forth, and are choked with cares
and riches and pleasures of this
life, and bring
no fruit to perfection.
But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good
heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with
patience [in due time].” Luke 8:4-15. What may we learn from
this parable regarding the cares of life? Our Lord tells us that the
cares of life
withhold fruit from being brought to perfection. However, this effect
is not only restricted to the “cares” of life. The
“pleasures
of this life”
bring the same result. But what
“fruit” is not brought to perfection? There are two
places which supply us with the answer.
The
first is in Mark, chapter 4, verse 19, and it is concerning the same
parable and group: “And the cares
of this world, and the
deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in,
choke the word,
and it
becometh unfruitful.” Here it tells us that the Word
of God is not allowed
to bring forth fruit in the individual who is involved with the
“cares”, “pleasures”, etc. of “this
life”. It is true that man does “not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”
(Mat. 4:4). But instead of God’s Word bestowing that spiritual
nourishment that we so desperately need, it becomes “choked”,
and not able to have the effect upon us that God desires it to. The
word “choke” in Mark 4:19 means: to strangle completely,
i.e. (lit.) to drown, or (fig.) to crowd:—choke, throng (#4846,
Strong’s Concordance, Greek section). This is a terrible
tragedy!
The
second scripture is Matthew 13:23, and is also found in the same
parable, speaking in regards to the same group: “He also that
received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the
care of this world,
and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he
becometh unfruitful.” The life-giving Word is not the only
thing that is hindered from bearing any fruit, for the Scriptures
reveal that we,
ourselves,
are hindered from being fruitful! Individuals cannot possibly bear
fruit for God while occupying them-selves with, and directing their
minds and attentions to, the cares and pleasures of life. Yet,
bringing forth fruit is exactly what the Savior desires for us! He
said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen
you, and ordained
you,
that ye should go and
bring forth fruit, and
that your fruit should
remain: that
whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it
you.” John 15:16. Bringing forth fruit “glorifies”
the Father! “Herein is my Father glorified,
that ye bear much
fruit…”
John 15:8. The word “glorified” means: honour, magnify,
etc. (#1392, Strong’s Concordance, Greek section). And when
Christ spoke in regards to glorifying the Father by the fruit or
righteousness that is brought forth within us, He concluded His
message by saying “…so
shall ye be my
disciples.”
“Even
every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my
glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” Isaiah 43:7
“I
am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me
that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth
fruit, he purgeth [prunes] it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now ye are clean [pruned] through the word which I have spoken unto
you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide
in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and
I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can
do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch,
and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire,
and they are burned.” John 15:1-6.
Taking Heed
WE
have yet to see a connection between the cares of life and the second
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Gospel of Luke, and it is
here that we find a solemn warning, a warning that affords us with
perhaps one of the most
important views
on the cares of life in all of Scripture. Thus, it is most needful
for us—since studying the dangers of the cares of life—to
equally spend time with this warning. As the reader might have
guessed, it is a warning from Christ Himself, the One who leads and
guides man into the Way of everlasting life. Here is that warning:
“And take heed to
yourselves, lest at
any time your hearts be
overcharged with
surfeiting [gluttony], and drunkenness, and cares
of this life, and so
that day come upon you
unawares.
For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of
the whole earth. Watch
ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to
escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand
before the Son of man.”
Luke 21:34-36. Why did Christ warn to take heed against becoming
“overcharged” with the “cares of this life”?
It is so that the great day of His second advent does not come upon
us “unawares”! Webster’s New World Dictionary
defines “overcharged” as “overload”. Strong’s
Concordance defines it as: (fig.) to burden (#925). It also means:
weighty, i.e. (fig.) burdensome, grave:—grievous, heavy (#926).
If Christ has warned us against becoming “burdened” and
“overloaded” with the cares of life, we must therefore
conclude that this is something which can easily occur! The word is
“divert”, which means: “1. To turn a (person or
thing) aside from a course, etc. 2. To distract” (Webster’s
New World Dictionary). This must not happen to the people of God!
They must not allow anything to divert
them from watching for their Lord’s soon return. Yet, diversion
is exactly that which the cares of life will do to them. Anything
that would cause us to be unprepared for the “glorious
appearing” of the Lord should be speedily forsaken
and abandoned.
Remember Martha! She failed to discern between what was truly
significant, and what was not. God’s children cannot afford to
make this same mistake!
Christ
says, “Watch
therefore: for ye know
not
what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of
the house had known
in what watch the thief would come, he
would have watched,
and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be
ye also ready: for in
such an hour as ye
think not
the Son of man cometh.”
Matthew 24:42-44. “But of that day and that hour knoweth no
man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the
Father. Take ye heed,
watch
and pray: for ye know
not when the time
is…Watch
ye therefore: for ye know
not when the
master of the house cometh,
at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
lest coming suddenly
he find you sleeping.
And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”
Mark 13:32, 33, 35-37.
Paul,
writing to the brethren at Thessalonica, said this concerning the
“day of the Lord”: “For ye yourselves know
perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a
thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace
and safety; then
sudden
destruction
cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall
not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day
should overtake you as
a thief. Ye are all
the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the
night, nor of darkness. Therefore let
us not sleep, as do
others; but let us
watch and
be sober.” 1
Thessalonians 5:2-6.
The
adversary of God and man is constantly seeking new ways and new
schemes of keeping individuals busy with those things which are
unimportant to, if possible, make Christ’s second appearing
come upon them “unawares”. Numerous are the wiles of
Satan, and of this must we all be aware, for his only goal is to
“steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (Jn. 10:10).
Therefore has Christ said, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep
in the midst of wolves:
be ye therefore wise
as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16. But we must
have hope and rejoice, for our Lord will empower us to overcome! He
will give unto His own what is needed to escape all the traps that
are set for them! So then, let us ever seek to heed His instruction,
and give ear to the things He says!
“Blessed
are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find
watching…” Luke 12:37
Pleasing
the One Who Chose Us
THE
writer of Ecclesiastes said, “…that
which now is
in the days to come shall
all be forgotten…”
(Eccl. 2:16). All that is of this life and of this world will one
day—very soon—be forgotten! Why should we therefore waste
our time with such things? God’s Word manifests to us that we
are not to “set” our mind on things which are “on
the earth” but rather on those things which are “above”!
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek
those things which
are above, where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set
your
affection
on things
above,
not on things on the
earth. For ye
are dead,
and your life is hid
with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:1-3.
Now
in the second epistle of Timothy Paul makes mention of the “affairs
of this life”, that which “shall all be forgotten”.
He makes this mention while writing about a soldier of Christ, and
how that soldier may “please” the Lord. “Thou
therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man
that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that
he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” Chapter
2, verses 3 and 4. This is something—like all the lessons in
God’s Word—we must not forget. The disciple and follower
of Christ will not be able to please God while being “entangled”
with the “affairs of this life”! Anything that is not
pleasing to Him who sacrificed all for the salvation of man’s
soul should be readily cast away. Is the disciple of Christ not
willing to give up all things for the One who gave up everything for
him? While he may not be able to do this by his own abilities and
strength, the grace of Christ and of God is powerful enough to make
perfectly strong him who had only weakness! Paul said to Timothy (a
couple verses earlier to the ones we have been reading), “Thou
therefore, my son, be
strong in the grace
that is in Christ
Jesus.” Chapter
2, verse 1. And this grace we may seek with confidence! “Let us
therefore come boldly
unto the throne
of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find
grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16.
As
we await our Savior’s soon return, may the grace of God and
Christ be given us so that, when He does appear, we would be found
looking “not
at the things which are seen,
but at the things which
are not seen:
for the things which are seen
are temporal;
but the things which are not
seen are eternal”
(2 Cor. 4:18).
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