April 20, Day 110 – Transit Caretakers and Owners of Nothing
- Dr. Eric Stricker
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Happy Resurrection Sunday! Today we come to Deuteronomy 30:11-31:29 where we read about the serious Israelite decision to which we referred in yesterday’s reflections. Notice, that Moses says, “What I am commanding you today is not too difficult or beyond your reach” (verse 11). He continues, “I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction” (verse 15). He calls “heaven and earth as witnesses” (verse 19). This is a very curious and interesting statement – that the heavens and the earth can testify on our behalf or against us. God has so created and ordered His creation that even inanimate entities can praise Him, speak on His behalf, or even testify against us (cf., Genesis 4:10; Luke 19:40-44; Hebrews 11:4). We need to understand that this part of reality is veiled to our senses, and though we cannot experience it physically, it is nevertheless just as real as we are. Like a good teacher who sincerely wants his or her students to succeed, Moses gives the Israelites the correct answer (before the test) to this multiple-choice test question. He states, “Now choose life, for the LORD is your life” (verses 19-20). This admonition seems rather elementary, for who – in his right mind – would not choose life? But we shouldn’t overlook the question, because – every day – multitudes reject life when they refuse to accept Christ as their Savior. Next, we see that – three times – God gives Moses the words, “Be strong and courageous” (cf., Deuteronomy 31:6; 31:7; and 31:23), and multiple times in this passage, He also says “do not be afraid.” As Moses is about to leave planet earth and confer on Joshua his leadership over the Israelites, he encourages them with these words. Later, these same words become a part of Joshua’s personal life principles (cf., Joshua 1:5-6). God’s repetition of a statement makes it doubly important. For those of us who are not naturally strong or courageous on our own, these words have special meaning and are very encouraging. They speak to all of us. Why? Because we need God’s strength to “go before us” (cf., Deuteronomy 31:8) and to direct our paths. We need Him even before we take our first step forward.
Psalm 48:1-8 shows us that God intends for cities to be “beautiful, lofty, and secure.” Unfortunately, few cities conform to this description. Today, most cities are a shabby confusion of overcrowded buildings, dirty streets, and unfriendly havens of loneliness, corruption, and danger. But God’s love for the inhabitants of cities is evident in His Word by His frequent reference to them. Thankfully, the Lord is preparing a better city – the New Jerusalem – for us, and I believe it will be “beautiful, lofty, and secure,” and best of all, “God is in her citadels” (verses 1-3); He “makes her secure forever” (verse 8). It will be a joy to reside in such a city.
Luke 19:11-44 begins with the parable of the ten minas. Here, we see “a man of noble birth who went to a distant country to have himself appointed king … but his subjects hated him” (verses 11-14). Clearly, this statement refers to Jesus and the Jews in Israel at that time. In verse 26, Jesus makes the point of this story: “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.” Again, this passage reveals a view of reality that is veiled – we cannot perceive it. We need to remember that we are actually owners of nothing – in transit as caretakers and custodians of all that God has entrusted to us. Our stewardship over our so-called “possessions” can be taken away. With Christ’s triumphal entry, we see Jesus riding on a colt and coming into the city. Sadly, Jesus weeps (verse 41) with a broken heart over the very city He loved and came to save, the one from which – one day – He will reign. He weeps because He knows the hearts of Jerusalem’s people. I can’t imagine His grief! However, a day is coming when Jesus will return – like the parable which began this passage – and He will hold all the people accountable for their stewardship.
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