你的计划是否够长远?
路加福音十二章15至31节
15于是对众人说:你们要谨慎自守,免去一切的贪心,因为人的生命不在乎家道丰富。
16就用比喻对他们说:有一个财主田产丰盛;
17自己心里思想说:我的出产没有地方收藏,怎么办呢?
18又说:我要这么办:要把我的仓房拆了,另盖更大的,在那里好收藏我一切的粮食和财物,
19然后要对我的灵魂说:灵魂哪,你有许多财物积存,可作多年的费用,只管安安逸逸的吃喝快乐罢!
20神却对他说:无知的人哪,今夜必要你的灵魂;你所预备的要归谁呢?
21凡为自己积财,在神面前却不富足的,也是这样。
22耶稣又对门徒说:所以我告诉你们,不要为生命忧虑吃甚么,为身体忧虑穿甚么;
23因为生命胜于饮食,身体胜于衣裳。
24你想乌鸦,也不种也不收,又没有仓又没有库,神尚且养活他。你们比飞鸟是何等的贵重呢!
25你们那一个能用思虑使寿数多加一刻呢(或作:使身量多加一肘呢)?
26这最小的事,你们尚且不能作,为甚么还忧虑其余的事呢?
27你想百合花怎么长起来;他也不劳苦,也不纺线。然而我告诉你们,就是所罗门极荣华的时候,他所穿戴的,还不如这花一朵呢!
28你们这小信的人哪,野地里的草今天还在,明天就丢在炉里,神还给他这样的妆饰,何况你们呢!
29你们不要求吃甚么,喝甚么,也不要罣心;
30这都是外邦人所求的。你们必须用这些东西,你们的父是知道的。
31你们只要求他的国,这些东西就必加给你们了。
信息分享
耶稣的回应,一方面拒绝介入他们兄弟的纠纷,另一方面,又直接向群众指出,这人要处理的真正问题,不是如何分配家产,而是他那颗渴求物欲的心。为了说明这点,耶稣便讲了一个故事。
有一位财主,以为自己已为未来作好了精心的安排,还计划盖一个更大的仓房,来收藏粮食和财物,此后,便可无忧无虑地享福。在世人眼中,他必然是一个精明而有远见的成功人仕;可是在神的眼中,他却忽略了一件最要的事情──为他的永生作好准备。
为未来计划,是正确和值得推许的,但问题却在于我们的计划是否够长远。我们若只想到今生,而从来不思想来世,那么,我们可能会在毫无准备之下,赫然发现自己快要面对来世的问题。
来生的问题,只有一个答案;可是,我们若一直忽略自己其实急需救恩,这个问题将永无出路。出路只有一条:借着相信耶稣基督,得着神的救恩,如此,我们便获得保证,可得享永生。
耶稣接着还劝勉众人,我们在生活上所需用的一切,神是知道的;我们只需信靠神的供应,神必会把我们所需用的赐给我们。
神不单看顾我们今生的生活,而且还让我们得享永生,神对我们实在是无微不至!神已经为我们准备了一切,你有没有留意呢?抑或只懂得努力为自己筹算准备?此刻,或许是时候检视你的计划是否真的够长远呢!
ARE YOU PLANNING FAR ENOUGH AHEAD?
Luke 12: 15 - 31
15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’
18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.
23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?
25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?
27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.
31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Message
Jesus refused to be drawn into this family quarrel, but pointed out the man's real trouble which was a desire for material things. Then Jesus told this story.
A rich man thought he had everything worked out nicely. He would be very comfortable for years ahead with all that he had. He also saw the need of building bigger barns to hold his crops. The world would have said he was smart and successful, but God said he had forgotten the most important thing of all, preparation for eternity.
Planning ahead is a wonderful idea, if we plan far enough ahead. If all we think of is this world and nothing of the next, we will suddenly find ourselves face to face with the next world before we are ready for it.
There is a question that has only one answer. Here is the question, 'How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?' - the salvation Jesus Christ offers? The answer is 'there is not escape'. We can only come to God through Jesus Christ.
Christ went on to say that the things of this world do have their place. God will see to it that we who trust in him have all we need when we need it.
Isn't he a wonderful God? He is willing to look after us now in this world and give us a place in the next world too. He has planned all this for us. Are you part of his plan or are you still making your own plans. If so are you planning far enough ahead?

