The Power of Meritorious and Atoning Almsgiving (Luke 12:32-34)

The King James Version (KJV) is mostly used in these lessons. Click here to access the KJV online.

When we hear someone preach about selling your possessions and giving the money to the poor, we usually think about the Rich Young Ruler that came to the Messiah. But, Yahushua didn't just say this to him alone. He also said this to a crowd of many thousands of people. This teaching is about the power of meritorious and atoning almsgiving.

Do not be afraid little flock because your father delights to give you the kingdom sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money bags for yourselves that won't grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:32-34)

Our messiah did not say those words in private to just one person. Most of the time when we hear somebody mention sell your belongings or your possessions and give the money to the poor, if we're familiar at all with the bible, our minds go to the rich young ruler. But that's an entirely different account which is recorded in Matthew 19, Mark 10 and Luke chapter 18. However, this one in Luke chapter 12, was spoken to his disciples and a crowd of many thousands of people. The main point of His teaching here is again about almsgiving as we have studied in other lessons. We are to secure for ourselves treasures in heaven by giving away our treasures on the earth. That sounds backwards to the carnal mind, but it sounds backwards also for Yahushua to save everybody through dying on a cross!. It sounds backwards for us to give away our treasure on the earth if we want to collect treasure in heaven but Yahuwah's ways are not always the ways of man.

The suggestion here is that the amount of alms giving, money, time, goods that you give away to people, specifically people that are in need, that amount determines how much treasure that you'll receive in the kingdom of heaven when Yahushua returns to establish it on earth.

There are levels of hierarchy in the kingdom of heaven as we find Matthew 5 19 about the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and the least in the kingdom of heaven. Keeping in line with that, there are also levels of treasure in the kingdom of heaven. This is actual wealth in heaven that is stored up in the heavenly storehouse in the strong box of Yahuwah. The more generous we are with our wealth on the earth, the greater treasure we'll have in the kingdom of heaven. Conversely, the less generous we are with our wealth on earth, the smaller the treasure we will have in the kingdom of heaven.