"A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15)

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The Gospel of Luke's special emphasis on wealth and poverty is shown in both the material he has exclusively and the way he presents material he shares with the other Gospels. It is only in Luke, for example, that we find the famous parable of Lazarus and the Rich (Lk 16:19-31). Similarly, where in Matthew's version of the Sermon on the Mount the first beatitude begins, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit...," (Mt 5:3), Luke has simply "Blessed are you poor" (Lk 6:20). Luke also includes, as Matthew does not, a series of Woes to the rich immediately following his version of the Beatitudes (Lk 6:25-26).

I mention the above as a preface to another passage found only in Luke, where Jesus, in response to someone who wants him to intervene in an inheritance dispute:

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed [some translations have "covetousness"]; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:13-15)

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