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Every Day Bible

The World’s Worst Bank Robbers

Have you seen the Geico commercial about lousy bank robbers? The robbers bolt out and run to the side of the road where you would expect to find the getaway car running, but there’s no car! Once they get outside, one of the robbers pulls out his phone and uses Uber to summon a car. As the bank’s alarm is sounding and police sirens get louder, the robbers just stand there counting down the minutes until their car arrives. I hate to spoil the ending for you, but as the commercial ends, the police arrive and the bank robbers are certain to get arrested.

The commercial is funny because the robbers are so bad at their job. They evidently failed to plan for the last and most significant part of the robbery: the getaway!

Their story is a lot like a story Jesus told in Luke 12:13-21. Instead of a bank robber, it focused on a farmer who had made a lot of money. He did a lot of things right. He was successful in planning for the near term and had a great return on his investment. He was so focused on the next stage of his investment that he ignored the final and most important stage. Jesus ended that story by saying, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God.” When we forget the eternal, we are the foolish bank robbers made over.

James used the same image in James 4:13-17. He warns us not to forget that life is just a vapor that appears for a while and disappears. We must not forget to plan for God’s will—not just ours.

If you want to avoid being the world’s worst bank robber, you need to think about what happens at the end. Don’t forget to plan for the most important part of life.

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Every Day Bible

How do you define greatness?

Some people think that becoming filthy rich makes us great. But Jesus said, “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

Other people feel greatness belongs to the mature, the educated, and the brilliant. But Jesus said that “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 28:3)

Maybe you think attaining a position of significance by climbing the career ladder will make you great. But Jesus said, “those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

A lot of men think that strength gives greatness. But the Bible says, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-11)

The philosophers would have said that wisdom makes a person great. But the Bible says, “the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” (1 Corinthians 3:19)

Having a long resume with a list of great accomplishments and great abilities makes a lot of people feel great. But Jesus said that the widow who only had a penny to give was the greater giver. (Luke 21:1-4)

Perhaps ambition will get us where we want to go. If we fight hard, work hard, and study hard, maybe we can reach the top. But Jesus said that “the last will be first.” (Matthew 20:16)

How do you define greatness? No one has ever lived a greater life than Jesus of Nazareth, and his definition of greatness is unlike the one we hear every day. He said that greatness came through humble service, faithful obedience, childlike trust, sacrificial generosity, and simple faith. May we aspire to his definition of greatness!