Read: Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20, Luke 9:28-50, Psalm 73:1-28, Proverbs 12:10

They will have no land of their own among the Israelites. The Lord himself is their special possession, just as he promised them.
Deuteronomy 18:2

Relate: Giovanni was a man of the world. His dad was a rich merchant and his mom was of the minor nobility. He was alive at the time when troubadours were all the rage and it was a… fashion? worldview? lifestyle? I’m not sure what to call it, but whatever “it” was, Gio was all in. He lived in central Italy, but French culture, fashions, and literature were the height of progressive modernism. It wasn’t that long ago that Geoffrey of Monmouth had written the definitive version of King Arthur and throughout Europe, single young musicians were writing love poems to older married women. Fidelity and frugality were considered uncultured, barbaric, and backward behaviors. Giovanni was all in with this modern mindset… until he wasn’t.

God did something in his life. Exactly what and exactly how is buried under a mountain of time and the obfuscation of hagiography, but what is clear is that God called him to rebuild or restore His church which is falling down. At first, he took this to mean the nearby chapel, San Damiano. Originally, he sold some of his clothes and possessions for the cause, but the priest refused to accept that money since it technically belonged to his father (there was friction growing between Gio and his dad). So instead he begged for the coin and materials to manually do the repairs himself. Finally, the day came when Giovanni was in his hometown of Assisi begging for more material when he was snatched up by his father’s agents, beaten, and locked in a small storeroom. His father brought him before the local bishop (who would be acting as judge) and insisted Giovannie either come back to his senses or be disinherited. Giovanni, who by now was going by the name Francis, stripped himself naked, renounced his name, titles, and inheritance, and walked out of Assisi and his father’s life.

React: What have I given up for the sake of Christ? The Levites had no land of their own in an ancient Israelite community and culture where a person’s land was their wealth. They had a greater and more lasting inheritance. Saint Francis gave up a comfortable and easy life because he had been called by God to something more, even though that something was nothing. One story goes that early on during this transition from worldly Giovanni to saintly Francis, he was asked if he had any marriage prospects. His response was: “Yes, Lady Poverty is a fairer bride than any you have ever seen.” Abraham left his land to go to a place he knew not. When speaking of people of faith, the writer of Hebrews writes, “People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Will I be counted as one of those people? Will you?

Respond:

Dear God,
Let Calvary be enough for me. It is so easy to be caught up, distracted and dragged down by the cares and riches of this world. It is so easy to find myself pursuing possessions that have no permanence. They will melt away like the morning mist, but You remain. You are my portion. You are my inheritance. You are all I need, and You are more than enough.
Amen