Luke 12:33

Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

There is no suggestion here that heaven can be purchased; but benevolence is laid down as a prime characteristic of all who would enter heaven. Not even fear of poverty should prevent almsgiving. One is almost compelled to seek a relative meaning here. There have appeared, historically, some extremely literal interpretations of this place; and they have usually taken one or another of two forms: asceticism, or so-called Christian communism; but both of these systems are unadaptable to human nature. "Both are out of harmony with the life and teachings of Jesus."[34]

Perhaps Wesley had the key to understanding this:

This is a direction not given to all the multitude; and much less is it a standing rule for all Christians, neither to the apostles; for they had nothing to sell, having left it all before. (It was) to those disciples (Luke 12:22) ... especially to the seventy, that they might be free from all worldly entanglements.[35]

J. R. Dummelow also had the same understanding of this place:

Christ addressed not all the disciples, but those who like the apostles, had received a call to leave all, and devote themselves to the work of the ministry.[36]

Likewise Russell thought that "This was a command to those who had been chosen to go forth and preach the truth."[37]

Strong agreement is felt with Boles' view that:

This does not mean that a Christian should give up everything that he has to those who are not trying to serve God; neither does it mean that a Christian should give up what he has to those who are living lives of idleness and wickedness.[38]

For further comment on Jesus' teaching in this section, reference is made to notes on the sermon on the mount in Matthew (See my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 6:19-34).

[34] Charles L. Childers, op. cit., p. 525.

[35] John Wesley, op. cit., p. 250.

[36] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p 754

[37] John William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 171.

[38] H. Leo Boles, op. cit., p. 257.