Parable of the Rich Fool

Luke 12:16-21

Murder is terrible; adultery is disgraceful; lying is grievous; drunkenness is deplorable, but covetousness is common to all. Rarely does any man admit to coveting. Yet the Bible is resplendent with examples of covetous. Balaam coveted the gold promised him by king Balak if he could only curse the children of Israel. Achan caused the defeat of Israel at Ai because of his coveting the things pilfered from the ruins of Jericho (Josh. 7). After Elisha healed Naaman of his leprosy, Gehazi greedily chased after him to procure goods from him. These rewards the prophet of God had already rejected (2 Kings 5). The rich young ruler would not give up his wealth to follow Jesus and obtain eternal life. Judas out of greed sold the Son of God for a mere thirty pieces of silver. Ananias and Sapphira coveted the money they received from the sale of land. The precedes from this sale was already promised to the church (Acts 5). At the end of his life Paul lamented that Demas had forsaken him, “having loved his present world” (2 Tim. 4:10). Covetousness seems to have been just as much and issue back in Biblical times as it is today.

As Jesus was speaking important truths about fearing God, the people needed to be aware of hypocrisy and confessing His name before men. A man interrupts Him about something that has not in direct correlation with current subject matter. “Then one from the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me’ “(Luke 12:13). According to Barnes, “Among the Jews the older brother had two shares, or twice as much as any other child, De. 21:15-17. The remainder was then equally divided among all the children” (Barnes 80).

It was not uncommon for the people to communicate their disagreements to a rabbi for his help. But Jesus refused to get involved. “But He said to him, ‘Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?’” (Luke 12:14). God did not send Christ to be a mere referee over the day to day grievances of the people. Today, one would think that a preacher was unloving and lazy to refuse to get involved. His kingdom was a spiritual kingdom and his message was about kingdom righteousness. He is not about to neglect His mission to serve the secular and coveting desires of the people. There were plenty of other men in Palestine who could have helped with this man’s inquiry.
This does not mean that Jesus is not going to help. He gives the man greater advice than he could have received from anyone else. Jesus knew that the thoughts and intents of the man’s heart dealt with covetousness and not righteousness. “And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses’” (Luke 12:15). “Beware” is an intense term, like, “beware of the dog.” It warns of great danger that lay ahead on the path of life. The man was so busy looking out for his personal rights he forgot about his spiritual responsibilities.

Note that Jesus will speak of the man in the parable as a fool. Foolishness in a inherent part of covetousness. The real issue or disease is coveting. The man foolishly thinks that the real need here is more money, which is, a greedy striving after more and more. He thinks that if Jesus would just supply this he would have all he needed. But Jesus is able and willing to supply the man with much more.

In Providing a Living, He Forgot to Live

“Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully’” (Luke12:16). Here is a successful man in the eyes of the world. He is making a living in this life but has not make a life while he is living. Why? Because he forgot the source of real success and happiness. They are not found in the abundance of things. The richest man in the world, King Solomon, testified that riches do not being happiness (Eccl. 2:3-11). These may only provide temporary satisfaction to life’s desires (Eccl. 1:8). Success to many is measure by taking inventory of possessions. This can only tell a man what he has and never what he really is. To live a long life without a need or unmet desire in this world is not a successful life. Jesus lived less than thirty-four years on earth and died with nothing. Yet Jesus accomplished more in His short life than all those men before or since.

In Planing for Himself, He Forgot His Neighbor

Notice the language of a self-centered man throughout this short parable of just over sixty words. Six times he uses “I” and fives times “my.” “And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’” (Luke 12:17). He was concerned with self not really his soul. All in all there are about eighteen references to himself.

Surely, the rich man world did not merely consist of himself. Did he not have neighbors? Were none of his neighbors in need? Why are they not mentioned it the sharing of his great bumper crop? Like so many “my money” is spent on “me.” The only one he needs to talk to is himself and the only one he needs to consider when spending his money is himself.

In Reckoning His Goods, He Forgot the Giver

He forgot the true source of his possessions. It is as if he is the one solely responsible for his great wealth. “So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods’” (Luke 12:18). He no longer will need to look to God for his daily bread, but to his barns. God designed the seeds to reproduce in abundance, He gave the good weather, the sun, rain, soil, etc. Yet what mention of God is found in this parable? God gets not credit or thanks. Yet, God is the giver of every perfect gift (Js. 1:17).

God is left out of the rich farmer’s thought. He like an atheist in that God does not exist in his little world. His atheism may not be actual, but for all practical purposes he is living a godless life. The abundance of things blind us to the existence and need for God in our lives. In fact, material goods and the desire for them will often take the place of God. This is why covetousness is a form of Idolatry (Col. 3:5).

In Providing for His Body, He Forgot His Soul

Next, he makes plans for a long life enjoying his treasures, “And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry”’ (Luke 12:19). He planned to enjoy his leisure time. He planned for a life of pleasure. He though he could live by bread alone. In the end he lost his most valuable possession, his soul. Man is not just a physical being. He was created in the image of God and God is not flesh and bone. The would is eternal and beyond value. Wealth is temporal. Jesus warned, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:25,26).

In Counting on Time (Many Years) He Forgot Eternity

“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’” (Luke 12:20). He forgot that the true owner of the future is God. Owning goods on earth does not mean one owns time or controls it. Tomorrow cannot be claimed by any man (Pr. 27:1.5; Js. 4:13-15). There is no guarantee of tomorrow. Security for the future is not found in the abundance of things, but in one’s relationship with God. Instead the farmer ought to have made his plans with the condition “if the Lord wills.”

The rich farmer failed to remember how sudden death can come and end life. He must have been healthy for he expected to live a long life of ease. His hope for “many years” is cut short by “this night” he will die. Death has a way of shattering out dreams.
Death and eternity have a way of nullifying the value of money. Wealth cannot buy time or eternity. Death cannot be bribed. It is a fool who forgets about death and eternity while only looking at the riches which will not follow him to eternity and in death go to someone else. In Striving for Riches, He Missed Heaven Jesus adds a footnote to this parable which sums up His point, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21). The pursuit of treasure hinders the quest of heaven. Wealth tends to entangle the soul. They ties us down to this earth and keep us from longing for heaven. Just as a camel cannot go through the eye of a needle, neither can a man who trusts in riches be saved.

Everyone knows that you cannot take your riches with you. Many have made efforts to take it with them. The pyramids in Egypt stand as monumental proof that this cannot be. When the body of Pierpont Morgan lay in state, it is reliably reported that one of the viewers asked, “how much did Mr. Morgan leave?” The reply was, “he left all of it”. The grim Spanish proverb has it, “There are no pockets in a shroud.” J.D. Tant who said, “Even if we could take our money with us, it would probably all burn up the first night!” Everyone goes bankrupt at death. Death causes even the richest of men to leave it all and lose it all (Eccl. 5:15).

Others will reap the material goods left behind. Ironically, he did not think of others when he gained his riches. Now others will think little of him while they take his riches in death. He will not enjoy it but they may.

He tried to store riches on earth, but only true riches can be stored in heaven. While wealth is not a vice and poverty is not a virtue, having riches in heaven is virtuous. Jesus spoke of laying up treasure in heaven in His sermon on the mount. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21). These treasures in heaven involve being rich in faith (Js. 2:5); good works and fruits of righteousness (I Tim. 6:18); the riches of God’s favor (Ps. 30:5); riches of wisdom (Pr. 8:11); etc.

Being “rich toward God” is the antidote to covetousness.

– by Daniel R. Vess

News & Notes

● Morning’s Lesson: Gratitude for God’s Grace Text: 1 Timothy 1:12-17
● Contribution Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:1-12
● Tonight’s Sermon will be: Morality and Leadership
● Leadership Class this evening after services. Dan Fontenot will be teaching the first lesson in the workbook: Teaching: The Heart of the Matter by John Smith.
● Gospel meeting in one month away.
● Building and yard Work Day on Saturday, Oct. 15th.

The Forum – September 25, 2016 – Phinehas: Zealous for God (Part 2)
The Forum - October 9, 2016 - They All Fall Down
Categories: The Forum