The Parable of the Rich Fool is found only in Luke 12:13-21.
The Story
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; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them this parable; "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
"Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."'
"But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:13-21, New International Version).
Jesus was teaching and was interrupted by a man who wanted Jesus to tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him. It was common in Palestine for people to take unresolved disputes to respected rabbis. (Barclay, DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES, LUKE pp. 166 ff.). Jesus then warns his listeners to avoid greed. The Greek word translated "greed" in verse 15 is PLEONEXIA, which means covetousness in a bad sense, an insatiable desire to have more. [W. E. Vine, VINE'S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT WORDS. Unabridged ed. (McLean, VA: MacDonald Publishing Co., n.d.), s.v., "Covet, Covetous, Covetousness"]. Then he told them the Parable of the Rich Fool. Earle gives an excellent outline (Turnbull, Gen. ed., PROCLAIMING THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, by Ralph
Earle, pp. 56-58), from which the following outline is adapted:
1. HE FORGOT HIS SPIRIT. "What shall I do?" In verse 19, in the Greek text, he speaks to his PSYCHE "soul." Man is a
spirit who has a soul (intellect and emotions) and lives in a body. The rich man was ruled by his soul and body, rather
than by his spirit. There is a spiritual hunger in people that cannot be satisfied by material things.
2. HE FORGOT OTHERS. "I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones." This man was surrounded by poor people whom he could have helped without hurting himself. Instead, he chose to hoard his crops. Ambrose writes,
Thou HAST barns--the bosoms of the needy, the houses of the widows, the mouths of orphans and of
infants. (Trench, NOTES ON THE PARABLES OF OUR LORD, p. 118).
Greed is a slavemaster. It drives people to amass wealth and it is never satisfied--it must have more.
3. HE FORGOT GOD. "Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" The rich man was planning as though he would be living on earth indefinitely. His trust was in his material wealth instead of God. God is really the only security we have and knowing him is true riches.
The Interpretation
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
(Psalm 14:1) (New International Version)
The Psalmist describes a "practical atheist," that is, one who lives as if God does not exist. This is the sin of the rich fool. (For a more complete discussion on atheists, see the essay entitled, "Do Atheists Exist?" in my book, ESSAYS EXPOSING THE MYTHS OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS). The rich fool also assumed that he owned something. [BEACON BIBLE COMMENTARY (Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press), LUKE, By Charles Childers, pp. 520 ff.]. The truth
is that we own nothing in the absolute sense--God owns everything. The Lord says,
every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. ...the creatures of the field are mine. ...the world is mine,
and all that is in it. (Psalm 50:10-12) (New International Version)
We are temporary stewards of the Gospel, material goods, spiritual wealth, intelligence, scientific knowledge and all
the good things that God has entrusted into our care. Not only does the covetous person need to answer the question that God asked the rich fool, but the believer needs to answer it, too. After the believer dies, "Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" Hopefully, the believer will have supported the work of God with tithes and offerings and also made a legal will. A will extends a person's choice after he dies physically. It insures that his family will be taken care of and that his wealth will
also go to godly causes instead of being squandered. Even if there is little wealth, parents need to choose who will raise their children, or the state will! The rich fool was covetous. Covetousness will usually drive a person into accumulating wealth, but not always. The covetous criminal in prison is usually broke. It is possible to be covetous and poor and it is possible to love God first and be rich. Covetousness is also a "seed" sin. If a person is covetous, he will probably break more than the tenth
commandment. If his desire is for material goods, then he will probably steal or kill. If his desire is for someone
else's mate, then he will probably commit adultery. If he covets recognition, he will probably lie. The rich person who does not trust in God has an anxiety concerning someone stealing his wealth. He who trusts in uncertain riches has a peculiar anxiety of losing his "god." The poor person who does not trust in God has an anxiety of not having his basic needs met. Immediately after this parable, Jesus told his disciples not to worry, but to trust in God to meet their needs. Jesus promised that if we place God first, he would meet our material needs (vv. 22-30). God will meet the needs of both the "haves" and "have-nots."
Human desire in itself is not always bad. The sinful desire to have more (PLEONEXIA, "covetousness," is always bad). However, many human desires are in themselves neither good or bad--they are good or bad depending on how they are
used, for example, EPITHUMEO, simply means "to fix the desire upon." (Vine, VINE'S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT WORDS, s.v., "Covet, Covetous, Covetousness"). There is a desire that is always good: to desire God, his righteousness and his gifts (ZELOO, "eagerly desire"):
But eagerly desire the greater gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:31) (New International Version)
Central Truth
COVETOUSNESS LEADS TO TRAGEDY.
Conclusion
Material wealth is a wonderful servant but a terrible master. Alva Walker, a retired Missionary from Africa, gave
me these words of wisdom and they are stamped indelibly in my mind:
HOLD ON TO MATERIAL THINGS LOOSELY.
On the one hand God teaches us industry:
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. (Proverbs 6:6-11) (New International Version)
However, he also teaches us to give:
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:
"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will
enlarge the harvest of your righteous- ness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every
occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:6-15, New International
Version).
John Wesley said it well:
Earn all you can.
Save all you can.
Give all you can.
END