“The Rich Fool”

Monday, June 05, 2017

The setting (or context) of this parable is interesting. Jesus has been teaching, as usual, the message of God. The first twelve verses of this chapter were delivered to “an innumerable multitude of people” who were gathering around Him to hear His teaching. As a matter of perspective, when Jesus fed the 5000 men with the loaves and fishes, that was a lot of people, but not an innumerable crowd. This was obviously even more than that, maybe many more. Imagine if you had been in that company of people, having the opportunity to listen to the Messiah as He was teaching words from God.

Right in the midst of His comments, a man from the crowd interrupts the spiritual feast to ask Jesus to mediate a financial dispute between him and his brother (verse 13). Christ quickly points out to him that He didn’t come into the world to handle such matters and then states clearly that they all needed to beware of covetousness, “for one’s life does not consist of the abundance of the things he possesses” (verse 15).

Jesus then delivers a parable about a successful farmer, from an earthly perspective, whose value system was out of touch with one who wanted to serve God. His crops were plentiful, so much so that he would have to build bigger facilities just to store them. He was essentially set for life. But he died that very night, leaving all of his material possessions to others.

The farmer indicates nothing to tell us he had a relationship with God, the one from whom all blessings flow (James 1:17). There is nothing that would lead us to believe he planned to use any of his possessions to bless others. Someone has said that the man obviously had “I” disease, for he only spoke of himself and what he had accomplished and what he would do for himself. He used the words “I” and “my” ten times in his short speech.

He was prepared to live a long time and to “eat, drink and be merry” for many years. But he wasn’t prepared to die. Which preparation is more important, really? And do we realize that is true in our own lives as clearly as we can see it about this man? Christ called this one a fool for failing to think beyond the material things he owned.

He concludes this parable by saying this: “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” That was said for the man who was mad at his brother and for the others who were there in that “innumerable multitude.” And it has been preserved in the Bible for us today to learn from, as well.

--Roger Hillis

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