Sermon Devotional: The Parable of the Rich Fool

Scripture:  Luke 12:13-21 (ESV) 
As Jesus is teaching one day, a man in the crowd appeals to him with a complaint: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (v. 14). We know nothing about this man’s situation, but we can assume that an inheritance not fairly split between siblings was as fraught a situation in the first century as it would be today. The man feels he is being treated unjustly, and he wants the help of the Teacher. It was not necessarily inappropriate for the man in the crowd to ask Jesus for help in the matter of his family inheritance. It could have been the role of a rabbi to arbitrate in a situation like this, or to at least give advice. So Jesus’ response to the man’s appeal is surprising. He shows no sympathy. He does not ask the man any questions or try to assess the case against his brother. He does not summon the inheritance-stealing offender forward or delegate one of his disciples to follow up on the situation (“Thomas, go with this man to his brother’s house and let’s see if we can bring about some resolution to this family quarrel”).

No.  Rather, Jesus immediately rejects the man’s request, and replies emphatically, almost confrontationally, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” (v. 14). In other words, Jesus says, “I have nothing to do with this.”  The man in the crowd is trying to draw the Lord into a family squabble, and Jesus refuses to take the bait. The Son of God did not come to earth to help decide civil cases or to litigate economic disputes, and He will not waste precious time haggling over lesser issues.

Instead, he turns to the crowd, and cuts straight to the heart of the issue, exposing not only the inheritance-hogging brother, but also his whining sibling, and every heart of every listener in the crowd: “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (v. 15).

This, Jesus says, is the real threat: Not unfair inheritance distribution, but greed taking root in the hearts of anyone who trusts in possessions. The verb “be on your guard” is a present imperative, calling for ongoing vigilance against greed. This is not a dragon that one slays once and for all. It is an ongoing fight to guard the heart and prune the weeds of covetousness. To illustrate the danger of this deadly sin, Jesus then tells the crowd one of the most straightforward and poignant parables in all of Scripture, found only in Luke:

A rich man had so many crops he didn’t know what to do with all his bounty. So, he makes a plan:  He’ll build big enough barns to store all his grain and all his riches. From a certain angle, the rich man’s actions could be called prudent. He has had a good year, and he will build larger barns to store his earnings. The listener sees the problem, though, in the man’s self-congratulatory, self-sufficient and self-gratifying posture: “…And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry’” (v. 19).  The Rich Fool is self-obsessed. In vs. 17 - 19, he says “I” six times and speaks of “my crops,” “my grain,” “my goods,” and “my soul.” His retirement years are in view, and he will keep his abundance for his own private enjoyment.
 
But the man has forgotten about God, and he has forgotten about death. God has a terrible announcement:  “Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”  (v. 20). This, says Jesus, is the fate of the one “who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (v. 21).

It’s a shocking and devastating plot twist. The man in the parable had worked and prepared his whole life and had been gifted with abundance. But instead of being generous toward God and His kingdom, thereby investing in what would last for eternity, he hoarded his excess for a future of personal enjoyment that was never guaranteed him. All he had trusted in was lost.

The parable is titled “The Rich Fool.” In the Old Testament, a fool is someone who acts without wisdom in a self-destructive way. Making money and having possessions are not sins in and of themselves. A fool allows greed to take root in their heart as they trust in possessions rather than trusting in God who generously, lovingly, and righteously gives and takes away.

Consider—
╬ Comparing ourselves to others is a chronic obsession for the young and old among us. Comparison gives birth to a spirit of scarcity within us and a fear of not having enough. How preoccupied are you with comparing your possessions with others’ possessions: your clothes compared to your friend’s clothes, your house compared to your sister’s house, your car compared to your brother’s car, your retirement account compared to your neighbor’s account? How does comparison affect you: are you more inclined to hoard your possessions or to be generous with them? How is comparison with others revealed in your daily actions: Are you inclined to compulsively strive for more or are you genuinely content with what you have?

╬ What do you do with your wealth—your time, talents, possessions? Do you consider them “mine”? Do you use your abundance to entertain and please yourself? Ask the Lord to show you how you can use your possessions as a tool to bless others and build God’s kingdom?

╬   Father God, help me to be a faithful and generous steward of every blessing that comes my way. Help me to see that everything I have comes from you. Give me the grace to hold my possessions with an open hand and to give generously for the glory of Your eternal kingdom. In Christ, Amen!