13 Someone in the crowd said to him,
“Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he
said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over
you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard
against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of
his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The
land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to
himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my
crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns
and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my
goods.19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid
up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But
God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you,
and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the
one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” ~ Luke
12:13-21
I find it curious when God keeps putting
the same scripture in front of me for a period of time. This month we have been
teaching the youth at our church the concept of “contentment” and the lesson
for Sunday was on this very scripture. Then lo and behold on Monday morning I
open my devotion and here it is again. So I am thinking ok Lord what is it that
you want me to understand here? I try to live my life according to this
principle. When I receive something I try to think, “how can I use this for
God’s purpose?” Somehow I must be either not living up to what I think I am or
there is another point that God wants me to glean from this. I think it may be
a little of both… So let’s go over this together and see if we can understand
the full value of this parable of the rich fool.
First I think we need to look closely at
verses 15 and 21, verse 15 Jesus says: “Take care, and be on your guard against
all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his
possessions.” In Jesus day, the custom was that the first-born son
received a double portion of the family inheritance and from Jesus response;
this man was not the first-born. While Jesus refuses to mediate this argument,
He stabs right at the motive behind this dispute, “Covetousness!” Jesus speaks
plainly and to the point and warns this man, and all of use for that matter,
that our lives are not to be about gathering wealth. Although it is not wrong
in of itself to have position and wealth, we must know that our lives are so
much more than what we have and what we collect.
Then Jesus immediately tells a story,
parable, of a Rich Fool. God blessed a man with an abundant crop. (v16) As God
blessed this man instead of using the abundance that God provide him to extend
God’s will and bless those around him he is consumed with managing and keeping
his new found wealth. So this man builds bigger barns in place of the ones he
already had and begins to plan his early retirement. Side note, I have read the
bible many times and have never seen the word retirement, just food for
thought. All the planning and “hoarding” this man was doing he did not know
that this was his last night on earth. Jesus ends his story with, “So is the
one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (v21) In
the verse before however God calls this man, “Fool!” Ouch, that hurts even to
read. Can you imagine standing before God and the first word He speaks to you
is “Fool!” More food for though…
As I ponder this parable, I discover two
points that I would like to convey. First, we are to devote our lives to God’s
will for our lives, to be content with what He provides for us and to use it
for His will not just our own benefit. A word that comes to mind is to not be
selfish with what He has blessed us with but to bless others with God’s
provisions. Looking at verse 20 God says to the man, “the things you have prepared,
whose will they be?” Compare what God says here to Ecclesiastes 2:18 ~ “I
hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I
must leave it to the man who will come after me.” This can be seen
everyday people whose only purpose is to amass wealth. When they die all they
worked for gets left behind for those who did not work for it and will not
respect nor appreciate what they have gained. Now look at Matthew 6:24 ~ Jesus
says: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and
love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve God and money.” In other words, if your master is wealth God
is not!
Which brings me to my second point, we
are never blessed by God to hoard what He has provided for us to store up for
ourselves. We are blessed to be a blessing to others. We are blessed to extend
the Kingdom of God, here and now! Psalm 62:10 ~ “Put no trust in extortion; set
no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.” If
our riches increase we are not to set our hearts upon them! Proverbs 11:24 ~ “One
gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should
give, and only suffers want.” Proverbs 3:9-10 ~ “ 9 Honor
the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your
produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats
will be bursting with wine.” I think God’s point is clear, if we honor El
Shaddi with what He has so lovingly provide us, He will bless us with more so
we can honor Him even more.
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 ~ “6 The
point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and
whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one
must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is
able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in
all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it
is written, ‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his
righteousness endures forever.’
10 He who supplies seed to the
sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing
and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be
enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will
produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is
not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many
thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this
service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes
from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your
contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you
and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon
you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”
We, Elohim’s children are blessed so we
can “abound in every good work” and be a blessing in the lives of others who so
desperately need El Yeshuati. So if God has given you and blessed you with
material abundance “set not your heart on it” but “be rich toward God.” This is
what God has spoken to me in Jesus parable of the Rich Fool, so I ask Rich Fool
or Trust God?
Loving and gracious Yahweh-Channun, tank you for
Your Words that speak truth and love into our hearts and lives. Grant in us the
spirit of giving make us cheerful givers, helps us to remember that our hope
lies in and with You Lord and not in the things that you have blessed us with.
Make our spirits to be bright shinning lights that point to You Oh El-Moshaah
not braggarts of the things we have but in the knowledge that You are with us.
We know that we can never repay the love You have rained down upon us. Make us
to love You in return and be the people You created us to be by extending Your
Kingdom here and now. Make us to live now for eternity and not for today. All
this thing we lay at Your feet, Almighty El Elyon in the name of Your Son, our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!! Amen <><
