The Parable of the Rich Fool

Luke 12: 16-21 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 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.  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.”’  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?’  “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Here we have a farmer who Jesus uses as an example of the mentality of the human mind. The love of this world captivated this farmer whose profession was a success and instead of seeing this as a blessing, he counted it as his hard work, God was not a factor in this or so he thought.  He accumulated “stuff” and his stuff were the most important things he thought he earned and deserved because after all he worked hard.  He was not rich towards God but was laying up treasures for himself.   We see this often in today’s society, so often that it is seen as a highly normal accepted condition not an abnormal unaccepted behavior.

The sobering lesson Jesus gives is that today could be your last day, so all that  worldly “stuff” you are clinging to, boasting in, and hoping for, all can vanish in an instant.  You can’t take this “stuff” with you is what He is saying, and it is all for not.  So why are you striving for things of this world and not for heaven above?

Look friend, today could be your most fantastic day you have ever experienced, but God holds the key to the end of this.  Are you preparing for this end and your judgment before God or are you preparing solely for the temporary enjoyments?

Don’t put stock in worldly “stuff”, it accumulates but is nothing. Rather put stock in heaven above in praising God for His mercy and His grace. Absolutely NO amount of stuff or worldly accomplishment can compare to one minute at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ and eternity with Him!

Repent of being the rich fool as described by Jesus, and we are all guilty of this in many respects if we think about it.  This world is passing away, don’t cling to it, rather cling to the Savior.  Don’t worry about the bigger barn so to speak, rather commune with the Lord Jesus Christ instead.  Thank God for the blessings He bestows daily by the minute, don’t ever forget who is in charge!