Welcome to Week 7 of He Gave Us Stories, our series based on the Parables of Jesus. The week brings us to Luke chapter 12 and the Parable of the Rich Fool.
As with so many other of Jesus’ parables, this one is offered in response to a question. Unlike ourselves, however, Jesus was able to instantly understand the motive behind the question, which explains why, at first glance, the parable seems to have little to do with what was asked.
Prayer guides by Tracy Lautenschlager.
Index to Days 2 through 5
Day 1
The Righteous Indignation Distraction
Observe
What opens this passage isn’t really a question as much as it’s a demand for Jesus to mediate in what seems to be a family dispute. Jesus turns down the request, cold.
Luke 12:13-14
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?”
Deuteronomy 21:15-17
15 “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, 16 then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, 17 but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.
Numbers 27:7-11
7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them. 8 And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 9 And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it. And it shall be for the people of Israel a statute and rule, as the Lord commanded Moses.’”
Matthew 7:1-5
1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Most areas of Jewish life were controlled by things spelled out in the Law of Moses, including rules on the inheritance of property. Because these rules were part of the Mosaic Law, it wasn’t unusual to ask a Rabbi to get involved, but Jesus refused. It’s true that Jesus often chose not to get involved in matters that did not directly pertain to his earthly work and ministry. But notice that the man did not ask Jesus for an opinion, or as a Teacher of the Law to make a judgment. No, “tell my brother” was what he asked Jesus to do. You can practically hear the indignation in that, can’t you? The laws of inheritance are fixed and there is no question that he and his brother would eventually divide the property. But this man believed that ought to happen now, and he wanted Jesus to get involved. We will consider in tomorrow’s meditation how Jesus perceived the man’s true motivation, but for now let’s consider whether we ever cover up selfish desires by wrapping them up in righteous indignation. To put this another way, how often do we become concerned with the speck in our brother’s eye while ignoring the log in our own?
- It has been said we fight hardest against that which we like least in ourselves. Have you ever found yourself reacting disproportionately harshly to someone else over something you struggle to control in your life?
- What do you think would be good habits and practices to follow in determining whether any selfish desires might motivate your indignant insistence?
Heavenly Father, Forgive me when I’m stubborn and react with anger to circumstances of life. Reveal my selfish motives and help me to let them go. Remind me, Lord, that you love me and intend the best for me. Help me to stop grasping what I think should be mine, so my hands are open to receive the blessings you intend for me. Thank you for your patience with me though, because it can take me a while to look honestly at my heart and confess the sin I see there and turn away from it. Help me Lord. Amen.
Day 2
You Are Not Your Stuff
Observe
In one sentence, Jesus lays bare the motives behind the man’s demand and warns the others listening about the dangers of covetousness. He gives a timeless truth, “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Luke 12:15
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.”
Colossians 3:5
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
1 Corinthians 12:27-31
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
The man’s demand, that Jesus tell the man’s brother to divide an inheritance, revealed his covetousness. Now you may be thinking “Wait, he was entitled to the inheritance. He’s not wanting something he shouldn’t, he’s just wanting what is rightfully his.” Whether coveting is inordinate or not is determined by its object, true. We’ve all heard “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,” but should you covet anything at all? Perhaps that’s why Jesus said “be on your guard against ALL covetousness.” To covet is to yearn to possess something. It goes beyond normal wanting. To covet something dominates our thoughts and, if we do not guard against it, motivates our actions. The parable Jesus tells, which we will meditate on over the next three days, gives us an example of coveting gone wrong. The question for us to consider today is whether or not coveting can be righteous?
- How would you explain the difference between wanting something and yearning for it?
- What is an example of something we should be yearning to have?
Dear Lord, I don’t often talk to you about the things I covet. I pray for things and people that I ought to pray for, but I try to hide my own selfish desires. Nothing is hidden from you Lord. Reveal to me the desires of my heart that have become sinful. Strengthen me to name them and to keep laying them open, before you, so you can change my desires to yours. Give me new desires: to know you, to serve you, and to love others. Teach me to covet your presence. Amen.
Day 3
Too Much of a Good Thing
Observe
Jesus introduces us to the character in this parable, a rich man whose field produced plentifully. He had a lot and he got even more.
Luke 12:16-17
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?’
1 Timothy 6:6-10
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
1 Timothy 6:17-19
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
The rich man was, well…rich. We’re told that right up front. He was already rich and his field produced plentifully, so much so that Jesus tells us the rich man had nowhere to store his crops. This is the very definition of extra, isn’t it? These crops were more than he needed to provide food for himself, in fact they were more than he needed to make himself wealthy. Is being wealthy a bad thing? Can you have too many possessions? The Bible doesn’t say money is evil. It’s neither good nor evil, it’s just a method of exchange. Writing to Timothy, Paul says “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” Not the money itself, but the love of it. A few verses after that, Paul even addresses those who are “rich in this present age,” saying if they recognize what they have is provided by God and they are generous and ready to share, then they are storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation (the implication being treasure in heaven). So wealth and possessions are not evil, the danger is in your attitude toward them and how you use them. What about our rich man? Did he recognize he had extra and offer to take care of the poor or feed the hungry? No. Jesus says the rich man regarded his superabundance to be a storage problem he had to solve rather than an opportunity to be, as Paul says in 1 Timothy, “rich in good works.”
- Do you correctly perceive when you have more than you need?
- What do you do then?
Dear Jesus, Thank you for your provision in my life. Bless those who, from the abundance you’ve given them, have helped me generously when I have needed help. Teach me to trust you, so I can be generous with what you have given me, and show me where and how to give from that abundance. I will give you the glory Lord. Amen.
Day 4
Relying on Ourselves
Observe
The rich man believed his possessions set him up for a long and comfortable life.
Luke 12:18-19
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.”’
Proverbs 21:20
20
Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling,
but a foolish man devours it.
Proverbs 6:6-8
6
Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
7
Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
8
she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
The rich man decides to solve his problem of having more than he could store by building larger barns. Notice the language he uses: I will tear down MY barns, store MY grain and MY goods, say to MY soul. This man clearly believed he was in control of his own destiny. His message to himself reflects that, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” Now God is not opposed to retirement planning or savings accounts. The book of Proverbs has wisdom sayings that extol the virtue of not using all we have but storing up some for the future. God holds up as wise Joseph’s plan to store some of Egypt’s grain from the years of plenty in order to survive the years of famine. It may be very short in its term, but God also told the Israelites gathering manna in the Old Testament to gather a double portion on Saturday because no manna would show up on Sunday. Jesus is not criticizing saving for our futures, but in his Sermon on the Mount he does warn against storing up only earthly treasures and worrying about earthly needs. Yes, we should have enough saved for retirement to provide for our needs and not be a burden on family, but that is not why our futures are secure. Our futures are secure because they rest in the hands of our heavenly father!
- How do you balance providing for your future with not worrying about your future?
- How would you say you are storing up treasure in heaven?
Father God, I’ve read this parable many times, but I have never really identified with this rich man. There is always someone more wealthy than me; that’s who Jesus must have been talking about. Lord, I’m just like that rich man when I view your blessings as my own, my right, to save or spend as I think best. Mine. But I belong to you Lord. Everything I have is from your hand. Help me to open my hands and use the resources you’ve given me for your kingdom. Amen.
Day 5
The Grave is Not the End
Observe
The rich man is reminded it is God who determines your length of days and he also gets a crash course in you can’t take it with you.
Luke 12:20-21
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.”
Ecclesiastes 2:18-21
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, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
Once he was dead, the rich man’s possessions would be outside of his control. Yes, they had laws governing inheritance, just like we have wills or can put assets into a trust, but it’s a fact that it won’t be you who carries these instructions out. Depending on the circumstances, you might have decisions being made by someone who didn’t even know you at all. These realizations just about drove Solomon mad and in the Book of Ecclesiastes he calls them “vanity and a great evil.” Jesus wants us to plan beyond the grave. In terms of worldly possessions and wealth, the grave is the great equalizer; you can’t take it with you. The answer isn’t to avoid being rich. That happens for some of us, but for most of us it doesn’t. The answer is to be rich toward God, which is something we can all do, no matter how much money we have. Treasure in heaven isn’t measured in cash, stock, or even crypto (maybe especially crypto?). Treasure in heaven is measured in the lives of people you’ve reached for the kingdom of God, whether directly or indirectly. All those barnfuls of crops are just the tools God gives us to use in doing so.
- What part of this life do you most look forward to leaving behind?
- How can we have no regrets when God calls us home?
Heavenly Father, At this time in the world I am acutely aware that our days are numbered. Lift my eyes daily from that specter to you and your kingdom. Thank you for adopting me as your child and giving my life purpose. Show me what work you have for me that will have eternal value. I want to spend my time here in those things, in building your kingdom, in knowing and serving you. Amen.