Parables of Jesus Part 8 (The Rich Fool PART II)

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Primary Sources:

1. The Parables of Jesus, James Montgomery Boice, Moody Publishers, 1983
2. The Parables of Jesus, R. C. Sproul, video series and Study Guide, Ligonier Ministries, 2013

Parables of Jesus, Part 1
Parables of Jesus, Part 2
Parables of Jesus, Part 3
Parables of Jesus, Part 4
Parables of Jesus, Part 5
Parables of Jesus, Part 6
Parables of Jesus, Part 7

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The Rich Fool (PART II)

In Part 7 of this series, which was PART I of a discussion on the Parable of the Rich Fool, (ain't that confusing?) we discussed how Jesus took an impertinent question from the crowd as an occasion to teach on covetousness. Here in Part 8, which is also Part II (got that?) we get to the actual parable

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 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. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” ( Luke 12:16-21)

Once again, unlike most wisdom parables that contrast wisdom and foolishness, this parable is all about the latter.

The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?

The first wave of problems we see with this man is: He had no spirit of thanksgiving. The land produced plentifully—i.e., it was by God’s providence (James 1:17). This man expressed no desire to give of the first fruit to his neighbors, the poor, his church, etc. He never even considered giving the excess to the poor. His first consideration: more storage needed.

you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. (Deut 26:2)

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. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”

The error here is not in planning for the future. The error is assuming that your riches alone guarantee a happy future, and for anticipating a pagan lifestyle. Here we see the wrongful part of his desire. He ably demonstrates Paul’s point (in more ways than one):

If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. (1 Cor 15:32)

And we are immediately reminded of:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt 6:19-21)

Back to the parable:

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Fool, as used here (and elsewhere), is not a comment on IQ. It is a moral judgment.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. (Ps 14:1)

And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-23)

On This Night

On the pinnacle of his success—a rich man who will be even richer—on this very night his soul shall be required of him. The rich man could not buy his way out. God didn’t want his riches. He wanted his soul. The man had never been rich toward God. He did not acknowledge God as the source of his wealth. He had no intention of sharing his wealth. His wealth was used only for his creature comfort.

Conclusion

Though the man died that very night, the primary lesson of the parable is not: be ready for we know not the length of our days. The primary message is: 

• Give thanks for God’s providence
• Give of the first fruit
• And especially: Beware of covetousness

[END OF PART 8]

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