Luke 12:16-21 (3)

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We’re still in Chapter 12

We’re going to be looking at Verses 16-21

And these verses all center around a parable...

…that is usually referred to as...

The Parable of the Rich Fool.

It is a parable that is unique to Luke’s Gospel...

And, one that is meant to...

…serve as a warning against...

Covetousness or Greed

Having misplaced priorities in our earthly lives.

-And I’ll give you the same disclaimer...

…that I gave you last week:

It’s probably going to hurt

But just know that it hurts me too.

Because, like I said last week...

The tenth commandment...

…is the most neglected commandment in American Christianity...

(And, I am no exception to that)

And Consequently...

…the sin of Greed or Covetousness...

…is probably the most acceptable sin.

(And, I am no exception to that, either)

And yet, what we see is, that...

…the Bible is replete with warnings about it.

And, our parable today...

…is such a warning...

And, we would ALL do well to heed it.

Let’s read it together...

…beginning in Verse 16.

This is the Word of the Living God:

Luke 12:16–21 (ESV)

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.”

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Pray

-Before we delve more deeply...

…into the parable itself...

…let’s be reminded of the circumstances...

...that had given rise to it:

Luke 12:13–15 (ESV)

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.”

And it’s that last statement...

…that Jesus is illustrating...

…when he tells the parable...

…that we’re going to be looking at today.

Verse 16.

Notice the connective language, once again:

Luke 12:16 (ESV)

16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,

Now, remember what he’s illustrating:

Luke 12:15 (ESV)

15 . . . “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

What does the man in our parable have?

Luke 12:16 (ESV)

16 ...The land of a rich man produced plentifully,

(Remember that this is an agrarian society...

…where crops (essentially) = CA$H!)

So, what does the man have?

He has the very thing Jesus just warned about.

He has an “abundance of possessions.”

-Now, notice something else:

The man was already rich BEFORE this bumper crop came in!

Luke 12:16 (ESV)

16 ...“The land of a rich man produced plentifully,

Do you see who this man was...

…in connection to last week?

Well, presumably...

…he was what the man in Verse 13...

…wanted to be.

Remember:

Luke 12:13 (ESV)

13 . . . “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Well, the man in the parable...

…HAS his inheritance...

…and it is making him very wealthy!

He was rich to begin with...

…and he’s just received a huge financial boon!

He quite literally...

…has more money than...

…he knows what to do with:

(And we’re all thinking...

...”I wish I had that problem”)

(Well, just wait...)

(We won’t envy the man for long)

Look at Verse 17.

Luke 12:17 (ESV)

17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’

(Store = amass, or gather together)

His dilemma is pretty simple, right?

My barns don’t have the capacity...

…to hold all of this money… uh… grain!

Let’s make it applicable to us:

I’ve got more money than the FDIC will insure.

How am I going to keep inflation from eroding away all of this money.

Man, the IRS is going to eat me alive this year...

…if I don’t figure something out.

That’s the man’s dilemma.

He has made so much money...

…that he can’t figure out how to keep it.

For him, it’s a physical impossibility!

-Now, should this (presumably) Jewish man...

…have had some idea...

…of what he could have done with...

…all of that excess?

Well, let’s see?

Deuteronomy 15:11 (ESV)

11 ...there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

Isaiah 58:6–9 (ESV)

6 “Is not this the fast that I choose...

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? . . .

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer...

And, he had axioms, like:

Psalm 37:21 (ESV)

21 ...the righteous is generous and gives;

Proverbs 21:26 (ESV)

26 ...the righteous gives and does not hold back.

And, remember what John the Baptist...

…had been saying:

Luke 3:8 (ESV)

8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance...

Luke 3:10–11 (ESV)

10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”

11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”

Do you see a consistent theme here?

-Now, that was the Old Testament.

How much more should we know...

…what to do with our excess?

Jesus said:

Matthew 5:42 (ESV)

42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Luke 14:13–14 (ESV)

13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Romans 12:13 (ESV)

13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Ephesians 4:28 (ESV)

28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

James 2:15–16 (ESV)

15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,

16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

1 John 3:17 (ESV)

17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

1 Timothy 6:17–18 (ESV)

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,

And, remember this:

Matthew 25:34–40 (ESV)

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you...

40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

And, you want to see something powerful?

Acts 4:32–35 (ESV)

32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold

35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

THAT... is the Power of God!

-So, let’s apply all of that...

…to the man’s question from our text:

Luke 12:17 (ESV)

17 . . . ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’

What should he have done?

Helped others

Given it away

What should we do?

Help others

Give it away

-Well, that’s not what he decides to do.

Look at Verse 18:

Luke 12:18 (ESV)

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.

Notice the man’s contra-biblical, self-absorption:

He doesn’t even consider...

Helping the poor

Advancing the Kingdom of God

Rather, he SPENDS a TON of time AND money...

Just so he doesn’t have to...

…let any body else have any of it...

Just so he can keep more of it for himself.

And, keep in mind what our Lord is illustrating:

Luke 12:15 (ESV)

15 . . . “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

-Now, look at Verse 19.

So, having now found a way...

…to keep his money away...

…from God and man...

He says this:

Luke 12:19 (ESV)

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

Finally, he's going to have enough.

Finally, he's going to have what he's always wanted.

Finally, he's going to be safe and secure.

Finally, his future is under control.

But, is he right about those things?

1.) Would it really have satisfied...

…his covetous heart?

The world’s first billionaire (John D. Rockefeller)...

…was once asked:

“How much is enough?”

You know what his reply was?

“Just a little bit more”

Should that surprise us?

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (ESV)

10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income...

2.) Was the man’s future really secure?

Proverbs 23:4–5 (ESV)

4 Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.

5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.

James 4:13–16 (ESV)

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—

14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring...

15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

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Now, besides his arrogant presumption...

…about the future...

What is an even more foundational problem...

…made evident by what the man said?

He was entirely earthly minded

He was living as if he would never die

All his efforts...

…were for his best life now!

But, Jesus had taught before:

Matthew 6:19–21 (ESV)

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:33 (ESV)

33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail...

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You see, the man’s priorities...

…were absolutely reversed!

He lived his WHOLE LIFE...

…for his retirement.

(That’s a wasted life!)

Everything he had done...

Had been to achieve the ease of life...

…that he thought he had now obtained.

He had forsaken God and man...

…to set himself up for the future!

-But... like so many today...

...something unexpected happens.

Something that reminds him...

…that he isn’t the brilliant strategist...

…that he assumed himself to be:

Luke 12:20 (ESV)

20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! . . .

Before we read on...

Notice the thick irony in this description.

The word translated as “fool,” …

1. aphron (ἄφρων, 878) signifies “without reason” . . . “want of mental sanity and sobriety, a reckless and inconsiderate habit of mind” (Hort), or “the lack of commonsense perception of the reality of things natural and spiritual... — Vine’s

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Why do I say that this is so ironic?

Because the man thought he was so wise.

He thought that he had thought it all through.

He thought that he had...

…brilliantly solved his problem.

-But, the reality was...

…that he had been a fool.

Why?

Luke 12:20 (NASB95)

20 “...God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; . . .

Meaning what?

The God who gave you life...

Has recalled that gift.

And the man will NEVER...

…get to enjoy the fruit...

…of his life’s passion.

And here’s what’s more ironic:

Luke 12:20 (ESV)

20 ...the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

Here’s the sobering reality:

1 Timothy 6:7 (ESV)

7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

Calvin says this:

Since the life even of the richest men is taken away in a moment, what avails it that they have accumulated great wealth?

All acknowledge it to be true, so that Christ says nothing here but what is perfectly common, and what every man has constantly in his mouth.

But where is the man that honestly believes it?

Do not all, on the contrary, regulate their life, and arrange their schemes and employments in such a manner as to withdraw to the greatest distance from God, making their life to rest on a present abundance of good things?

It is therefore necessary that all should immediately arouse themselves, lest, by imagining their happiness to consist in riches, they entangle themselves in the snares of covetousness. — Calvin

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What’s he saying?

We need to wake up!

We need to let this passage...

…shock us out of the folly...

…of living for the here and now...

…of being fixated on...

…having our best life now!

Brethren, what does it mean for us...

…if we ARE living our best life now?

It means we’re headed for Hell.

-And, Jesus says in Verse 21:

Luke 12:21 (NASB95)

21 “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Ryken says this:

What does it mean to be rich toward God?

I am rich toward God when his glory is my highest goal, when his worship is my deepest joy, and when his fellowship is my greatest satisfaction.

I am rich toward God when I offer all my abilities for his work, without reserve.

I am rich toward God when I take the time to serve people in need and give the first portion of everything I get to Christian ministry.

I am rich toward God when I make the needs of the poor a priority in my financial giving and embrace a simple lifestyle that gives me more freedom for ministry.

I am rich toward God when I decide there are some things I can live without so that I will have more to give to people who do not even have the gospel.

I am rich toward God when I give and give until all I am and all I have is dedicated to his glory. — Ryken

More importantly, the Apostle Paul said this:

1 Timothy 6:17–19 (ESV)

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.

i.e., ETERNAL life!

The Scripture is very clear, brethren.

It just isn’t what we want to hear.

Remember this (and we’ll be done):

Luke 18:24–30 (ESV)

24 . . . “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.”

29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

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Let’s pray and ask for grace...

To flee from every idol...

And cling wholly to Jesus Christ!