The Rich Fool

Luke 12:16-21

13 – He didn’t care about spiritual things – hyper focused on the physical

- Father died, older got inheritance, this must be the younger brother

14 – Man = stranger. Custom for judges/mediators to discuss this.

- Strange question. Jesus is Judge, but Spiritual Judge, seek and save the lost. He came to bring people to God, not bring property to people.

- My kingdom is not of this world. No opinion rendered on social, legal or economic issues. (all apart of this world)

- Jesus does render an opinion on this man’s spiritual condition.

- First a very important and powerful statement, then a parable.

15 – Watch out – perceive and also discern / comprehend spiritually

- Be on your guard – maintain spiritual vigilance at all times.

- True for everything at all times.

- Be a guard of our life. Our life is on lockdown. Taking everything bound to the king.

- Two ways, looking and searching. Or knowing Scripture.

15b – greed – “pleonexia” – (covetousness) insatiable desire for more, often at the expense of others.

- Gross form of idolatry where material possessions or desires take precedence over God.

1 Timothy 6:6-8

- False teachers supposed the pursuit of godliness was in vain, or it was greedy to pursue godliness.

- We should pursue godliness, not material wealth.

1 Timothy 6:9-11a

- Greed is very dangerous – often associated with moral corruption (plunge into ruin and destruction), it leads to various forms of unrighteousness.

- Contrary to God’s word – teaches contentment, generous and trust in God’s provision.

- Matt. 6:33

15c – no matter how much we have; we don’t own it.

- Jesus’ warning = Our natural broken human nature tries to find satisfaction, fulfillment, joy, peace and blessings from the material world, but it is not found in the material world, no matter how much you possess.

- King Solomon. Ecclesiastes. Been there, done that. Tried that. He had it all.

- Ecclesiastes 1:8 – the eye is not satisfied with seeing.

- Ecclesiastes 5:10 – He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its produce. This too is vanity.

- Didn’t find those things in the material world, it’s found in God alone.

- Then the parable

16 – God does not forbid wealth. Job, Abraham, David. Solomon.

- The abundance is not the sin, it’s the attitude of what to do with it.

17 – Here is the rich man’s big mistake.

- This is where it all went downhill, where the plunge into ruin and destruction started. Scripture gives clear warnings against this.

- Proverbs 28:26 – He who trusts in his own heart is a fool.

- Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is more deceitful than all else. It’s desperately sick. Who can know it?

- Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in Yahweh with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

- Our heart = wicked, sick, it wants, it’s greedy, it deceives us.

- Leads to 8 I’s and 4 my’s

18 – This seemed right to him.

- Proverbs 14:12 There’s a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

- Shows greed in two ways: keeping the grain, not taking up fertile ground.

19 – Greed keeps this man plunging into moral corruption just like Romans 1 explains.

- Serving the creature rather than the creator.

- Many years to come – a serious and arrogant claim. How do you know?

- Psalm 139:16 – Your eyes have seen my unshaped substance; and in Your book all of them were written, the days that were formed for me.

- Solomon – life is but a few days. Analogy if you die in 3 days.

20a – Fool – senseless / unwise. Lacking discernment and wisdom.

- NT used it to say lacking discernment in relation to God’s truth and righteous living.

- We don’t want to be like fools. Emphasizes the importance of aligning our life with God’s will, God’s truth, God’s word.

- He lacked God’s divine wisdom. What is the wisdom he is lacking?

- First, reasoning with himself, his death day is set. An Eternal perspective.

20b – who will own it? You’re going to die; you can’t take anything with you. You just went through all that hard work to give it to someone else you don’t know.

- Required – a sense of rightful claim for the return of something that is owed or due.

- The spiritual Judge will judge us one day, requiring back our life.

- He bought it with the high price of his blood, Christ owns it, one day he will demand it back.

- How did we spend our life? Pursuing meaningless material gain? Or becoming rich toward God?

21 – When it speaks of storing up treasure for us, again it’s not the abundance, it’s the attitude, it’s the will, the motive.

Mark Spence: “Lord help me see my greatest luxury in You, not the wealth of this world.”

Becoming Rich towards God:

Proverbs 3:9-10 – What are we to do with our wealth?

Proverbs 16:16 Where is our focus? On material gain? Or God’s word?  

Proverbs 20:15 Do we see discipleship as infinitely more important than what the world has to offer?  

Psalm 119:72 – how precious is God’s word to us?

Psalm 62:10 – what are we to do if our riches increase?

Psalm 63:1,3-5 – What do we do if we want our soul to feel full like we have all the riches in the world?

Psalm 37:3-4 – What are we to do on this earth? (Pointout that we need to work and make money)

- Proverbs 23:4 – Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, because of your understanding, cease!

Psalm 1:2-3 It all starts with God’s Word.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 – Solomon had it all, everything, did it all. It was all vanity. No hope, no joy, no satisfaction.

What will our obituary read? What will people think as they view us in the casket?

You can start today. Start reading and studying. Ask if you don’t know how.

Matthew 6:19-24

Luke 12:17 – Reason with God. Your crops.

Luke 12:33

Luke 16:9-12