The Parable of the Rich Fool: Luke 12:16-21
by Owen Borville
The Parable of the Rich Fool is an important teaching from Jesus Christ about the faith and the Kingdom of Heaven. As a man asked Jesus to speak to his brother to convince him to divide the inheritance with him, Jesus spoke a parable about the dangers of accumulating material possessions on Earth. Jesus told the man:
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15. KJV
Found only in the Gospel of Luke and in Chapter 12 versus 16-21, the parable describes a rich farmer who is looking for more room to store his material possessions. His mind is preoccupied with his material possessions and he ignores thinking about the things of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. He also ignores the idea of helping the less fortunate in his desire to increase his material possessions. One night his soul is required to be taken away and then God asks "then whose shall those things be?" The parable teaches that building up material possessions does not ensure prosperity in terms of eternal salvation and that this material prosperity is not permanent. The permanent prosperity requires a strong spiritual relationship with God.
The Parable of the Rich Fool:
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:16-21. KJV
While man can accumulate material possessions on Earth, those possessions must stay on Earth and cannot be taken to Heaven. In addition, those material possessions will not help a man enter Heaven. In fact, those possessions can be a stumbling block keeping a man from Heaven. If a man is preoccupied with his material possessions, his heart and mind will be with those things and not with God and the Kingdom of Heaven. If a man is preoccupied with his material possessions, his mind is not on the idea of helping the poor and the less fortunate. Therefore, Jesus teaches that it is better to build up treasures in Heaven rather than build up treasures on Earth. Building a strong spiritual relationship with God is the spiritual treasure that will lead a man in to Heaven and is much more valuable than a buildup of material possessions on Earth which cannot be taken into Heaven and cannot help lead a man into Heaven.
by Owen Borville
The Parable of the Rich Fool is an important teaching from Jesus Christ about the faith and the Kingdom of Heaven. As a man asked Jesus to speak to his brother to convince him to divide the inheritance with him, Jesus spoke a parable about the dangers of accumulating material possessions on Earth. Jesus told the man:
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Luke 12:15. KJV
Found only in the Gospel of Luke and in Chapter 12 versus 16-21, the parable describes a rich farmer who is looking for more room to store his material possessions. His mind is preoccupied with his material possessions and he ignores thinking about the things of God and the Kingdom of Heaven. He also ignores the idea of helping the less fortunate in his desire to increase his material possessions. One night his soul is required to be taken away and then God asks "then whose shall those things be?" The parable teaches that building up material possessions does not ensure prosperity in terms of eternal salvation and that this material prosperity is not permanent. The permanent prosperity requires a strong spiritual relationship with God.
The Parable of the Rich Fool:
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:16-21. KJV
While man can accumulate material possessions on Earth, those possessions must stay on Earth and cannot be taken to Heaven. In addition, those material possessions will not help a man enter Heaven. In fact, those possessions can be a stumbling block keeping a man from Heaven. If a man is preoccupied with his material possessions, his heart and mind will be with those things and not with God and the Kingdom of Heaven. If a man is preoccupied with his material possessions, his mind is not on the idea of helping the poor and the less fortunate. Therefore, Jesus teaches that it is better to build up treasures in Heaven rather than build up treasures on Earth. Building a strong spiritual relationship with God is the spiritual treasure that will lead a man in to Heaven and is much more valuable than a buildup of material possessions on Earth which cannot be taken into Heaven and cannot help lead a man into Heaven.
