The Parable of the Rich Fool
The Greatest Stories Ever Told • Sermon • Submitted
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· 22 viewsTrading up from superficial to the Supernatural Life.. How to live your life that counts today.
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Good morning, Welcome to our service... so glad that you have joined us today… Welcome to those watching online…
We are in our sermon series entitled, The Greatest Stories ever Told and we are going through the parables that Jesus taught during his ministry..
Today we are looking at the Parable of the Rich Young Fool...
found in Luke 12:13… In this parable Jesus talks about the importance of having a true perspective of our possessions and the future goals ---
How to Retire well… in fact our text this morning is of the only passage of the Bible that talks directly to the subject… or Retirement.
Have you thought much about your retirement? What that is now or what it is going to look like in the future?
It seems that when you hit middle age you begin more conscious of your physical health, your financial and preparation for retirement..
It has been said that Middle age is that perplexing time of life when we hear two voices calling us, one saying, “Why not?” and the other, “Why bother?
We all fit somewhere where those two thoughts…
It seems like as people live longer that age changes a little --- you’ve probably heard things like 50 is the new 40..
From what I have read .. middle age is somewhere between 30 -70… It all depends on how you feel…
ME
Pam and I are in that stage in our lives - I my thoughts tend to drift towards our long term goals — there are times where Pam and I have dreamed about the future..… Would it be nice if… or when… this happens…
I think we can romantize Retirement...
Would it be nice to retire in a little cottage by the beach… would that be idealistic…somewhere that is trouble free… where we don’t have to be concerned about the rest of the world… don’t have to worry about work… and the annoyance of life… Have perfect friends and community…
How about your future? What are some of your future goals.. What do you see the next 10 to 15 years?
Jesus is going to help us understand — why retirement ---is maybe not be what that we have imagined or made it out to be....
In begining of the Gospel of Luke 12 we learn that Jesus is talking to a large crowd, Luke tells us that there were many 1000's present.... The crowd was so large that people were trampling on one another…
The crowd is a mixed, there are believers, the curious, there are the religious skeptics…
Jesus at this point is teaching about what it means to be part of the Kingdom of God…
One of the reasons he was speaking in parables was to both reveal truth to spiritually hungry and to conceal truth from those who wanted to find fault in his words…
What is interesting is that Jesus chooses certain subjects that he wants the crowd to overhear… He wants them to hear about His Kingdom… He wants them to know about the tangible and intangible..the physical and the spiritual worlds come together… how heaven and earth come together… Another Topic that Jesus teaches on is our relationship to possessions and money…
Lets read our parable we reading from Eugene Peterson’s The message..
13 Someone out of the crowd said, “Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance.”
14 He replied, “Mister, what makes you think it’s any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?”
15 Speaking to the people, he went on, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.”
16 Then he told them this story: “The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop.
17 He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’
18 Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods,
19 and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’
20 “Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?’
21 “That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.”
T/s There are three tensions to deal with when considering our future.
1. Deal with the tension of losing Out.
1. Deal with the tension of losing Out.
Jesus is teaching about life in the kingdom, when someone in the crowd interrupts with a request: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” And Jesus says, “Who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?
So this man wasn’t even asking Jesus for a judicial opinion; he simply wanted Jesus to tell his brother to give him a portion of the estate. Old Testament laws would award control of the land to the older brother (Deut. 21:17). It may have been that the younger brother, unhappy with this arrangement, wanted to divide it so he could work the land alone.
It is interesting why this this person would ask Jesus to get involved in the middle of a family dispute --- well there are a couple of reasons.
The first is that it was common practice in those days for a Rabbi to get mediate in domestic disputes… So it wasn’t that unusual
So this man wanted Jesus to settle a legal matter in his family…… but Jesus refuses to get involved.
Instead Jesus responds to the man is a question.... who appointed me to be the judge and arbitrator over you? what makes you think that its any of my business being your personal mediator and judge...
Jesus then turns from this man to the crowd and uses this mans request to teach his disciples that is is not possessions that give us meaning but rather our contribution that makes us rich...
Jesus warns this crowd to
b. Guard against Covetousness
Covetousness is an unquenchable thirst for getting more and more of something we think we need in order to be truly satisfied.
It may be a thirst for money or the things that money can buy, or even a thirst for position and power. Jesus made it clear that true life does not depend on an abundance of possessions.
He did not deny that we have certain basic needs (Matt. 6:32; 1 Tim. 6:17). He only affirmed that we will not make life richer by acquiring more of these things.
Jesus goes straight to the problem with this mans request...…That he was demanding to get his share of the inheritance… He didn’t ask Jesus for a reasoned decision regarding the fairness of his claim but just demanded, “Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
He had felt like he didn’t have enough
Mark Twain once defined “civilization” as “a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities,” and he was right
Jesus gave this Life Giving principle.
“a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
In other words you shouldn’t get your identity or your sense of self worth from your possessions… Whether it these are fixed assets land or building or your bank account.
Jesus warns us and says watch out and guard against all kinds of greed. Why? Because life is not measured by how much you own.... Life is more than the sum of our possessions…
Some times we can reduce life to earnings and possessions... where the Biblical view of wealth is measure in our contributions… how much you give.
When we making materistic comparisons we are looking at the wrong definitions true riches.
Jesus explained that the good life has nothing to do with being wealthy; real life is not measured by how much we own. But Rather How Rich we are to others... and how rich Godnos towards is.
A. T. Pierson (1837–1911), powerful preacher, educator, and missionary statesman, once tried to preach on God’s blessings as described in Ephesians 1–3, a section of Scripture that continually talks about our unsearchable wealth and riches in Christ. Pierson said:
In the words of the text, “the unsearchable riches of Christ,” “unsearchable” literally means riches that can never be explored.
You not only cannot count or measure them, but you can form no estimate of them; and you not only can form no estimate of them, but you never can get to the end of your investigation.
There is a boundless continent, a world, a universe of riches, that still lies before you, when you have carried your search to the limits of possibility. I feel as though I had a theme, about which no man ought to speak. An archangel’s tongue could do no justice to it.
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
T/s There are three tensions to deal with when considering our future.
1. Deal with the tension of loosing Out. (Feelings)
2. Deal with the tension of long term planning (Logic)
2. Deal with the tension of long term planning (Logic)
After dealing with the emotion part of feelings of covetousness … Jesus deals with the issue of long planning without considering the eternal kingdom view..
When it comes to wealth, the bible doesn’t have problem with money itself.. the problem lies in our attitude towards money… Wealth can be a blessing or a curse, depending on whether it is used as a means to exercise power, a tool of self-indulgence or a resource to serve others
In fact the Bible often associates wealth as a blessing from God.. Abraham was a extremely wealthy man
2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
The psalmists celebrate material blessings. The godly man flourishes ‘like a tree planted by streams of water’ (Ps. 1:3). ‘Wealth and riches’ are in the house of the man that ‘fears the Lord’ (Ps. 112:1,
Jesus talks about money more than any other Subject… It is particularly true of the Gospel of Luke… and in 11 of the 39 parables of Jesus deal directly with money and what we are supposed to do with our money… This means that 28 percent of the time Jesus opened his mouth he is talking about money… Why did Jesus talk about money so frequently… The reason is that Jesus was concerned about our hearts… what we deem important and what we are living for...
It is true that our checkbook shows our priorities… If we like to spoil our children it will be reflected in our spending… if we like to vacation… if we like going out… buying things… Our spending habits tells a a story.... leaves a trail where our hearts are at..
The parable of the Rich man is all about the his heart...
Jesus uses this parable of this highly successful farmer to illustrate the problem of covetousness..
This farmer was successful to begin with he already has barns full of grain… The problem was not poor planning of the farmer but rather the crop exceeded his expectation… to such an extent that he had nowhere to store his grain…
So He had to make a plan…
vrs 17
17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’
So he reasoned to himself? Starts to seek a solution -- what shall I do? What are my options? And he reaches a decision. He is going to tear down his old barns plural and build bigger ones (barns plural). Then he will store the surpuls of his wheat and all his other possessions.
Now, up till this point we could say that he is being responsible with all that he has been given…
There is certainly nothing wrong with following good business principles, or even with saving for the future (1 Tim. 5:8). Jesus does not encourage waste (John 6:12).
Building new barns was logical and prudent. It was a good idea.
Joseph acted upon the dreams that he was given and in the seven lean years stored up grain for the seven years of famine… There is nothing wrong with making provisions, having a 401k, making plans for the future…
But the problem is in verse 19.
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’
The NLT frames it in the second person " I will sit back and say to myself, " My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come now take it easy! Eat and be merry!
This was actually a pagan saying of the day.. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” It was about living for the moment without considering anyone or anything else..
In all of his contemplating he didn’t think once about someone else… There was no thought of sharing, There was no thought for the poor, the ill, and the naked who were all around him.
The language in verses 17–19 reveals an ingrained selfishness. In the Greek the personal pronoun “my” occurs four times and “I” eight times.
It is the world’s philosophy of taking care of number one… Jesus does not endorse this philosophy.
This is the only place in the Bible where retirement is spoken of, and here it is in the context of disapproval.... The Bible is not against planning for the future and planning for retirement.. The bible recognizes aging and getting older… but retiring to a life of self-indulgence finds no favors with God.
The problem with this man’s retirement package is that it was a ticket to hedonism.... and it didn’t think about the kingdom of God..
But God bursts in upon the self-satisfaction of his life.
God says you foolish man you Soul will be required of you this very night… not next week, not next month, not ten years, but tonight—your soul is required of you.” And obviously, this man was not ready.
All that he had worked for --- all that stock piling for himself all for nothing…
Jesus calls the him the foolish Rich man..…
In Scripture, being a fool does not mean that you’re unintelligent or uneducated. Even Aristotle observed that in the brain of the most brilliant man resides the corner of the fool. There’s a difference between stupidity and foolishness. In biblical categories, the judgment of being a fool is not a judgment of intelligence. It is a moral judgment.
The Bible defines a fool as someone who is removes himself from God.
The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’ ”
Jesus summarizes so is such a person that is so focused on making a living -- and not focused on having a relationship with God...
The Problem with the Foolish Rich man is that didn't consider the long view of life... This man prepared for everything in this life like it was the utlimate goal. Laying his treasures on earth instead of living his life Rich towards God...
We are prone to say, “Too bad this fellow died just when he had everything going for him! How tragic that he could not finish his great plans.” But the greatest tragedy is not what the man left behind but what lay before him: eternity without God!
Jesus was not just talking to that young man -- he is talking the whole crowd..
The Pit Fall of living solely with our logic is Short sighted of God’s plan and purposes.
T/s There are three tensions to deal with when considering our future.
1. Deal with the tension of loosing Out. (Feelings)
2. Deal with the tension of long term planning (Logic)
3 .Deal with the tension of the Future (unknowable)
3 .Deal with the tension of the Future (unknowable)
What follows the parable of the Rich Young fool…Is Jesus teaching on not being worried about your life…
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.
23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
This section is connected to the the parable… deals with being anxious about tomorrow and the many unknowables..
How do we Plan for the future?
1. Stop Worrying
The late chaplain of the United States Senate, Peter Marshall, once prayed “that ulcers would not become the badge of our faith.” Too often they are!
The rich farmer worried because he had too much, but the disciples might be tempted to worry because they did not have enough! They had given up all they had in order to follow Christ.
First… Worrying never solves anything.
Worry is destructive. The word translated “anxious” it means “to be torn apart,” and the phrase “doubtful mind” it means “to be held in suspense.” It is the picture of a ship being tossed in a storm
Jesus challenges every single thing that you and I could worry about… your life… food.... our clothes… These are the main things… but the list is longer when it comes to the number of the things worry about…
Then he says
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”
Think about all the things that you worry about… those who don’t have worry what they don’t have and those who have worry about how to manage what they do have...
George MacDonald said that : “No man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today, that the weight is more than a man can bear.”
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
One of the tools we can use to handle worry is to deal with it when you get to it…
2. Trust that God provision
The command, don’t worry, does not imply lack of concern, nor does it imply that people should be unwilling to work to supply their own needs and thus have to depend on others. Instead, Jesus was saying that worrying about food and clothing should never take priority over serving God. Worriers immobilize themselves and focus on their worries. They refuse to trust that God can supply their most basic needs.
24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
God says look at the birds…
God makes sure that the birds, who do no worrying about their food supply, always have food to eat
Ravens know nothing of the prudential habits of a farmer — they don’t “sow … reap … don’t have a storeroom … barn”), and yet God feeds them
How much more are his children than the Birds of the air or the lilies in the field.. consider how they grow — they don work or spin… yet they are dressed in finer clothes then King Solomon the wealthiest man on the planet…
Jesus was not suggesting that we sit around and let God feed us, for the birds themselves work hard to stay alive. Rather, He encourages us to trust Him and cooperate with Him in using the abilities and opportunities that He gives us
3. Invest in Kingdom priorities
Jesus is says that another antidote to worrying about your life… is to see every day as an opportunity to invest in someone else… Every day be rich towards God and others … Making heavenly investments. One way to protect your investments is to put it in the write kind of investments. If our hearts are fixed on the transient things of earth, then we will always worry. But if we are fixed on the eternal, then God’s peace will guard our minds and hearts
Matthew tells us to lay up your treasure in heaven.
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Luke tells us give and it will be given. Jesus says that your best investments are not your portfolio on earth but your portfoil in heaven…
38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Closing
What about our lives? What about our ideal for the future? Our dream of retirement? the truth is that our senior years can be the years that we make our greatest investments…
Jesus and the Scripture teach us that life is more than the sum of our possessions…
C. S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity — gave this illustration of a car… A car is made to run on gas, and it would not run properly on anything else.
Now God designed the human machine to run on himself. He himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
ultimately Christ is is our prized possesion.