Parable of the Rich Fool, Part 1
This Week's Bible Reading: Luke 12:13-21
Supporting Passage: Luke 11:37-12:12
There are a lot of songs about our desire for money and stuff. The most honest one I've ever heard is the late '80s hit "I Wanna Be Rich." It gets right to the heart of the matter, doesn't it? As another song ("Money" from the musical Cabaret) puts it, money makes the world go round.
Maybe this is why Jesus talked a lot about money. There are many things in this world we can choose to trust in other than God. But for most of us, money is near the top of the list. In the parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus confronts the power that money and possessions have over us.
The parable of the Rich Fool is about a man who puts all his eggs in one "wealth" basket. He hoards his resources, thinking they will lead to a life of luxury and security. But when death sneaks up on him one night, he realizes he has put his trust in something that is now worthless to him. Today, we'll explore the context of this parable.
The gospel of Luke includes many of Jesus' teachings about money and how to treat the most vulnerable among us. One chapter before this parable, in Luke 11, Jesus gives a series of warnings to the religious leaders. One of these warnings is about how they use their wealth. Although they appear to be generous, they are not reflecting God's love into the world.
"What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things." (Luke 11:42, NLT)
The Pharisees were using their resources to check a box on their “God To-Do List.” It is easy for me to think like this, too. If I just give 10% of my money to the church, God will be happy, and I can do whatever I want with the rest. Jesus wants to untangle our hearts from this way of thinking.
Then, in Luke 12, Jesus tells a crowd of people not to worry because God cares about them deeply. God cares about every sparrow in the sky, and we are worth more than sparrows. As Jesus is in the middle of this speech about not worrying, a man comes to him with a request:
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." (Luke 12:13–15, NIV)
This scene is kind of funny to imagine. A young man elbows his way to the front of the crowd and says, "Yeah, yeah, Jesus, we get it. 'Don't worry.' Okay, sure. Now, please tell my brother to give me what's mine!"
This man probably had a legitimate gripe with his brother. Most likely, their father had died, and now they were arguing about who gets what. The man may have been the younger son, and his older brother was refusing to divide the land. I can't blame him for wanting what he thinks is rightfully his. We all want Jesus to take our side on whatever issue we are arguing about!
Rather than get involved in the family drama, Jesus tells the parable of the Rich Fool. I'm sure this surprised the man. He wanted vindication, not storytime with Jesus. But remember—Jesus loved this man. He wanted to open him up to the generosity found in God's kingdom. And he wants to do the same thing for us.
As we explore this parable, I want to acknowledge that money can be a hard topic to discuss. If money talk makes you uncomfortable, don't worry. I get it!
There is a lot of shame around money. It has the power to cut to our deepest core. Our identity can get wrapped up in it. No matter how much or how little we have, most of us have regrets about finances. We wish we had saved more. We wish we would have stuck to the budget better. And sometimes, having "a lot" can make us feel guilty, and having "too little" can make us feel worthless.
But there is no shame with Jesus. He wants to free us from the worry and anxiety we have about money. And I need my attitudes about money reshaped, too. That's why I'm excited to dive into this parable with you.
Like the Pharisees, I would love to have an exact equation for money. But Jesus does not give us an Excel spreadsheet of a God-approved personal budget. (Or an envelope system, if you want to go old school!) He doesn't say, "Save this much and give away this much." Instead, Jesus uses the parable of the Rich Fool to challenge our imaginations about how God's kingdom operates.
Money may make the kingdom of the world go round, but not the kingdom of God.
Questions to Ponder:
Take some time to read the parable of the Rich Fool and write down any initial thoughts you have.
What are some ways "money makes the world go round?" Why is it so easy to put our trust in money instead of God?
What emotions bubble up in you when you think about money? Before we explore this parable further, take some time to give any negative feelings you have to God. Ask him to free you of any shame and help you focus on Jesus' love and forgiveness.
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