There are some Bible passages which will forever be associated with vivid personal experiences.
And today, as we consider the Parable of the Rich Fool, we have encountered one of those passages.
My experience with it dates from nearly 40 years ago. In the spring of 1986 I was preparing to graduate from 4 years of rigorous study at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas. Graduation exercises were schedule for May 6 well in advance, and the venerable long-time President of Dallas Seminary, Dr. John Walvoord, now it’s chancellor after about 35 years as president, was scheduled to speak.
It was at about that time that Jeanie and I received some exciting news. Jeanie’s dad, Leon McCoy, a rich and successful businessman from northeast Nebraska, was planning to come and celebrate my graduation with us. Now Leon valued some good things—education, hard work, and the things hard work could buy—he had put all his children through college, so for the first and last time in our married life, Leon was going to make a special trip to visit us.
The other thing about Leon you need to know this morning is that even though at times Leon was very generous, he was very fond of his possessions. He literally had large barns and storage sheds which were full seemingly of everything he had ever owned—a pontoon boat, cars, farm equipment and tractors, furniture, duck decoys, outboard motors and fishing equipment. You name, he had it somewhere and it was gathering dust on his property—he had more stuff than he was ever going to to use, and he kept it all for himself.
Now Leon was not a believer. So, Jeanie had been praying for his salvation for years. So this news that he was coming to our graduation represented a unique opportunity for someone, namely, Dr. Walvoord, to preach the Gospel so he might be saved.
Now, we didn’t know Dr. Walvoord personally. But it happened just a couple weeks before graduation, Jeanie and I were walking through the seminary parking lot late one afternoon when our paths intersected with guess who, Dr. John Walvood himself. And we stopped and talked personally for probably the only time in my seminary career. And Jeanie was very bold and asked him to remember that many unbelieving would be showing up for graduation, and would he share the Gospel.
Dr. Walvoord quietly agreed he would. And boy did he ever. He brought the best message I ever heard him preach, and it was so fitting for Leon, because it was this passage—the Parable of the Rich Fool.
And it is so fitting a passage for many today as we live in what of the wealthiest cultures that the world has ever known. In it, Jesus confronts the rampant materialism that not only infect the world, but the Church of Jesus Christ in America. And He warns us “Be on guard against your own greed; rather be rich toward God & gain eternal treasure.
As we read it, the story begins as Jesus is surrounding by thousands of people—a crowd so thick that they were stepping on each other. And someone in the crowd shouts out to him, requesting his help in resolving a dispute over an inheritance—of course, in his favor. The young man blurts out in verse 13: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me?
But Jesus is none too friendly toward the idea. He replies, in verse 14: “Man, who appointed me as a Judge or an arbiter over you?” Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed, for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possession.”
Now what Jesus had to say was always true, but especially true in this situation. Though Jewish rabbis were often called upon to help settle disputes of this sort, the fact was that even though Jesus would be the judge of all mankind one day, Jesus had no civil authority or legal standing to arbitrate this case. And even if he had, he would not have been able to satisfy either of the parties. Because Jesus knew better than anyone that the root of this dispute was a sin, which he could not participate in, the sin of greed or covetousness. Each brother was concerned about having more than his share, and neither would be concerned about the welfare of the other.
And so, he provides for them and for us, the basic truth behind all that follows in this story. And it’s this: “Be on your guard against every kind of greed; because material things will never satisfy.”
In doing so, he addresses a great deception that fuels the world’s economy and its many legal and personal disputes. It’s the idea that the more you possess, the more you will be fulfilled in life. This is a basic lie that even we as Christian fall into following. But the truth is, riches, no matter how much you have, will not satisfy or fulfill. The more you have, the more you want. A person once asked one of the richest men in all of history, John D. Rockefeller, how much was enough. And his reply was very telling. “Just a little bit more.”
It's a truth that rich men have often discovered too late as they have spent their lives acquiring money and things. Solomon, another great rich man of antiquity spoke of his exploration of his riches in Ecclesiastes 2:11-12 and 17: “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired. I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, this was the reward for my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done, and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after wind. Nothing was gained under the sun, so I hated life.”
Lest you think this was an isolated experience, consider the testimony of one of our contemporaries, a man named Rogers Kirven. After advising many on how they could become rich, he decided to conduct a survey of what happened after they had become independently wealthy and had sold their companies. So, he decided to do a survey of 39 men who had become independently wealth, decided to sell their companies and retire early. These were his findings:
33 of the 39 were divorced
Some who didn’t have personal integrity had other breaches of character.
Money and freedom had made life more fragile.
Many took up golf, and their interest lasted about six months.
Many bought exotic cars, which held their interest on average, for 10 months.
Many bought boats, which held their interest, on average 18 months.
None could robustly say that their lives were better.
All, every single one of them, had a crisis of meaning.
Sounds like Solomon’s experience all over again.
So, let’s believe Jesus when he says that even when there is an abundance life does not consist of the things you possess. So many of these folks devoted their lives to making a living only to find that they hadn’t made a life. They hadn’t realized what really mattered in life, which I would suggest is loving God and loving others.
So, a question for you this morning: Have you fallen for this deception—that being rich can make life better, or worthwhile. Have you or do you guard yourselves against covetousness and greed? And how are you doing so?
So, it’s at this point, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, the story that qualifies this section of scripture for our current series on the Parables of Jesus:
Verse 16: “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my reops. Then he said, “This is what I’ll do; I will tear down my barns and build lager ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”
Now, if you were to count, you would find probably 12 different pronouns which this man uses to refer to himself in his considerations, most prominently the pronouns I and my. You will not find any reference or consideration of God or anyone else in all his deliberations about this terrible problem he had. Obviously, the man is totally devoted to himself and self-centeredness.
The second thing to notice is that he was already a rich man before this great harvest. He already had barns (plural). And he thought his biggest problem in life was where he was going to put all that he had. It never once occurred to him that He might share his exceeding great riches with others or to honor the God who had blessed him so richly. So, I gather, he followed through with his plan, tore down his old barns, and built new and bigger ones. And then, now being independently wealthy, he decided to retire. “And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come, take your ease, eat, drink and be merry”
How many of us here would like to have his problem?
Maybe I should ask another question. How many of us here already have his problem? We already have so much that we don’t need that we don’t know where to put it. Our problem is finding another investment account, house, or land to put our money into, and we haven’t even considered God’s will for all he has blessed us with?
Then comes the kicker—what this rich fool hadn’t planned on. A very short life in which to enjoy all he had devoted to himself. Verse 20: “But God said to him, ‘You fool. This very night your soul is required of you, and now who will own what you have prepared?
A very good question for all of us to consider. The one thing that is inevitable for all of us is that this life will end, and if this life is all that we have prepared for, then what will become of all we have stored up for ourselves, when God requires our life of us? Yes, you can’t take it with you. There are no U-Haul’s that follow hearses.
And so, Jesus draws his conclusion, a frightening conclusion for some: “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
How often is that happening in our culture today? How often have people prepared lavishly for themselves in this life, with no thought of the next, and no thought of meeting God.
Now I think it’s important to know what Jesus commends and condemns here:
He doesn’t condemn hard work.
He doesn’t condemn a great income.
He doesn’t even condemn retirement.
Nor does He condemn being rich. As Proverbs 10:22 says, “It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and he add no sorrow to it.”
What he does clearly condemn is being rich and not being rich toward God. In other lavishing all your income on yourself without being generous to God and those whom he calls us to be concerned about.
I am constantly amazed at how people, even believers, are willing to lavish upon themselves tens of thousands of dollars for their pleasures, their luxury cars and their boats, and how little by comparison, they give toward those ministries or individuals who have a crying need.
When the numbers in our bank accounts count more to us than the needs of our brothers and sisters, and we are already rich, what does that say about us?
Have we become rich fools ourselves?
Now remember the subject the subject that Jesus has introduced. It’s the matter of greed and covetousness. He told us to be on our guard against all kinds of greed. And the one kind of greed that he’s focused on here is when we’re greedy with our own stuff. Yes, you can be greedy with your own stuff. And how can you be greedy with your own stuff? When you have more than you need, and very possibly more than you will ever need, but you continue to hoard for your own self-centered purposes, and you are not generous with God and with others.
So, Jesus is saying, don’t be greedy about your own stuff, or you’ll be a loser. But be rich toward God and you’ll win eternally.
So, my question for you this morning is this: Are you greedy about your own stuff? Is it all about you?
Commentator Charles Talbert makes this rather terse observation about this story:
“The accumulation of additional goods when one has enough guarantees not one’s security, but one’s status as an idolater In Scripture, the purpose of wealth is in its being shared.”
Sounds like I Timothy 6:6-10: “ But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Are you as prepared for eternity as you are for your relatively very brief retirement in this life?
Well, you know what we’ll say to this question. Well, I might need it someday. May I suggest that your concern may not be about your needs, but rather your greed.
And with regard to your future needs, Jesus has an answer to that concern as well.
It’s found in verses 22-34, a repeat of what he had said in the Sermon on the Mount.
His answer this: “Don’t be anxious about your needs because your Heavenly Father will provide.
Now we’ve read it already, and we don’t have time this morning to read and review it verse-by-verse again.
But Jesus tells us to consider, to think hard about the fact that the bird of the air, the ravens and crows have plenty to eat without sowing, harvest or savings. God takes care of them on a daily basis. So in an argument from the lesser to the greater, if God so cares for the birds of their air, and you are more valuable, won’t He also care for you and your needs.
Likewise with the lilies of the field. Now, really think about this. Jesus says not even the rich man Solomon in all his glory clothed with the glory of the lilies of the field. And they grass of the field is here only for a moment and then is thrown into the furnace, and yet God provides for even the lilies of the field their wondrous clothing. Will He not do even moreso for you!
Now this hits me square between the eyes. I’m years beyond typical retirement age and working because I want to, not because I have to. But because of the difficult financial realities associated with our church through the years, I’ve not been paid a full-time salary for most of the last 10 or 15 years. Therefore, I’ve been unable to prepare for retirement as most retirement planners recommend. We have about only a fraction of what retirement experts recommend! And so, I’ve come to be concerned. (Of course, I can’t say I’ve been anxious. That would be sin. ) What do I do if I have to retire? If my body will no longer allow me to continue?
Well, Jesus has the answer right here. Continue to seek God’s kingdom, and God will provide. Verses 29-32: “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying”, Jim.
“For all these things the nations of the world (the unbelievers, the Gentiles) eagerly seek, but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek His kingdom and these things will be added to you. “
You know what Jesus is saying here: That our preoccupation as believers should be totally different from the world’s. The world is preoccupied with seeking things, seeking what they will eat or drink. Our preoccupation should be God’s kingdom and His righteousness. That’s what we’re supposed to seek.
And when we do seek His kingdom, what does Jesus promise? He promises that our needs, not necessarily our greeds, will be provided for. And more than that, Jesus also promises the riches of His kingdom will become ours, because God is more than eager to provide those things for us in eternity: In verse 32: Jesus tenderly tells us, “Do not be afraid , little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.
What a wonderful promise! You prioritize God’s business, and He’ll take care of your business, and your needs. And He will also give you the kingdom in eternity. God’s provision--that’s what we’ve experienced since coming here with nothing and starting a church. No matter how difficult things have been, no matter even if our salary disappeared, as it did at one time, God continue to provide for our needs. And we are still here!
So, then we still have this question that is not fully answered: How can we be rich toward God? Since worry and anxiety about whether God will provide for our needs is not an excuse for accumulating more and more, then what do we need to do if we want to be rich toward God?
Well, the answer is more than a little challenging for any of us here who have more than what we need—and that is probably most of us, and it is me. It’s this:
Sell some of what you have and give to be rich toward God and rich in the kingdom.
So here we come to a verse I just typically want to glaze over and pretend it’s not here. Because it contains this word, sell in addition to the word give.
You’ve got more than you can ever use. Then, verse 33 applies to, “Sell your possessions and give to charity, make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure there your heart will be also.”
Jesus is saying sell some of your investments in this world, which will inevitably come to nothing and invest through giving, in the world to come. As Miles mentioned last week, what if you invested in Google or Apple in the early years? Where would you be financially right now? Well, Jesus is giving us some investment advice. He’s saying at the moment you die, all your worldly stock is going to be worth nothing to you. But all you have invested through giving, will be yours eternally in the kingdom of God. And you cannot possibly lose that investment. Note that Jesus says, as you give, you will be making for yourselves, money belts, or pursues, which do not wear out, you’ll be earning goods in a place where thieves do not break in and steal and moths do not corrupt. This is a sure investment.
Now, I know, I want to make it so that this word “Sell” doesn’t apply to me. But I’ve done some soul searching, and I’ve got some stuff I’ll never use again they may be of some value to the Kingdom. A childhood coin collection that might not have been worth something 60 years ago, that simply takes up space in my closet. So I’m looking into seeing what I might be able to get for it.
And what about you? Do you have bigger barns and huge investments that you will likely never need? Invest in the Kingdom now, because that investment will come to nothing the moment God takes you to be with Him.
Even as Miles mentioned last week, the quote from Martyred Missionary Jim Elliot is incredibly relevant. “He is no fool who gives what He cannot keep to gain what He cannot lose.”
Another great quote from an incredible Christian philanthropist by the name of R. G. LeTourneau, goes like this: “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead?” How, through giving it for God’s purposes and God’s kingdom.
So, where are you invested? Fully in this life, or in the next. What steps will you take to ensure you have an inheritance in heaven that cannot be corrupted or lost? It may just take some selling and some giving. These are Jesus’ words, not mine.
So, you may wonder what happened to Leon, Jeanie’s dad. Well, he had been so committed to making a living, he failed to make life. He had lost his family through being a hard drinker who physically and verbally abused them. And he apparently did not listen to that great sermon Dr. Walvoord preached that Sunday. Because he never did make things right with his kids and the mother of his children, or for that matter, His God. And one day, in the year 2000, he came home from a day of pheasant hunting, had dinner, reclined in his recliner, went to sleep, and never woke up again in this life. Meanwhile, all his possessions were still gathering dust in his barns and shed, left for his wife to sell or distribute as she would.
Don’t ignore Jesus” message here this morning. Don’t go on heedlessly accumulating without being rich toward God. Beware of your own greed and be rich toward God by giving while you’re still living, so you can experience the full reward for all you’ve given for the Kingdom when God calls you home.
Let’s pray.
