The Parable Of The Rich Fool: American Consumerism Vs. God-Centered Security Series

"From the standpoint of material wealth, Americans have difficulty realizing how rich we are. Going through a little mental exercise suggested by Robert Heilbroner can help us to count our blessings, however. Imagine doing the following, and you will see how daily life is for as many as a billion people in the world.

1. Take out all the furniture in your home except for one table and a couple of chairs. Use blanket and pads for beds.

2. Take away all of your clothing except for your oldest dress or suit, shirt or blouse. Leave only one pair of shoes.

3. Empty the pantry and the refrigerator except for a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a few potatoes, some onions, and a dish of dried beans.

4. Dismantle the bathroom, shut off the running water, and remove all the electrical wiring in your house.

5. Take away the house itself and move the family into the tool shed.

6. Place your "house' in a shantytown.

7. Cancel all subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, and book clubs. This is no great loss because now none of you can read anyway.

8. Leave only one radio for the whole shantytown.

9. Move the nearest hospital or clinic ten miles away and put a midwife in charge instead of a doctor.

10. Throw away your bankbooks, stock certificates, pension plans, and insurance policies. Leave the family a cash hoard of ten dollars.

11. Give the head of the family a few acres to cultivate on which he can raise a few hundred dollars of cash crops, of which one third will go to the landlord and one tenth to the money lenders.

12. Lop off twenty-five or more years in life expectancy.

By comparison how rich we are! And with our wealth comes responsibility to use it wisely, not to be wasteful, and to help others. Think on these things."

-Steve Williams

Sometimes we can forget in the United States just how wealthy we are. When we read the scriptures, we find many references to wealth, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the danger of trusting in wealth before we trust in God.

So we must always remind ourselves, we’ve been entrusted with much wealth, every one of us here, and we’re called to use it wisely.

Wealth can be very deceitful.

Do you recall the account of the rich young ruler? He came to Jesus wanting to know how to receive salvation. And Jesus called him out about his wealth, he said give it to the poor and come follow me. But the young man loved his wealth so much he became sad and left. When we read about this rich man, we often think, well I can’t relate, I’m not that rich. But consider this prayer, A prayer written in Philip Yancey and Paul Brand’s book Fearfully and Wonderfully Made:

"Dear Lord,

I have been re-reading the record of the Rich Young Ruler and his obviously wrong choice. But it has set me thinking. No matter how much wealth he had, he could not-- ride in a car, have any surgery, turn on a light, buy penicillin, hear a pipe organ, watch TV, wash dishes in running water, type a letter, mow a lawn, fly in an airplane, sleep on an innerspring mattress, or talk on the phone,

If he was rich, then what am I?"

-P. Brand, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, p. 61.

Each of us today are in at least some ways as wealthy as the rich young ruler.

And this brings us to our parable today, from Luke chapter 12.

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 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.”

Have you ever seen or been part of a nasty dispute of an inheritance? Why does it often get so ugly after a parent dies? The kids fight over the possessions. The family will sometimes break apart and no longer communicate like they used to. It’s amazing how important the parents are to holding a family together.

In this situation a man came to Jesus. He’s standing a few feet from the living God on Earth. He’s got the opportunity to ask any question, he could ask, Lord what is the meaning of life? God, what is your purpose for my life? What is the plan of salvation? What is heaven like? What will the end times be like?

Instead, he brings up a petty dispute about money.

Jesus rebukes him wisely, and says, I’ve not been appointed a judge in this case. Secondly, be on guard.