10/19/2016 STORAGE PROBLEMS
Luke 12:13-20 Then someone called from the crowd, “Sir, please tell my brother to divide my father’s estate with me.” But JESUS relied, “Man, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that? Beware! Don’t always be wishing for what you don’t have. For real life and real living are not related to how rich you are.” Then HE gave an illustration: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact, his barns were full to overflowing---he couldn’t get everything in. He thought about his problem, and finally exclaimed, ‘I know---I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones! Then I’ll have room enough. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “Friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Wine, women, and song for you!” ’ But GOD said to him, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. Then who will get it all?’ “Yes, every man [person] is a fool who gets rich on earth but not in heaven.” [Living Bible translation]
Summary
JESUS spoke and taught in parables. HE used simple stories to illustrate spiritual or moral lessons.
The story which JESUS tells in Luke 12:13-20 is called “The Parable of the Rich Fool.” The Bible has a lot to say about fools:
- Fools act like GOD does not exist. Psalms 14:1 states: “The fool says in his [or her] heart, “There is no GOD.”
- Fools are loud, undisciplined and are talk as if they “know it all.” Proverbs 9:13 states “A foolish woman [or man] is loud, she [or he] is undisciplined and without knowledge.” Ecclesiastes 10:12-13 states: “The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.”
- Fools are prideful. Proverbs 14:3 states “In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride…”
- Fools don’t listen and reject wise advice. Proverbs 23:9 states “Do not speak to a fool, for he [or she] will scorn the wisdom of your words.”
In the parable a rich man, who instead of feeling thankful for the abundant blessings and bountiful harvest that GOD had given him, looked at his situation and saw “a problem.” Neither grateful nor feeling blessed, the man had a “hoarding problem” or a “storage problem.” He couldn’t fit what he saw as “all of his stuff” into “his barn.” Rather than take “all of his problems to GOD, he rejected the wisdom of GOD and turned to “his own understanding.” He had a “me, myself and I” conversation about what “he would do” and how “he would live.”
Without any consideration for GOD or anyone else (e.g. his neighbors, the poor or other who might be in need of food), without any thought of tithing to the church or helping anyone else, without any consideration for family or GOD’s teachings, the man decided to plan within himself. So, he said to himself:
1. I will tear down my barns.
2. I will build bigger barns for myself.
3. When I am finished, I will sit back, stare at what I have done, pat myself on the back and just relax because I have enough to take care of myself for years to come.
4. I will just party---wine, women and whatever----forever
The man thought he had a storage problem, but what he really had was a “foolishness” problem. He acted as if GOD did not exist. He talked as if he knew it all. He was prideful, self-centered, selfish and was rejecting the wisdom of GOD, by not even consulting GOD.
That night “the fool” died with no plans for eternal life. He had “stored” nothing for eternity. All of his preparation had been for his earthly life.