The Rich Fool

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool from Luke 12: 16-21

“And He (Jesus) spoke a parable unto them, saying, the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentiful” (v16).

The Lord Jesus taught by parables many times in His earthly ministry. The Parable of the Rich Fool was one of these. Parables are fictional stories that convey a spiritual lesson. This rich man had been blessed by the Lord and his harvest had been plentiful.

“And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do because I have no room where to bestow (store) my fruits” (v17).

His first “thought” should have been to thank the Lord for the abundant blessing. The rich man had his eye on the blessing instead of the Lord Who had richly blessed him. He gave no thought to using a portion of his abundance for the Kingdom of God but looked to store everything up for himself.

“And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater, and there will bestow (store) all my fruits and my goods” (v18).

His thoughts were only of himself and he was not thankful to the Lord for all he had. The Lord wants to bless us and there is nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings of the Lord, but the rich man gave no thought to thanking the Lord nor blessing the work of God with his abundance. The rich man was ungrateful and gave no thought to the Lord.

“And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry” (v19).

He had an abundant provision for his flesh, but his soul was barren. He had given no thought to the things of God as evidenced by his desires “eat, drink, and be merry.” Many in the world today enjoy an abundance of material things but give no thought to the Lord. Not realizing or acknowledging the blessings of the Lord is a dangerous position to be in. The Bible says “All good gifts come from above.”

“But God said unto him, you fool, this night your soul shall be required of you: then whose shall those be, which you have provided” (v20).

Strong words from the Lord, “You fool.” Our soul is our most valuable possession. Pity the individual who accepts the blessings of the Lord but ends up in Hell for eternity because those blessings did not point him to the Lord and his need for the spiritual blessings that only the Lord can provide.

“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God” (v21).

A lesson for all for sure. Temporal blessings will not last but to know the Lord and His ways will bring eternal blessings. We can be rich toward God by acknowledging our need. He displayed His mercy and grace for all to see at the cross. The Lord calls out to us with the following words:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3).

It is a fool indeed who is ungrateful towards the Lord for their temporal blessings and ignores the eternal. We’ll close with the words of the missionary Jim Eliot who was martyred attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador. He said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” The Lord wants us to enjoy the blessings He provides, but we always must keep eternity in sight and be grateful for the Lord’s mercy and grace which will bring us into His very presence for eternity. The following verses say it clearly:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal“ (Matthew 6:19).

We are to enjoy what the Lord blesses us with realizing that they are only temporal blessings and pale in comparison with the treasures awaiting us in Heaven).”

“But lay up treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt 6:20-21).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2022