Introduction
A number of parables in Luke’s Gospel bear the “exclusive” tag, and this series will focus on some of them. We will keep in mind that every parable has a major lesson, and that sometimes it is hardly legitimate to make a point from every little detail! However, there could be surface lessons to be gleaned from the specifics of the story. Let me illustrate. Every evangelist sees in the parable of the Good Samaritan an allegory of gospel truth although the key point is, “Go, and do thou likewise” (Luk 10:37).1 The attitude of the unjust judge could never reflect God’s; the lesson is that we ought to be like the widow and keep praying (18:1). Unlike the parable of the Samaritan, the ancillary features of this story defy application! Our aim, then, is to be careful to note the interpretation of the parables, but also to highlight obvious practical lessons.
Background
Some of the parables that are unique to Luke center on food or finance or both. One such is the story of the rich fool (12:13-21). A discourteous hearer had interrupted the Lord’s teaching by saying, “Master, speak to my brother.” He was disgruntled about the distribution of his father’s estate. But the Lord knew that covetousness was embedded in that appeal for fair play, hence His warning, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness,” with the assertion that there is more to life than accumulating possessions. The story demonstrates the folly of an acquisitive attitude akin to that of the four things in Proverbs that can never say, “It is enough” (30:13-16). We could suddenly be called away from our elaborate gadgetry and must-have items. Indeed, the Rapture will see us all bidding adieu to what we have accumulated. Just as the worth of material things diminished with the approach of the Year of Jubilee (Lev 25:13-18), so the proximity of the Savior’s coming knocks value off everything we possess.
His Prosperity
“The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully” (v16).
His prosperity was dependent on the gracious provision of God, who “did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons” (Act 14:17), but it can be said of this man that “God [was] not in all his thoughts” (Psa 10:4). There is the danger that with increased prosperity, dependence on God and commitment to Him will fade, and hence the warning of Deuteronomy 8:11 to comfortable, well-endowed people, “Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God.” Haggai uses gripping imagery to indicate that God can “blow” on a farmer’s already meager harvest (1:9) or create holes in bags for wage earners (1:6). There are consequences for those who ignore God’s interests in their lives. In the case of the rich farmer, the consequences were dramatic!
His Problem
“What shall I do?” (v17).
This was a soliloquy; he was thinking out loud rather than spreading his quandary before God. Had he done so, he may have had guidance such as was tendered by the Lord Jesus, “Distribute unto the poor” (Luk 18:22). They are still with us (the poor), and likely the majority of them reside in what we euphemistically call “developing nations.” In the western world, assembly agencies exist to get funds to them, right to the point of need. We dare not use the fact that the need is remote to smother our compassion and excuse our tightfistedness.
Nearer home, is there no one in your assembly who would benefit from an anonymous envelope in the collection box? What shall I do? There is endless potential for being “rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate” (1Ti 6:18). You will never be the loser. The fool was concerned about barns; the promise to those who honor the Lord with their substance is, “So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine” (Pro 3:10). We sing Christopher Wordsworth’s challenging hymn,
We lose what on ourselves we spend;
We have as treasure without end
Whatever, Lord, to Thee we lend,
Who givest all.
His Plans
“This will I do” (v18).
His blueprint for the future was drawn up, but there was no thought of “if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (Jas 4:15). His intentions were basically selfish, with God excluded. If you are at a crossroads and are making life choices that affect “the rest of your time” (1Pe 4:2 RV), be on guard lest your ambitions for the future relate only to education and employment, with the things of God having a lower profile. When the Babylonians were at the gate, Jeremiah counseled his friend Baruch, “Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not” (Jer 45:5). What was the point when destruction was pending? Similarly for the believer, “the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1Jn 2:17).
The fool’s strategy can be summarized as he anticipated the path ahead. First, he thought of expansion – demolishing inadequate barns and building greater. Does everything have to be bigger and better? Then he craved financial security – to store his goods rather than lend to the Lord by taking pity on the poor (Pro 19:17). The Lord forbade it, calling it laying up treasure upon earth (Mat 6:19). To hoard resources is to question the faithfulness of God. He dreamed of leisure allied with pleasure – “take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” Leisure and travel industries boom and who would deny a believer a vacation? The danger lies in becoming obsessed with these things, making it impossible to take responsibility for any work in the assembly that demands personal commitment and consistent attendance.
His Passing
“But God said …” (v20).
He died relatively young, after anticipating “many years” of life ahead. It does happen, and hence the need for us to use the best years of our lives for God. He died suddenly – “this night.” Again, I say, it does happen. For the believer, the unexpected promotion to glory is wonderful, but it means a sudden conclusion to reward-earning service; only service “done in the body” (2Co 5:10 RV) will be rewarded. He died intestate, leaving behind everything for which he had labored; relatives were left to squabble over his estate. It is wise to make a will rather than risking legal wrangling after you are gone!
Allow the Savior’s challenge to reinforce the teaching of the parable. Do we lay up treasure for ourselves or are we rich towards God (v21)?
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV unless otherwise noted.
