Luke 12 "Rich fool"

Luke 12:13-21 The Parable of the rich fool
John Grisham’s novel “The Testament” opens with the dying words of a rich man who will soon be parted with all of his money. Here are his last thoughts on earth.
“ Day, even the last hour now, I am an old man, lonely and unloved, sick and hurting and tired of living. I am ready for the hereafter, it has to be better than this….my assets exceed eleven billion dollars. I own silver in Nevada, copper in Montana, and coffee in Kenya, coal in Angola and rubber in Malaysia and natural gas in Texas, crude oil in Indonesia and steel in China. My companies own companies, and the money I have is the root of my misery. I had three families, three ex wives, who bore seven children, six of whom are still alive and doing whatever they can to torment me. I am estranged from all the children and the woman, they are gathering here today because it is time to gather the money. “
The dead will leave it all behind and the living will divide whatever is left.
V 13-
It was common for a Rabbi to settle disputes such as this in the 1st century. Jesus, especially in the Lukan account, is seeking and saving the lost, his intention was to teach about the kingdom of heaven, not to settle petty disputes.
Jesus was keen to the statement and realized the man was not only concerned with earthly possession but he didn’t want a fair split, he wanted a split in his favor.
Lets look at the importance of the context of the passage.
Jesus was teaching on spiritual truths in the prior verses, standing firm before men in the Holy Spirit. He is interrupted and needs to come back down to address this mans selfishness and concern for earthly wealth.
V14-
One day this man would stand in judgment before Christ, but that day had not come yet. Israel had a legal system, Christ was interested in the lost and their redemption.
Jesus gives the man not what he wanted but what he needed. Jesus often took conversation or and turn it into a teaching opportunity.
V 15-
The rich want to get richer and the poor want what the rich have. The word here for coveting has to do with excess. The attitude is wanting beyond what we need.
The scriptures teach us that “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income. Ecclesiastes 5:10
Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, allowed money and the love of idols to ruin his life.
It is hard to get gas these days without someone in front of us buying a lottery ticket or going to the bank without someone asking the teller jokingly for more money. Jesus did not give the man his inheritance because it did not satisfy his real need. He is teaching the man contentment. The original word here has to do with abundance, having so much that there is stuff lying around.
Growing up in south Florida and going to college near Palm Beach island I’ve had the opportunity to be in million dollar mansions and yachts. I’ve been at million dollar weddings and parties in million dollar hotels and one thing you always notice is excess. Elaborate furniture, marble floors, catered food scraped into the garbage cans. For what?
T.W Manson comments on this observation. “It is certainly true that a certain minimum of material goods is necessary for life; it is not true that abundance of material goods means greater abundance in life. “
Jesus teaches one thing and the world lies about another. The world teaches that life “does” exist in the abundance of ones possessions.
16-17 The Nature of the Man in the parable
The man had a few dilemmas.
1. Poor spiritual condition- his abundance was not a result of God s gifts but a result of what he did. Taking matters into his own hands he quotes “What shall I do”? In the original language there are 54 words, 18 are my, me and I. He was in love with himself. He not only talked to himself questions, he answered them to himself.
2. He was anxious. What shall I do?
3. The man expected to live on indefinitely.
V 18-19 “I have goods stored up for many years. His money and barns had become his all, his life, his security. He could eat, drink and be merry or so he thought.
In 17 the man notices his dilemma
In 18 the man develops his own solution
And in 19 he charts out the future for many years
2. The foolishness of the Man
v 20
2 Ironies here
1. The loan is due. The loan of his mortal existence is now due
2. The man’s love for himself is overrun by the voice of God. The man had not given one thought to God, to bad, he is not God and this night he would die.
Your idea and attitude towards God does not change who he is. It is not often that God calls people fools but in this case he echos Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart there is no God. The rich man was a fool and a God denier. He assumed he would take care of himself.
The foolishness
The things you have prepared, whose will they be?
There are no pockets in a burial shroud.
King Tut ‘s Tomb 3300 years ago (18th dynasty)
-Furniture and Boxes, Golden boxes, ornaments and jewelry’s, sculptures, statues, containers, a golden headdress and a golden casket.
Chinese Emperor- Qin Shi Huang Chinas first emperor
Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits. Many archeologists believe that there are many pits still waiting to be discovered.
Lastly, he was a fool because he did not know God.
V 21
3. Wealth is found in Christ
The issue regarding money is the hearts motivation to do Godly things with it. The loyalty is either to self or to God. When we are God, the center of the universe, we hoard all things to ourselves. When God is God, we give all thing to him. The money is invested not in self, but in the kingdom and the gospel.
Don’t be a Fool but be rich towards God
God has not only provided us with gifts of this world, food, clothing etc but also the gift of Christ and his saving grace. The forgiveness of sins, the freedom of guilt and eternal life Though he was rich he became poor for us, poor even to the cross.
You would be a fool not to give all that you are and everything that you have.
We began this sermon with an old man surrounded by vultures in his family to divide his money. In the book the Testament, the inheritance is owed to an illegitimate daughter no one has ever known. She turns out to be a missionary to people in Brazil. When she is found by a lawyer, she refuses the inheritance.
She tells the lawyer who is amazed that “you worship money, you come from a culture that worships money, it is a religion.” The book turns out that she must take the money so she puts the money into a fund to help the poor in Brazil.
Do not be anxious