THIN SPACE
This week in Prayer Hour, we’re going to be checking out the Parables of Jesus – the stories Jesus told about life in his Kingdom.
Today: The Parable of the Rich Fool
Luke 12:13-21
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
The Message
We find Jesus in Luke 12 preaching to what would have been thousands gathered and as he speaks, he’s interrupted by a man seeking a selfish request. This is a fantastic example of Jesus knowing the heart of a person – He knew what the man needed better than what this man thought he needed. He needed a change of heart. So, Jesus gave him and us this rich parable on the rich fool.
Jesus’ aim through this parable was to warn of covetousness - the destruction it can bring to your life, and how it can lead to other sins in your life.
We’ll be looking at 4 different reasons the man of the parable was tagged a fool:
Because he thought only of himself.
Because he only thought of the present pleasure and the pursuit of pleasure.
Because he forgot about the gravity of life.
Because he forgot about his own mortality.
Don’t forget about God! Whether it be in times of plenty or times of need, don’t be a fool. Remember God in whatever circumstance, be rich toward God. We need to say “Here God! Here is my time, my talents, my treasures.”
Life is precious, let’s place it into God’s hands in all aspects.