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The parable of the rich fool

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  • The parable of the rich fool

    Summary: Luke 12:13-34, Someone asks Jesus “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” Jesus says he won't get involved and says beware of greed/covetousness, then tells the parable of the "Rich fool" who sees that he has enough to retire and then dies that night. The parable is then followed by 14 verses of Jesus' commentary.

    I've seen some people take away as the lesson that you shouldn't have too much savings (where the threshold is unspecified). Some people say you shouldn't save for the future, including retirement.
    Looking at commentaries, they list many ways the rich man was in the wrong, with varying degrees of support from the text (anxious, self-centered, ungenerous, didn't add "Lord willing" to his statement of his plans, didn't thank God, delaying gratification, overconfidence in his savings, only thinking of sensual appetite). I'm not sure any of these are very satisfying to me as being obviously what Jesus is saying here.

    If someone read just this passage of the NT, it seems the most straightforward takeaway would be that Jesus is saying that you should sell all your possessions, give it all to charity (v. 33), and don't even work for food and clothes (v. 27, 29), let alone save money, but trust that God will provide everything for you each day, like he provides for the lilies (v 27), or perhaps like God provided manna in the wilderness that lasted only one day, so you couldn't save any, but had to rely on God to provide your sustenance each day. So instead, you focus on seeking His kingdom, and treasure in heaven.

    But that understanding seems to conflict with some other teachings in the NT, like those who don't work don't eat. Or Paul talking about working (tent-making) so that he can provide his own way on his journeys, and doesn't live off the charity of the churches he forms/visits.

    Some other notes:
    Jesus prefaces the parable saying beware of greed/covetousness, and then tells the parable which is not about someone who is seeking more wealth, but about a man deciding he has enough, is going to stop seeking more wealth, and retire. So the warning seems aimed at those who have not yet reached that point, perhaps saying: if you save for something over time, you might die on the day you've finally reached your savings goal, and so don't get to enjoy the fruit of it. But then I'm not sure what the takeaway is. The possible consequences of not saving/planning are often worse, as pointed out e.g. in the Proverbs.

    "...for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions...[The parable is told.] ...So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
    So maybe the lesson is that you may save for the future, but don't put your ultimate trust in it. Don't think that benefiting from it is your ultimate goal, and make sure you still put God first? But then, again the following verses of commentary seem to say: don't plan for material things, sell your possessions and give it away.

    So how do you understand all this, putting it all together?
    What is the Rich man's folly in the parable? What should he have done differently?
    What does it mean to be "rich toward God" (v. 21)?

  • #2
    I think the folly was relying on his money and not on God. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't save and be prepared. There are plenty of parables about that too. Like the three talents. But if you forget about God and put all of your trust in money, then you will probably find out that your trust is misplaced and you end up being greedy to the point of not wanting to share or help others. But if you trust in God and want to do his work, you will freely share what you have with others who may be in need, knowing that God will take care of you.

    Life here on Earth is fleeting. If you trust in God and do as he says, then when it is all done, you will have treasure in heaven and everlasting life.

    I try to save what I can, but when I know someone needs help I am willing to help them, to lend or give them money, food, whatever they need. And because I have saved money, I have some extra of it to use for that purpose.

    Comment


    • #3
      Regarding Paul, keep in mind that some of the churches he was speaking to were people living in poverty, and would not have been able to help him very much, if at all. Paul, being able to make a living on his own while simultaneously helping them, was saying that he would not mooch off these people unnecessarily.
      Curiosity never hurt anyone. It was stupidity that killed the cat.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Sparko View Post
        I think the folly was relying on his money and not on God. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't save and be prepared.
        I like how one of the Christian Money Managers puts it: Live like Jesus could come today - plan like you'll live 100 years.
        The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Sparko View Post
          I think the folly was relying on his money and not on God. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't save and be prepared. There are plenty of parables about that too. Like the three talents. But if you forget about God and put all of your trust in money, then you will probably find out that your trust is misplaced and you end up being greedy to the point of not wanting to share or help others. But if you trust in God and want to do his work, you will freely share what you have with others who may be in need, knowing that God will take care of you.

          Life here on Earth is fleeting. If you trust in God and do as he says, then when it is all done, you will have treasure in heaven and everlasting life.

          I try to save what I can, but when I know someone needs help I am willing to help them, to lend or give them money, food, whatever they need. And because I have saved money, I have some extra of it to use for that purpose.
          That seems to fit. What about v. 33a “Sell your possessions and give to charity."?

          And Matt 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth". The verses about "treasure" is not so much about whether you possess material wealth, but whether you "treasure" it?



          Some other thoughts:
          Biblical warnings regarding the accumulation of wealth are interesting in that honest accumulation of wealth requires virtues. Not accumulating wealth doesn't require virtue. It's easy to not accumulate wealth. Perhaps most people spend all or more than they make. Accumulating wealth involves the self-control of restricting present consumption, and taking a long-term view. It takes some measure of competence, and some degree of fortitude in facing risk/uncertainty. It seems superior to being a spendthrift/prodigal.

          But perhaps that's why there's a danger there? Because of its element of good, a person could fail to aim even higher. Even the longest-term thinking regarding temporal wealth is short-term thinking compared to eternal good. Like C. S. Lewis wrote in "The Weight Of Glory",

          "If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
          https://thevalueofsparrows.com/2012/...-by-c-s-lewis/

          Comment


          • #6
            I read something by Dallas Willard once that poverty in itself could not be inherently good, because it would mean that transferring one's possessions to the poor imputed evil to the recipients. The same general principle could be applied to Luke 12:33. Jesus's teaching seems more hortatory than strictly literal, but that does not leave us wealthy Christians (and those of us with Internet access would qualify) off the hook.

            Even the famous example of the early church in Acts who had everything in common requires some qualification. It seems they didn't sell everything at once, but rather as a need arose (Acts 2:45). This implies holding onto one's possessions loosely, which I think perfectly matches the spirit of what Jesus taught in Luke 12.
            "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
              I read something by Dallas Willard once that poverty in itself could not be inherently good, because it would mean that transferring one's possessions to the poor imputed evil to the recipients. The same general principle could be applied to Luke 12:33. Jesus's teaching seems more hortatory than strictly literal, but that does not leave us wealthy Christians (and those of us with Internet access would qualify) off the hook.

              Even the famous example of the early church in Acts who had everything in common requires some qualification. It seems they didn't sell everything at once, but rather as a need arose (Acts 2:45). This implies holding onto one's possessions loosely, which I think perfectly matches the spirit of what Jesus taught in Luke 12.
              Yeah, I see the generosity in Acts often falsely used to justify communism, but it's clear that it was an ongoing "as the need arose" kind of thing, and it's also clear that at least some notable Christians still possessed houses or land subsequently. Paul, for example, benefits from the wealth and generosity of Lydia, and doesn't appear to chastise her about her financial situation.
              The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Joel View Post
                That seems to fit. What about v. 33a “Sell your possessions and give to charity."?

                And Matt 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth". The verses about "treasure" is not so much about whether you possess material wealth, but whether you "treasure" it?
                I think that is talking about more than money, but about what you value. If you value this world more than you do God's kingdom then your priorities are messed up. This world is temporary and will pass away. What you do for the kingdom is eternal and will last forever.


                Some other thoughts:
                Biblical warnings regarding the accumulation of wealth are interesting in that honest accumulation of wealth requires virtues. Not accumulating wealth doesn't require virtue. It's easy to not accumulate wealth. Perhaps most people spend all or more than they make. Accumulating wealth involves the self-control of restricting present consumption, and taking a long-term view. It takes some measure of competence, and some degree of fortitude in facing risk/uncertainty. It seems superior to being a spendthrift/prodigal.
                I think that was the lesson of the three talents.

                But perhaps that's why there's a danger there? Because of its element of good, a person could fail to aim even higher. Even the longest-term thinking regarding temporal wealth is short-term thinking compared to eternal good. Like C. S. Lewis wrote in "The Weight Of Glory",

                "If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."
                https://thevalueofsparrows.com/2012/...-by-c-s-lewis/
                Amen.

                Comment


                • #9
                  And Abraham in the OT was very rich. As was David, Solomon, etc.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Another clue that we shouldn't take this completely literally and sell everything is Luke 16:9, where Jesus says to use worldly wealth to make friends for yourself.
                    "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
                      I read something by Dallas Willard once that poverty in itself could not be inherently good, because it would mean that transferring one's possessions to the poor imputed evil to the recipients. The same general principle could be applied to Luke 12:33. Jesus's teaching seems more hortatory than strictly literal, but that does not leave us wealthy Christians (and those of us with Internet access would qualify) off the hook.

                      Even the famous example of the early church in Acts who had everything in common requires some qualification. It seems they didn't sell everything at once, but rather as a need arose (Acts 2:45). This implies holding onto one's possessions loosely, which I think perfectly matches the spirit of what Jesus taught in Luke 12.
                      In his Neither Poverty Nor Riches Craig Blomberg concluded that Acts 2 wasn't a situation of selling all one's goods at once but rather a periodic selling of property (noting the phrase "from time to time" used by the NIV translation in Acts 4:34) as individual need arose.

                      This was not a one-time divestiture of all one’s possessions. The theme 'according to need,' reappears, too. Interestingly, what does not appear in this paragraph is any statement of complete equality among believers. Presumably, there was quite a spectrum, ranging from those who still held property not sold (cf. the reference to the home of John Mark in Acts 12:12) all the way to those who were still living at a very basic level.33 But the church was committed to taking the principle of Deuteronomy 15:4 very seriously: 'there should be no poor among you' (F. Martin 1972: 46).

                      I'm always still in trouble again

                      "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
                      "Overall I would rate the withdrawal from Afghanistan as by far the best thing Biden's done" --Starlight
                      "Of course, human life begins at fertilization that’s not the argument." --Tassman

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        で~え。Just another instance of pan/pasa/pas (all) and holos (the whole) not being confluent with the dictionary definition of "all". These people who sold all they had still somehow managed to have their own houses, where they were able to host meetings. pan/pasa/pas should be viewed on many occasions as hyperbolic.
                        1Cor 15:34 Come to your senses as you ought and stop sinning; for I say to your shame, there are some who know not God.
                        .
                        ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛
                        Scripture before Tradition:
                        but that won't prevent others from
                        taking it upon themselves to deprive you
                        of the right to call yourself Christian.

                        ⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛⊛

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
                          Another clue that we shouldn't take this completely literally and sell everything is Luke 16:9, where Jesus says to use worldly wealth to make friends for yourself.
                          And another is the oft misquoted "For the love of money is the root of all evil..." (usually I hear people leaving off the "the love of")
                          The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                            In his Neither Poverty Nor Riches Craig Blomberg concluded that Acts 2 wasn't a situation of selling all one's goods at once but rather a periodic selling of property (noting the phrase "from time to time" used by the NIV translation in Acts 4:34) as individual need arose.

                            This was not a one-time divestiture of all one’s possessions. The theme 'according to need,' reappears, too. Interestingly, what does not appear in this paragraph is any statement of complete equality among believers. Presumably, there was quite a spectrum, ranging from those who still held property not sold (cf. the reference to the home of John Mark in Acts 12:12) all the way to those who were still living at a very basic level.33 But the church was committed to taking the principle of Deuteronomy 15:4 very seriously: 'there should be no poor among you' (F. Martin 1972: 46).
                            That book is exactly where I got that idea.
                            "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              The rich young fool was considered a fool not because he was planning for the future but because he placed his entire hope in earthly treasures that would be useless to him after he died. Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:14 suggests that parents should save up their money so as not to be a burden to their children, so obviously things like putting together a retirement nest egg so you can live comfortably later in life is not contrary to scripture. It's not money that is the root of all kinds of evil, but the love of money.
                              Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
                              But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
                              Than a fool in the eyes of God


                              From "Fools Gold" by Petra

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