The parable of the rich fool

[Joel]

not about someone who is seeking more wealth, but about a man deciding he has enough, is going to stop

[Sparko]

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.

[QuantaFille]

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.

[Cow Poke]

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.

[Joel]

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.

"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/

[KingsGambit]

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.

[Cow Poke]

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.

[Sparko]

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.

[Sparko]

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

[KingsGambit]

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.

[rogue06]

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.

[tabibito]

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.

[Cow Poke]

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")

[KingsGambit]

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.

That book is exactly where I got that idea.

[Mountain Man]

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.