Becoming Rich In The Eyes Of The Lord
Preaching
The Parables Of Jesus
Applications For Contemporary Life
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."
Theme
The Synoptic evangelists report that after his baptism, Jesus went to the desert where he was tempted by Satan. In contemporary language the three tests given by Satan to the Lord were temptations to power, wealth, and prestige. Today's world places much emphasis and great significance on the accumulation of material possessions, but society generally forgets about becoming rich in the eyes of God. Since all is gift, with God as its source, attachment to the things of the world is problematic; we lose our desire for the one thing we need, our relationship with God. Our goal must be to share and by such action grow wealthy in the eyes of the Lord.
Spiritual Food For The Journey
When I was a boy Sunday evenings at home were celebrated as a weekly ritual. Generally the main meal of the day was at 1 or 2 p.m. We might play a game, watch a sporting event on television, read, or enjoy some other leisure activity (sometimes maybe I did some homework) the rest of the afternoon. Then at 6 p.m. the family gathered in the living room around the television and we all watched The Twentieth Century, hosted by the famed news reporter Walter Cronkite. At the end of the show my dad would sit back in his easy chair and exclaim, "The weekend is over. Tomorrow it is back to the salt mines." My father's comment was poignant in many ways. His words expressed his frustration at work, referring to his 8 to 5 job as the "salt mines." Yet, in another context his weekly comment said something about his commitment to work, family, and God. It was not easy to rise early each day, commute on the Los Angeles freeway system, and get paid relatively little for his eight hours of labor, but he did it because he was committed to his wife, to my sisters and me, and whether he realized it or not, to God.
This scene, etched in my childhood memory, is repeated time and again in various households. The dedication of my father and the right ordering of priorities he demonstrated is found in many places, but the pressures of contemporary society present a major obstacle to the continuance of this scene in the future. Too often we hear stories or experience personally the insensitivity, greed, and covetousness of others. We often participate in these vices, often unknowingly, by the attitude we take toward the things of the world. When we think principally of ourselves, caring little for others, their needs or problems, we demonstrate a common human weakness today, one that can be accurately described as being poor. This is not material poverty; these people are poor because they have forgotten about God. They have stored many things for themselves, both material goods and the direction of their effort, expertise, and time, but they have failed to realize that since all comes from God and is, therefore, gift, all must be rendered back to God in some way. The environment of contemporary life is like a trap which snares the unsuspecting animal. We must be wary, therefore, and take precautions so as not to be caught, proverbially hauled away, and lose the opportunity for salvation.
Like the rich man in the parable, we at times fall into many of the same follies which he encountered. Some of us are preoccupied with possessions. We store up things and gain an abundance. The only thing that stops us from this quest is the voice of God, heard from others, our conscience, or events that interrupt our pattern and place us back on the correct path. There are people who find security in self-sufficiency. They believe they do not need others, not even the security and love of family and friends. Such people have no place for God in their lives. Still others are plagued with the disease of greed, the moral antithesis of generosity. We often forget our responsibility to use our abundance for the welfare of those less fortunate. Greed eats away at the compassion we may have had at one time. Most of us at different times practice the hedonism of the rich fool. We think only to eat, drink, and be merry and forget that such leisure is gift and not something to be abused.
The theologian Peter Rhea Jones uses the provocative term "practical atheism" to explain the rich man's approach to his life. The fool may have said that he always believed in God, but when it came to living his life, dealing with possessions, and planning the future, he lived as if there were no God. We need to ask ourselves what difference our faith in God makes in the practical matters of life. Is the faith we possess a reasonable facsimile of what it should be, a charade that we have mastered over the years so that few can read us clearly? Faith must be practiced and its manifestations clearly evident to all. Let us not be guilty of practical atheism, but rather, let us act on our faith and not succumb to the temptations to join the common bandwagon that exults self while neglecting others and God. Our best efforts will be necessary to overcome the world and live for God and in the presence of God.
Application Of The Parable To Contemporary Life
Sermon Openings
1. Alfred Nobel, the famous Swedish scientist and in his day one of the richest men in the world, was born in 1833 to a scientist and his wife. From his earliest days it was evident to everyone that Alfred was a gifted young man. He read voraciously all the books and periodicals he could find; he excelled in literature. By the time he was fifteen years old he could read, write, and speak four languages besides his native Swedish. Although he showed promise in the humanities area, it was his love of science and his desire to be an inventor, like his father, that most excited him.
When Nobel was sixteen he had exhausted the educational possibilities of his native district in Sweden. He decided to move away for more training. He first went to Paris and then across the Atlantic to the United States where he spent four years studying science and engineering principles, ideas that had become that much more important after the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
With his education complete, Nobel returned to his native land. He began to tinker around in his laboratory, creating an invention or two, but nothing of any significance. In the 1860s, however, he began to conduct experiments with nitroglycerin, a highly volatile and unstable substance. One experiment produced an explosion and Alfred's younger brother was killed. The experience crushed Nobel in one way, but in another it was the catalyst to find a way to harness the energy of this substance and make it of practical use to the world.
Nobel discovered a functional use of nitroglycerin, but it came about quite accidentally. One day in his workshop, he noticed that some of the nitroglycerin, which is a liquid at room temperature, had leeched into some packing material which surrounded the many bottles of chemicals sent him for his various experiments. Nobel found that this third substance, made from the initial two, had all the energy capacity and blasting potential of nitroglycerin, but it was stable and thus could be better controlled. Without knowing it, Alfred Nobel had invented dynamite.
The uses of dynamite throughout the world made Nobel a rich and famous man overnight. Mountains could be blasted away to make room for railroads. Of equal use, however, was the placement of dynamite in bombs, projectiles, and other weapons of war. With patents received in 1867 and 1868, first in the United States and later in Great Britain, for dynamite and blasting caps, Nobel gained great notoriety. With the discovery of oil on land he owned in the state of Russia, Nobel became one of the richest men in the world. He could sit back, relax, and enjoy life.
Alfred's serenity came to an abrupt halt one day when he picked up the morning newspaper. The headline read, "Dynamite King Dies." The story and obituary in the paper were erroneous; he was alive and well. Nobel decided to read the article, however, in order to know what people would think of him after his death. Besides all the normal facts and dates of an obituary, Nobel read a description which labeled him as the "merchant of death." The expression disturbed the scientist greatly. Certainly the comment came in reference to his association with dynamite, but this did not lighten the blow. Nobel realized at that moment that he had abused the gifts he had been given; he had forgotten about others and God.
Something needed to be done to correct this attitude. The past was history; its record was etched in stone. The future was something, however, over which Nobel had some control. Alfred was a rich man. How could his money be put to a positive use? He decided to change his will. He left his vast fortune in trust to a committee which each year would select people who, in theory and practice, had made positive contributions to the furthering of humankind. Thus, in 1901, five years after his death, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded, initially in five areas: physics, chemistry, literature, medicine, and the coveted Nobel Peace Prize. Later, in 1968 and thereafter, a prize in economics was added.
Alfred Nobel had experienced conversion. God had been challenging him in many ways, but he never took the time, nor realized the significance of God's presence. He was determined not to allow the presence of God to pass him by again!
2. Once upon a time there was a beautiful garden that was owned by an ugly and unfriendly Giant. This was truly a lovely spot -- the flowers bloomed in abundance, the peach trees always seemed to have their springtime blossoms, and the birds sang sweetly in the trees. Each day after school children came and played in the Giant's garden.
One day the Giant, who had been away visiting his friend the Cornish Ogre for seven years, returned to his home and garden. He grew angry when he observed the children playing in his garden. "This is my garden," he shouted. The children ran in fear. Immediately the Giant hung a sign which read, "Trespassers will be prosecuted!" and then hurriedly built a wall around his garden. Now the children had no place to play. They tried to play in the street but they found it was too dangerous. The Giant was selfish; he was not open to the beauty the children brought.
Meanwhile spring came to the land, but not to the Giant's garden. The birds did not come to sing and the trees refused to blossom. One flower popped its head above the earth, but when it read the sign and observed no children in the garden it slipped back beneath the ground. The snow and frost were the only ones who were happy about this situation. "Spring has forgotten this place!" they exclaimed. The snow covered the ground and the frost painted the trees silver. The Giant could not understand why spring had not come to his garden; he was confused. The spring came and went in the land, but not in the Giant's garden. Summer passed and autumn came, but the garden remained in winter.
One day the Giant awoke to the sweet song of a bird. He looked out the window and beheld a beautiful sight. Children had crawled through a small opening in the garden wall and were playing. The trees were in their autumn glory, the flowers were in bloom, and the birds were flying gaily around the garden as they sang. There was one small corner of the garden which was shrouded in winter. In the corner a little boy was trying to climb a tree but he was unable due to his small stature. The Giant bounded down the steps and ran into the garden. The children were initially afraid, but the Giant had a smile on his face. He walked across the garden to the little boy, picked him up, and placed him on the branch of a tree. Instantly the tree blossomed and birds sang in its branches. The child was overjoyed and hugged and kissed the Giant. "I have been so selfish," the Giant said. "Now I know why spring never came to my garden."
From that time forward the children played each day in the garden. The Giant loved all the children, but especially the little boy, because the child had kissed him. But although the children came daily, the little boy did not return. Over many years the Giant grew old and feeble, but the little boy never returned to the garden. One spring day the Giant awoke and looked out his window. There was the little boy. He hurried downstairs as fast as he was able and walked to the boy who stood in the garden. But when the Giant came close to the boy he grew angry. The boy's palms were red with nail marks in them, and so too were his feet. "Who has done this?" asked the Giant. "I will slay him." "No," said the boy, "these are wounds of love." "Who are you?" asked the Giant. The child only responded, "Years ago you allowed me to play in your garden. Today I will take you to my garden in paradise." That afternoon when the children came to play in the garden they found the Giant lying dead all covered with white blossoms.
Oscar Wilde's story, "The Selfish Giant," speaks of one who learned that a selfish attitude toward the things of the world keeps the joy and the love of God at bay. Today the parable of the rich fool presents us with a very similar message.
Points Of Challenge And Questions To Ponder
1. Are we envious of what other people possess? Do we feel unfulfilled or dissatisfied when we observe someone with something we want but do not possess? Can we not be satisfied with the sufficiency we have and not concentrate on the abundance we perceive we need?
2. Do we discriminate against people who have many possessions? Do we make the assumption that these people are "bad" or "wrong" and give them no hearing? Is it the fact that people have things or their attachment to them that is troublesome for us?
3. Do we participate in the sin of covetousness? If we are privileged to have an abundance, to whom does the benefit from these things go, ourselves or others? What do we do with our excess? Who benefits from our fortune?
4. How do we react when the temptation to wealth comes our way? What opportunities to serve others and become rich in the eyes of God have we passed up in order to make ourselves wealthy in the eyes of the world?
5. How do we set our priorities between the world and God? When time does not permit our attention to both realms which one wins out? Do we demonstrate good judgment and wisdom with such decisions or are we the rich fool who forgets God and loses all?
Exegesis And Explanation Of The Parable
In chapter 12 of Luke's Gospel Jesus warns his followers about the pervasive attitude of the Pharisees. In verses 1-11 he speaks of their hypocrisy; verses 11-34 warn listeners of their covetousness. This latter section, which finds its inner unity through the subject of material goods, broaches three subjects: covetousness (vv. 13-21), anxiety (vv. 22-32), and a call to simplicity (vv. 33-34). Jesus drives home the message that people must forsake security in material possessions and look instead to God for their safety and sustenance. The accumulation of the goods of this world will create no wealth in the kingdom to come.
In this pericope Jesus is asked to judge a case of inheritance between two brothers.1 It was not uncommon for people in Palestine to take unsettled disputes to a respected rabbi for arbitration and judgment, but the fact that the man came to Jesus shows the esteem with which people held the Lord, especially considering he was not a member of the religious ruling class. Jesus, however, had been offering himself to the people as their Messiah. Psalm 72:2 says that one of the roles of the Messiah was to act an arbitrator: "May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice." The brother, knowing the claims of Jesus, asked for a demonstration of the Messiah's right to judge.
Jesus, however, refuses the brother's request to judge the case, a fact that requires some exploration and has generated much discussion among scholars. Most exegetes suggest that Jesus' reaction was based on his perception of the man's ill intentions. Although Moses had made similar judgments (Exodus 2:14, Numbers 27:1-11) Jesus does not act because of the greed, a vice which draws one away from the true meaning and purpose of life, which he perceives had prompted the request. Instead of helping the man to gain his inheritance, Jesus points him in a different direction and to a new understanding of life. Jesus' insight told him that the brother did not need some casuistic legal ruling by a religious teacher, but a lesson in the purpose of life -- namely that life is not valued or measured in terms of wealth or possessions. The loyalty one gives to God is the thing that makes one rich.
Some scholars have presented another view on Jesus' refusal to judge the case. At first glance, these commentators claim, Christ's reply seems to say that he would deny any desire to arbitrate. However, Jesus was not abdicating his role as judge and Messiah, for he will judge the world. The reason he spoke as he did to the multitude was because the nation of Israel had rejected him as Messiah; therefore, he had no right to impose his decrees on them. Only the nation's voluntary submission to him as judge will make it possible for him to exercise judgment. Thus, some scholars suggest that Jesus recognized the man's challenge as evidence of unbelief, leading the Lord to reject the request.
The parable of the rich fool, told to challenge the petitioner's implied greed, triggers a number of associations. One idea common in the period was that wealth was a sign of God's goodness and blessing. The Pharisees took great pride in material possessions, referencing Deuteronomy 28 where God provided material blessings for obedience. For many Jews material possessions were viewed as a sign of God's pleasure with the person who owned them. The pursuit of material possessions became the highest goal in life, for by having many things one could give evidence of God's approval. The prevailing attitude toward possessions was expressed in the statement, "Whom the Lord loveth, he maketh rich." The parable also recalls the need to prepare for famine when an abundance is procured. The model of Joseph in Genesis 41:35-36 is the best example.
This parable strongly presents the warning of wisdom literature concerning the provident use of wealth (Psalm 49:5-6, Sirach 11:14-19). The pericope, although not inextricably linked to the question of the brother, is, in the minds of most scholars, a commentary on Jesus' saying about greed (Luke 12:15), which manifests itself not only in disputes about inheritance, but also in ambition to provide for oneself more than is necessary. The man's boast, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years," demonstrates how he has become corrupted by wealth. The man's dream, "Relax, eat, drink, be merry," echoes various references in Scripture to hedonistic Epicurean living (Isaiah 22:12-14; Tobit 7:10-11; 1 Corinthians 15:32). The bounty of the rich fool's harvest places him in a quandary. It is clear that he has prepared for the harvest but not for a great yield. To tear down old grain bins and build new ones was not a crime or sin, but rather a normal economic decision based on the abundant yield. The significant problem in the story is not the size of the harvest, but rather gathering all of it and storing it for his own use. The thought of giving to persons in need never crosses his mind. The aggressively self-centered man insists that all is his -- the barn, the crops, the grain, the goods. Jesus refused to identify authentic Christian existence with possession of material wealth, even inherited, especially when it was abundant. It is much more important to be one who listens to God's word and acts on it than to live in an unnecessary abundance of wealth. Luke's remedy to greed was simple -- give to those in need (11:41, 16:9-12, 19:8). The rich fool did not realize that he "owned" nothing; all he had, even his life, was on loan and could be called back at any time.
The parable of the rich fool clearly demonstrates that amassing material possessions for the sake of "the good life" is the height of folly2 in the light of the responsibility of life itself and God's assessment of our lives at the hour of our death. The man's thoughts are quickly reversed by God's message. The very possessions of which he boasted are the elements that will cost him his life. It was not the physical possessions themselves that were problematic, but the attitude toward those goods that characterized the rich fool in the parable. Jesus' words do not merely refer to eschatological catastrophe and coming judgment, but to the death of the individual and that person's own fate. The message of the story is made more clear in the realization that the rich man was at the point of achieving an ambition in his present life without reflecting on what would be the aftermath of that ambition, either for himself or the goods he amassed. It appears in the parable that the pursuit of wealth and the pursuit of God are antithetical and mutually exclusive. This dichotomy exposes our own inner commitments as clearly as it exposes the thought of the man. A mirror is held up before us and we are asked to take a good look at our own inner lives and listen to our own inner voices. Jesus expected his hearers to apply the conclusions of his teaching to their own lives. We are just as foolish as the man if we heap up possessions with no consideration for others or God.
In the parable the rich man is called a "fool." In the biblical sense a fool was a person who in practice denied the existence of God. The man does not take God into account and fails to see the threat of death hanging over his head. The rich man had the opportunity to do good and to fulfill both aspects of the Golden Rule. He had the occasion to show righteousness to others by distributing his excess wealth to those in need. This, however, never entered his mind. He also had the opportunity to demonstrate love of God with his whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, but he failed to recognize God as the source of his possessions nor did he perceive his obligation to God to use his possessions wisely.
The parable of the rich fool represents a threat to all who have reduced their world to dependable verities and predictable rewards. Against prevailing notions about who is religious, who merits rewards and where security can be found in these things, God breaks in and presents a different message. To see in this irruption a possibility for one's own life and to stake one's future on that possibility is, in part, what it means to believe in God's reign. To resent the grace that disrupts and disconforms one's world is to cling to the past and whatever security and meaning a person can salvage from it. Those who live in God's reign are ones who depend upon the grace of God.
Context Of The Parable
Context In The Church Year
The tension in today's society to perform, do things correctly, dress properly, associate with the "right" people, and be politically correct increases almost daily. The fast-paced world in which we live and the requirements of life almost demand that we conform to dictates of our world. The struggle to be a true Christian in the midst of a very non-Christian environment is a great challenge.
It is appropriate, therefore, that Jesus' message of the need to order our priorities toward God and become rich in his eyes is always appropriate. The more we are bombarded with the idea that money and possessions are a measure of our worth, the greater is the need to counter this belief. With the emphasis on self in all aspects of life, there is an absolute need to hear that God's understanding of life is much different. Today's message must be repeated daily to keep our direction straight and our path clear.
Context With Other Gospels
The parable of the rich fool is from the "L" tradition and thus is exclusive to Saint Luke in the canonical books of the Bible. The passage belongs to a variety of parables peculiar to Luke which scholars believe were created by him. The pericope does have many features that tie it to basic themes presented by the evangelist and is consistent with his style and language. There are some commentators who believe that the parable has roots in "Q" and was intentionally omitted by Saint Matthew because it was not germane to his audience, but most exegetes suggest that the evidence for such a conclusion is weak. This parable is found, however, without verse 21 and in a slightly re-ordered version, in the Gospel of Thomas, saying #63. In this form of the parable the rich man is not treated as a fool and thus the impact presented in Luke's version is lost. The Gospel of Thomas (saying #72) also has a form of verses 13 and 14, the encounter of Jesus with the younger brother. As in Luke, Thomas' version has Jesus reject the offer to arbitrate the case of inheritance.
Context With First And Second Lessons
First Lesson: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23. As king of Israel it is probable that Qoheleth possessed many things and was presented with numerous opportunities to gain more. Yet in Ecclesiastes, one of the books classified as wisdom literature in the Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament, Qoheleth understood that as a human his efforts, in the end, must not be self-directed, but must be aimed toward God. The king's words seem rather depressing, "Vanity of vanities ... All things are vanity." Yet, on another level his comments express an insight that the rich fool in Luke's parable did not possess, namely that the fruits of our labors do not belong to us alone, but to all God's people.
The lesson of Ecclesiastes parallels Jesus' exhortation in the Gospel. It is vanity to collect all for oneself and become rich in the world's estimation. When our priorities are askew and we concentrate on the world, then God's place in our lives is compromised. Such an attitude is incompatible with Christianity. We can and must become rich in the eyes of the Lord.
Second Lesson: Colossians 3:1-11. Saint Paul presents a simple yet very difficult message to the Colossians -- there is a need to place God first in one's life. Paul tells the people that they must set their hearts on the higher realm, the realm of God. They are to concentrate on the things of God rather than those of the world. The world presents us with the temptation for possessions, but it also tempts us with many vices. Paul warns the people to place these vices aside and become a new person who is formed and nurtured by the knowledge of God.
Paul's experience in his missionary travels, coupled with his personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, told him that one must live in the world, but not become enamored by it. Any action of life that does not seek to become rich in God's eyes is human folly. Thus, Paul writes the members of this new Christian community and exhorts them to keep their priorities properly ordered and their direction clear and straight toward the Lord.
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1. As discussed in the exegesis of the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jewish laws of inheritance stipulated that the elder brother would receive a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17). If a father had no sons the estate was to be divided among his daughters (Numbers 27:1-11), but then the daughters were required to marry within their father's tribe so that the possessions would not leave that tribe (Numbers 36:7-9).
2. The parable calls covetousness folly, but it was also a violation of the law of Moses (Exodus 20:17) and contradicted the teachings of the prophets (Micah 2:2).
Theme
The Synoptic evangelists report that after his baptism, Jesus went to the desert where he was tempted by Satan. In contemporary language the three tests given by Satan to the Lord were temptations to power, wealth, and prestige. Today's world places much emphasis and great significance on the accumulation of material possessions, but society generally forgets about becoming rich in the eyes of God. Since all is gift, with God as its source, attachment to the things of the world is problematic; we lose our desire for the one thing we need, our relationship with God. Our goal must be to share and by such action grow wealthy in the eyes of the Lord.
Spiritual Food For The Journey
When I was a boy Sunday evenings at home were celebrated as a weekly ritual. Generally the main meal of the day was at 1 or 2 p.m. We might play a game, watch a sporting event on television, read, or enjoy some other leisure activity (sometimes maybe I did some homework) the rest of the afternoon. Then at 6 p.m. the family gathered in the living room around the television and we all watched The Twentieth Century, hosted by the famed news reporter Walter Cronkite. At the end of the show my dad would sit back in his easy chair and exclaim, "The weekend is over. Tomorrow it is back to the salt mines." My father's comment was poignant in many ways. His words expressed his frustration at work, referring to his 8 to 5 job as the "salt mines." Yet, in another context his weekly comment said something about his commitment to work, family, and God. It was not easy to rise early each day, commute on the Los Angeles freeway system, and get paid relatively little for his eight hours of labor, but he did it because he was committed to his wife, to my sisters and me, and whether he realized it or not, to God.
This scene, etched in my childhood memory, is repeated time and again in various households. The dedication of my father and the right ordering of priorities he demonstrated is found in many places, but the pressures of contemporary society present a major obstacle to the continuance of this scene in the future. Too often we hear stories or experience personally the insensitivity, greed, and covetousness of others. We often participate in these vices, often unknowingly, by the attitude we take toward the things of the world. When we think principally of ourselves, caring little for others, their needs or problems, we demonstrate a common human weakness today, one that can be accurately described as being poor. This is not material poverty; these people are poor because they have forgotten about God. They have stored many things for themselves, both material goods and the direction of their effort, expertise, and time, but they have failed to realize that since all comes from God and is, therefore, gift, all must be rendered back to God in some way. The environment of contemporary life is like a trap which snares the unsuspecting animal. We must be wary, therefore, and take precautions so as not to be caught, proverbially hauled away, and lose the opportunity for salvation.
Like the rich man in the parable, we at times fall into many of the same follies which he encountered. Some of us are preoccupied with possessions. We store up things and gain an abundance. The only thing that stops us from this quest is the voice of God, heard from others, our conscience, or events that interrupt our pattern and place us back on the correct path. There are people who find security in self-sufficiency. They believe they do not need others, not even the security and love of family and friends. Such people have no place for God in their lives. Still others are plagued with the disease of greed, the moral antithesis of generosity. We often forget our responsibility to use our abundance for the welfare of those less fortunate. Greed eats away at the compassion we may have had at one time. Most of us at different times practice the hedonism of the rich fool. We think only to eat, drink, and be merry and forget that such leisure is gift and not something to be abused.
The theologian Peter Rhea Jones uses the provocative term "practical atheism" to explain the rich man's approach to his life. The fool may have said that he always believed in God, but when it came to living his life, dealing with possessions, and planning the future, he lived as if there were no God. We need to ask ourselves what difference our faith in God makes in the practical matters of life. Is the faith we possess a reasonable facsimile of what it should be, a charade that we have mastered over the years so that few can read us clearly? Faith must be practiced and its manifestations clearly evident to all. Let us not be guilty of practical atheism, but rather, let us act on our faith and not succumb to the temptations to join the common bandwagon that exults self while neglecting others and God. Our best efforts will be necessary to overcome the world and live for God and in the presence of God.
Application Of The Parable To Contemporary Life
Sermon Openings
1. Alfred Nobel, the famous Swedish scientist and in his day one of the richest men in the world, was born in 1833 to a scientist and his wife. From his earliest days it was evident to everyone that Alfred was a gifted young man. He read voraciously all the books and periodicals he could find; he excelled in literature. By the time he was fifteen years old he could read, write, and speak four languages besides his native Swedish. Although he showed promise in the humanities area, it was his love of science and his desire to be an inventor, like his father, that most excited him.
When Nobel was sixteen he had exhausted the educational possibilities of his native district in Sweden. He decided to move away for more training. He first went to Paris and then across the Atlantic to the United States where he spent four years studying science and engineering principles, ideas that had become that much more important after the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
With his education complete, Nobel returned to his native land. He began to tinker around in his laboratory, creating an invention or two, but nothing of any significance. In the 1860s, however, he began to conduct experiments with nitroglycerin, a highly volatile and unstable substance. One experiment produced an explosion and Alfred's younger brother was killed. The experience crushed Nobel in one way, but in another it was the catalyst to find a way to harness the energy of this substance and make it of practical use to the world.
Nobel discovered a functional use of nitroglycerin, but it came about quite accidentally. One day in his workshop, he noticed that some of the nitroglycerin, which is a liquid at room temperature, had leeched into some packing material which surrounded the many bottles of chemicals sent him for his various experiments. Nobel found that this third substance, made from the initial two, had all the energy capacity and blasting potential of nitroglycerin, but it was stable and thus could be better controlled. Without knowing it, Alfred Nobel had invented dynamite.
The uses of dynamite throughout the world made Nobel a rich and famous man overnight. Mountains could be blasted away to make room for railroads. Of equal use, however, was the placement of dynamite in bombs, projectiles, and other weapons of war. With patents received in 1867 and 1868, first in the United States and later in Great Britain, for dynamite and blasting caps, Nobel gained great notoriety. With the discovery of oil on land he owned in the state of Russia, Nobel became one of the richest men in the world. He could sit back, relax, and enjoy life.
Alfred's serenity came to an abrupt halt one day when he picked up the morning newspaper. The headline read, "Dynamite King Dies." The story and obituary in the paper were erroneous; he was alive and well. Nobel decided to read the article, however, in order to know what people would think of him after his death. Besides all the normal facts and dates of an obituary, Nobel read a description which labeled him as the "merchant of death." The expression disturbed the scientist greatly. Certainly the comment came in reference to his association with dynamite, but this did not lighten the blow. Nobel realized at that moment that he had abused the gifts he had been given; he had forgotten about others and God.
Something needed to be done to correct this attitude. The past was history; its record was etched in stone. The future was something, however, over which Nobel had some control. Alfred was a rich man. How could his money be put to a positive use? He decided to change his will. He left his vast fortune in trust to a committee which each year would select people who, in theory and practice, had made positive contributions to the furthering of humankind. Thus, in 1901, five years after his death, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded, initially in five areas: physics, chemistry, literature, medicine, and the coveted Nobel Peace Prize. Later, in 1968 and thereafter, a prize in economics was added.
Alfred Nobel had experienced conversion. God had been challenging him in many ways, but he never took the time, nor realized the significance of God's presence. He was determined not to allow the presence of God to pass him by again!
2. Once upon a time there was a beautiful garden that was owned by an ugly and unfriendly Giant. This was truly a lovely spot -- the flowers bloomed in abundance, the peach trees always seemed to have their springtime blossoms, and the birds sang sweetly in the trees. Each day after school children came and played in the Giant's garden.
One day the Giant, who had been away visiting his friend the Cornish Ogre for seven years, returned to his home and garden. He grew angry when he observed the children playing in his garden. "This is my garden," he shouted. The children ran in fear. Immediately the Giant hung a sign which read, "Trespassers will be prosecuted!" and then hurriedly built a wall around his garden. Now the children had no place to play. They tried to play in the street but they found it was too dangerous. The Giant was selfish; he was not open to the beauty the children brought.
Meanwhile spring came to the land, but not to the Giant's garden. The birds did not come to sing and the trees refused to blossom. One flower popped its head above the earth, but when it read the sign and observed no children in the garden it slipped back beneath the ground. The snow and frost were the only ones who were happy about this situation. "Spring has forgotten this place!" they exclaimed. The snow covered the ground and the frost painted the trees silver. The Giant could not understand why spring had not come to his garden; he was confused. The spring came and went in the land, but not in the Giant's garden. Summer passed and autumn came, but the garden remained in winter.
One day the Giant awoke to the sweet song of a bird. He looked out the window and beheld a beautiful sight. Children had crawled through a small opening in the garden wall and were playing. The trees were in their autumn glory, the flowers were in bloom, and the birds were flying gaily around the garden as they sang. There was one small corner of the garden which was shrouded in winter. In the corner a little boy was trying to climb a tree but he was unable due to his small stature. The Giant bounded down the steps and ran into the garden. The children were initially afraid, but the Giant had a smile on his face. He walked across the garden to the little boy, picked him up, and placed him on the branch of a tree. Instantly the tree blossomed and birds sang in its branches. The child was overjoyed and hugged and kissed the Giant. "I have been so selfish," the Giant said. "Now I know why spring never came to my garden."
From that time forward the children played each day in the garden. The Giant loved all the children, but especially the little boy, because the child had kissed him. But although the children came daily, the little boy did not return. Over many years the Giant grew old and feeble, but the little boy never returned to the garden. One spring day the Giant awoke and looked out his window. There was the little boy. He hurried downstairs as fast as he was able and walked to the boy who stood in the garden. But when the Giant came close to the boy he grew angry. The boy's palms were red with nail marks in them, and so too were his feet. "Who has done this?" asked the Giant. "I will slay him." "No," said the boy, "these are wounds of love." "Who are you?" asked the Giant. The child only responded, "Years ago you allowed me to play in your garden. Today I will take you to my garden in paradise." That afternoon when the children came to play in the garden they found the Giant lying dead all covered with white blossoms.
Oscar Wilde's story, "The Selfish Giant," speaks of one who learned that a selfish attitude toward the things of the world keeps the joy and the love of God at bay. Today the parable of the rich fool presents us with a very similar message.
Points Of Challenge And Questions To Ponder
1. Are we envious of what other people possess? Do we feel unfulfilled or dissatisfied when we observe someone with something we want but do not possess? Can we not be satisfied with the sufficiency we have and not concentrate on the abundance we perceive we need?
2. Do we discriminate against people who have many possessions? Do we make the assumption that these people are "bad" or "wrong" and give them no hearing? Is it the fact that people have things or their attachment to them that is troublesome for us?
3. Do we participate in the sin of covetousness? If we are privileged to have an abundance, to whom does the benefit from these things go, ourselves or others? What do we do with our excess? Who benefits from our fortune?
4. How do we react when the temptation to wealth comes our way? What opportunities to serve others and become rich in the eyes of God have we passed up in order to make ourselves wealthy in the eyes of the world?
5. How do we set our priorities between the world and God? When time does not permit our attention to both realms which one wins out? Do we demonstrate good judgment and wisdom with such decisions or are we the rich fool who forgets God and loses all?
Exegesis And Explanation Of The Parable
In chapter 12 of Luke's Gospel Jesus warns his followers about the pervasive attitude of the Pharisees. In verses 1-11 he speaks of their hypocrisy; verses 11-34 warn listeners of their covetousness. This latter section, which finds its inner unity through the subject of material goods, broaches three subjects: covetousness (vv. 13-21), anxiety (vv. 22-32), and a call to simplicity (vv. 33-34). Jesus drives home the message that people must forsake security in material possessions and look instead to God for their safety and sustenance. The accumulation of the goods of this world will create no wealth in the kingdom to come.
In this pericope Jesus is asked to judge a case of inheritance between two brothers.1 It was not uncommon for people in Palestine to take unsettled disputes to a respected rabbi for arbitration and judgment, but the fact that the man came to Jesus shows the esteem with which people held the Lord, especially considering he was not a member of the religious ruling class. Jesus, however, had been offering himself to the people as their Messiah. Psalm 72:2 says that one of the roles of the Messiah was to act an arbitrator: "May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice." The brother, knowing the claims of Jesus, asked for a demonstration of the Messiah's right to judge.
Jesus, however, refuses the brother's request to judge the case, a fact that requires some exploration and has generated much discussion among scholars. Most exegetes suggest that Jesus' reaction was based on his perception of the man's ill intentions. Although Moses had made similar judgments (Exodus 2:14, Numbers 27:1-11) Jesus does not act because of the greed, a vice which draws one away from the true meaning and purpose of life, which he perceives had prompted the request. Instead of helping the man to gain his inheritance, Jesus points him in a different direction and to a new understanding of life. Jesus' insight told him that the brother did not need some casuistic legal ruling by a religious teacher, but a lesson in the purpose of life -- namely that life is not valued or measured in terms of wealth or possessions. The loyalty one gives to God is the thing that makes one rich.
Some scholars have presented another view on Jesus' refusal to judge the case. At first glance, these commentators claim, Christ's reply seems to say that he would deny any desire to arbitrate. However, Jesus was not abdicating his role as judge and Messiah, for he will judge the world. The reason he spoke as he did to the multitude was because the nation of Israel had rejected him as Messiah; therefore, he had no right to impose his decrees on them. Only the nation's voluntary submission to him as judge will make it possible for him to exercise judgment. Thus, some scholars suggest that Jesus recognized the man's challenge as evidence of unbelief, leading the Lord to reject the request.
The parable of the rich fool, told to challenge the petitioner's implied greed, triggers a number of associations. One idea common in the period was that wealth was a sign of God's goodness and blessing. The Pharisees took great pride in material possessions, referencing Deuteronomy 28 where God provided material blessings for obedience. For many Jews material possessions were viewed as a sign of God's pleasure with the person who owned them. The pursuit of material possessions became the highest goal in life, for by having many things one could give evidence of God's approval. The prevailing attitude toward possessions was expressed in the statement, "Whom the Lord loveth, he maketh rich." The parable also recalls the need to prepare for famine when an abundance is procured. The model of Joseph in Genesis 41:35-36 is the best example.
This parable strongly presents the warning of wisdom literature concerning the provident use of wealth (Psalm 49:5-6, Sirach 11:14-19). The pericope, although not inextricably linked to the question of the brother, is, in the minds of most scholars, a commentary on Jesus' saying about greed (Luke 12:15), which manifests itself not only in disputes about inheritance, but also in ambition to provide for oneself more than is necessary. The man's boast, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years," demonstrates how he has become corrupted by wealth. The man's dream, "Relax, eat, drink, be merry," echoes various references in Scripture to hedonistic Epicurean living (Isaiah 22:12-14; Tobit 7:10-11; 1 Corinthians 15:32). The bounty of the rich fool's harvest places him in a quandary. It is clear that he has prepared for the harvest but not for a great yield. To tear down old grain bins and build new ones was not a crime or sin, but rather a normal economic decision based on the abundant yield. The significant problem in the story is not the size of the harvest, but rather gathering all of it and storing it for his own use. The thought of giving to persons in need never crosses his mind. The aggressively self-centered man insists that all is his -- the barn, the crops, the grain, the goods. Jesus refused to identify authentic Christian existence with possession of material wealth, even inherited, especially when it was abundant. It is much more important to be one who listens to God's word and acts on it than to live in an unnecessary abundance of wealth. Luke's remedy to greed was simple -- give to those in need (11:41, 16:9-12, 19:8). The rich fool did not realize that he "owned" nothing; all he had, even his life, was on loan and could be called back at any time.
The parable of the rich fool clearly demonstrates that amassing material possessions for the sake of "the good life" is the height of folly2 in the light of the responsibility of life itself and God's assessment of our lives at the hour of our death. The man's thoughts are quickly reversed by God's message. The very possessions of which he boasted are the elements that will cost him his life. It was not the physical possessions themselves that were problematic, but the attitude toward those goods that characterized the rich fool in the parable. Jesus' words do not merely refer to eschatological catastrophe and coming judgment, but to the death of the individual and that person's own fate. The message of the story is made more clear in the realization that the rich man was at the point of achieving an ambition in his present life without reflecting on what would be the aftermath of that ambition, either for himself or the goods he amassed. It appears in the parable that the pursuit of wealth and the pursuit of God are antithetical and mutually exclusive. This dichotomy exposes our own inner commitments as clearly as it exposes the thought of the man. A mirror is held up before us and we are asked to take a good look at our own inner lives and listen to our own inner voices. Jesus expected his hearers to apply the conclusions of his teaching to their own lives. We are just as foolish as the man if we heap up possessions with no consideration for others or God.
In the parable the rich man is called a "fool." In the biblical sense a fool was a person who in practice denied the existence of God. The man does not take God into account and fails to see the threat of death hanging over his head. The rich man had the opportunity to do good and to fulfill both aspects of the Golden Rule. He had the occasion to show righteousness to others by distributing his excess wealth to those in need. This, however, never entered his mind. He also had the opportunity to demonstrate love of God with his whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, but he failed to recognize God as the source of his possessions nor did he perceive his obligation to God to use his possessions wisely.
The parable of the rich fool represents a threat to all who have reduced their world to dependable verities and predictable rewards. Against prevailing notions about who is religious, who merits rewards and where security can be found in these things, God breaks in and presents a different message. To see in this irruption a possibility for one's own life and to stake one's future on that possibility is, in part, what it means to believe in God's reign. To resent the grace that disrupts and disconforms one's world is to cling to the past and whatever security and meaning a person can salvage from it. Those who live in God's reign are ones who depend upon the grace of God.
Context Of The Parable
Context In The Church Year
The tension in today's society to perform, do things correctly, dress properly, associate with the "right" people, and be politically correct increases almost daily. The fast-paced world in which we live and the requirements of life almost demand that we conform to dictates of our world. The struggle to be a true Christian in the midst of a very non-Christian environment is a great challenge.
It is appropriate, therefore, that Jesus' message of the need to order our priorities toward God and become rich in his eyes is always appropriate. The more we are bombarded with the idea that money and possessions are a measure of our worth, the greater is the need to counter this belief. With the emphasis on self in all aspects of life, there is an absolute need to hear that God's understanding of life is much different. Today's message must be repeated daily to keep our direction straight and our path clear.
Context With Other Gospels
The parable of the rich fool is from the "L" tradition and thus is exclusive to Saint Luke in the canonical books of the Bible. The passage belongs to a variety of parables peculiar to Luke which scholars believe were created by him. The pericope does have many features that tie it to basic themes presented by the evangelist and is consistent with his style and language. There are some commentators who believe that the parable has roots in "Q" and was intentionally omitted by Saint Matthew because it was not germane to his audience, but most exegetes suggest that the evidence for such a conclusion is weak. This parable is found, however, without verse 21 and in a slightly re-ordered version, in the Gospel of Thomas, saying #63. In this form of the parable the rich man is not treated as a fool and thus the impact presented in Luke's version is lost. The Gospel of Thomas (saying #72) also has a form of verses 13 and 14, the encounter of Jesus with the younger brother. As in Luke, Thomas' version has Jesus reject the offer to arbitrate the case of inheritance.
Context With First And Second Lessons
First Lesson: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23. As king of Israel it is probable that Qoheleth possessed many things and was presented with numerous opportunities to gain more. Yet in Ecclesiastes, one of the books classified as wisdom literature in the Hebrew Scriptures or Old Testament, Qoheleth understood that as a human his efforts, in the end, must not be self-directed, but must be aimed toward God. The king's words seem rather depressing, "Vanity of vanities ... All things are vanity." Yet, on another level his comments express an insight that the rich fool in Luke's parable did not possess, namely that the fruits of our labors do not belong to us alone, but to all God's people.
The lesson of Ecclesiastes parallels Jesus' exhortation in the Gospel. It is vanity to collect all for oneself and become rich in the world's estimation. When our priorities are askew and we concentrate on the world, then God's place in our lives is compromised. Such an attitude is incompatible with Christianity. We can and must become rich in the eyes of the Lord.
Second Lesson: Colossians 3:1-11. Saint Paul presents a simple yet very difficult message to the Colossians -- there is a need to place God first in one's life. Paul tells the people that they must set their hearts on the higher realm, the realm of God. They are to concentrate on the things of God rather than those of the world. The world presents us with the temptation for possessions, but it also tempts us with many vices. Paul warns the people to place these vices aside and become a new person who is formed and nurtured by the knowledge of God.
Paul's experience in his missionary travels, coupled with his personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, told him that one must live in the world, but not become enamored by it. Any action of life that does not seek to become rich in God's eyes is human folly. Thus, Paul writes the members of this new Christian community and exhorts them to keep their priorities properly ordered and their direction clear and straight toward the Lord.
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1. As discussed in the exegesis of the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jewish laws of inheritance stipulated that the elder brother would receive a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17). If a father had no sons the estate was to be divided among his daughters (Numbers 27:1-11), but then the daughters were required to marry within their father's tribe so that the possessions would not leave that tribe (Numbers 36:7-9).
2. The parable calls covetousness folly, but it was also a violation of the law of Moses (Exodus 20:17) and contradicted the teachings of the prophets (Micah 2:2).
