Bible Lesson: Parables-Our Lord's:
The Rich Fool.
Occasion: Brothers Dispute Over
Their Father's Estate.
Lesson: The Deceit Of Riches.
Bible Text:
Luke 12:13-21 NLT
13 Then someone called from the crowd,
“Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate
with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made
me a judge over you to decide such things as that?”
15 Then He said, “Beware! Guard
against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you
own.”
16 Then He told them a story: “A rich
man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.
17 He said to himself, ‘What should I
do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’
18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear
down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to
store all my wheat and other goods.
19 And I’ll sit back and say to
myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come.
Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool!
You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked
for?’
21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store
up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Luke 12:13,14 NLT
13 Then someone called from the
crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s
estate with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who
made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?”
Was it out of reason for this man to address Jesus so?
Actually no. It was the duty of priest in the Old Testament to
equally divide plunder from war, see Numbers 31, so no doubt he acted in this capacity in other matters.
And as to Christ's Priesthood:
Psalm 110:4 KJV
The Lord hath
sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever after the
order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:20 KJV
Whither the
forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an High Priest for
ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Hebrews 7:17,21
NLT
17 And the
psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, “You are a priest
forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
21 but there
was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to Him, “The Lord has
taken an oath and will not break His vow:‘You are a Priest
forever.’”
Be this all as it may well be, it remained a simple fact that Christ
had not come to act as an earthly priest, but to proclaim The Word of
The Father, and to be mankind's Savior!
Luke 12:15 NLT
Then He
said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is
not measured by how much you own.”
It would be a rather curious query indeed, to ask every Christian,
nay, every Pastor, or religious leader, whether or not they could
prove, that they have indeed guarded against earthly greed!
How many do you think would be willing to take that test?
Our Lord, goes on to tell the parable of the rich fool.
Luke 12:16-21
NLT
16 Then He told them a story: “A
rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.
17 He said to himself, ‘What
should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’
18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll
tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room
enough to store all my wheat and other goods.
19 And I’ll sit back and say to
myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come.
Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You
fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you
worked for?’
21 “Yes, a person is a fool to
store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Here is a story of a very successful
farmer. He had fertile land, and he knew just what crops to plant, to
yield bountiful harvests, and that is just what he did.
As the crops came in, he out grew the
large buildings he had, and so he thought to himself, I must tear
down these old small buildings and build largerger ones.
Then he thought, when they are full,
and they will be, I can sit back and relax for years to come, and I
will be able to live at ease, eat, drink and be merry!
For a moment lets look at this rich
man.
He was an industrious individual, that
is he was not afraid of work.
He was blessed with great insight as to
the needs of the land, and its crops.
He knew when to plant, and when to
harvest.
His hard work and knowledge had paid
off well, and he was by all standards wealthy!
All was well except for one thing.
He had forgotten just one thing.
Psalm 24:1 KJV
The earth is The Lord's, and the
fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
In his great wisdom, he had never realy
taken the time to realize that, he was but a steward of someone
else's property, God's!
It was God's great fertile earth, it
was God's ability, given to him to do work!
Deuteronomy 8:18 KJV
But thou shalt remember The Lord thy
God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth..."
Yes, the rich man could not even work
the fields, if God didn't give him breath and life to do so.
Yes, he was intelligent, towards the
things of the world, but ignorant of the important things regarding
the next life.
He had laid up crops in reserve for
years to come, but he had not laid up treasures in heaven.
Matthew 6:19 KJV
Lay not up for
yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal:
Luke 12:20 NLT
“But God said to him, ‘You
fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you
worked for?’
Psalm 62:10 KJV
"...if
riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
Proverbs 23:5
NLT
In the blink of
an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like
an eagle.
Proverbs 28:20
KJV
A faithful man
shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich
shall not be innocent.
Ezekiel 28:4 KJV (Who was God, speaking about? Lucifer.)
With thy wisdom
and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast
gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:
Matthew 6:19 KJV
Lay not up for
yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal:
Matthew 19:23
KJV
Then said Jesus
unto His disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall
hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 4:19 KJV
And the cares
of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of
other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
I Timothy 6:7,9
KJV
7 For we
brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry
nothing out.
9 But they that
will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish
and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
Hebrews 11:24-26
NLT
24 It was by
faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of
Pharaoh’s daughter.
25 He chose to
share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the
fleeting pleasures of sin.
26 He thought
it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the
treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.
James 5:3 KJV
Your gold and
silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against
you...Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
Revelation
3:13-17 KJV
13 He that hath
an ear, let him hear what The Spirit saith unto the churches.
14 And unto the
angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith
The Amen, The
Faithful And True Witness, The Beginning Of The Creation Of God;
15 I know thy
works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or
hot.
16 So then
because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee
out of My mouth.
17 Because thou
sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and
poor, and blind, and naked:
Remembers
Always:
Exodus 19:5 KJV
Now therefore,
if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall
be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is
Mine:
The silver is
Mine, and the gold is Mine, saith The Lord Of Hosts.
