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.”
“Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” (v. 13) This was the question that started Jesus’ talking about wealth. In those days, the rabbis were often asked to help solve disputes since they would go by Old Testament rules and Jewish customs. Jesus declines to get involved, but his reaction seems to indicate this man was more interested in getting his share of the estate than a fair division.
Jesus starts with this statement: “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” I wonder if the pandemic has helped many of us to agree with that statement. Maybe we’ve realized how much family and friends mean to us as we’ve not been able to be with them. But … I also wonder how many of us are excited about things being open – that we can buy new things, go on vacation …
The man in this story seems to be very self-centered. If you go back and count the number of times he uses the words – I and my – you’ll find 11 of them in the 4 verses (16 – 19). He’s excited that his crops are more than he ever dreamed of, and he has plans to build bigger barns. In fact, he thinks he could retire from working and concentrate on eating, drinking and partying – words that are associated with a hedonistic lifestyle.
Charles Swindoll retells this story in modern language in his commentary, Living Insights: Luke. “The business of a wealthy entrepreneur was off the chart. Every idea worked. Every decision succeeded. He added new accounts each month, and the money rolled in. He began thinking. This is a gold mine. My major problem is out-of-control growth. I’m running out of space. There seems to be no end in sight. This is my plan: I’ll enlarge headquarters and multiply my staff. I will add a warehouse nearby and open several branches each year for the next ten years
, exactly as my consultant has suggested. As the business continues to grow, I will slip further and further out of the picture and leave the work in the hands of my efficient executive staff, and I will just take the profits and enjoy them. I might even retire early! (page 360)
One thing you may have noticed is that Swindoll is talking about a rich man who is obsessed with his wealth. The man Jesus talked about was also excited about how wealthy he was. The Bible never says you can’t be wealthy. Look at Solomon. It’s not the wealth; it’s the attitude. “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (v. 21) Where are my priorities?
As a person living in a wealthy country, I find these verses difficult to process. Can I live in a lovely home, drive a new car, pay attention to HGTV and all its beautiful décor suggestions, take costly vacations …? Should I live a simpler lifestyle? How much should I give away?
What Jesus seems to be stressing is our priorities. Life could end at any moment, and as we face God, will we regret our focus in life? Is loving God and my relationship with him my goal in life? I may be wealthy, I may be “middle-class’, I may be struggling financially – but what do I base my decisions on? What do I care about the most?
What are my priorities in life?
What would Jesus say?
Our song for today is First by Lauren Daigle.