Other
startling revelations | Featured
essays | Other
articles
This is a parable Jesus taught which is particular applicable for
believers, especially in America, during these last days before
the appearing of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.
In America,
great emphasis is placed on saving up for one’s
retirement. The moment a young person graduates from university and
lands a good job with a company, a retirement account is established
for him or her where funds will be deposited regularly. Entire industries
are devoted to helping people save up for their senior years so that
they will not have to worry about the future. People want to have finances
available in order to be able to rest from their labors and to enjoy
their sunset years on earth. As stewards of the earthly wealth the
Lord entrusts to us, this is not necessarily wrong.
Dangerous extremes
However,
it can be taken to extremes. Many Americans have fallen into such
a pit. One faithful church-goer in Houston had several million
dollars saved up from his work in a very respectable profession. Yet
he worried that he did not have enough in the bank to see him through
his retirement years. As a outer-limit extreme, it was reported by
one of his mistresses that even billionaire golfer Tiger Woods---before
the scandal broke out---was looking ahead to investing his future
earnings so
that he would be sure to have enough for retirement.
Jesus’ parable
about the rich fool is very appropriate for a time such as this.
Luke 12:13
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher,
tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter
between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch
out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not
consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
The Lord warns us to
watch out and to be on our guard against all
kinds of greed. Greed is an mortal enemy of our eternal souls, and
we are to guard ourselves against it. It is able to make us stumble
and fall. And there are different kinds of greed which can attack us.
In his parable Jesus focuses on one type of greed in particular.
16 And
he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich
man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall
I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear
down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my
grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have
plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat,
drink and be merry.”’
The business of this gentleman was prospering greatly. He worried
about having a safe place to store his wealth in order to have enough
to enjoy his life on earth in future years. This worry led him to the
extraordinary measure of tearing down his barns and building bigger
ones. This was for the sole purpose of continuing to enjoy his lifestyle
on earth until he died.
20 “But God said to him, ‘You
fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who
will get
what you have prepared
for yourself?’
Smart in the eyes of the world; foolish before God
Although in the eyes of the world this man was indeed wise, in the
eyes of Eternal God he was a fool. That very night the man was taken.
He was not able to enjoy the wealth which he gone to such great lengths
to store and protect.
In the sight of God, many of us Christians are also fools if we worry,
setting our minds on investing and storing away funds simply for the
purpose of enjoying our retirement years. Jesus actually called this
greed. He commands us to watch out and to be on our guard against all
kinds of greed, including this kind. The wisdom of the world, so compelling
and convincing, stands in stark contrast to the wisdom of God.
21 “This
is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but
is not rich toward God.”
It is not wrong to store up things for our earthly retirement. But
we must also store up things in heaven in order that we may be rich
toward God. If we are not rich toward God, then we are like the rich
fool. Because of worry, lack of faith, and pressure from the world,
many Christians expend much energy squirreling away money for their
retirement on earth. But they spend little effort storing away treasure
in heaven in order that they may take hold of the life that is truly
life to be revealed after they shed their earthly tent.
Commands to wealthy believers
1 Timothy 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present world not
to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain,
but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything
for our enjoyment.
Christians,
especially wealthy ones, are not to put their hope in wealth, which
is so uncertain. This is uncertainty
is especially obvious
today when the American economy is being shaken and the specter of
massive inflation looms under the economic policies of the current
administration. We are not to worry about out retirement, but to put
our hope in God. He is the One who richly
provides us with everything for our enjoyment, even during our retirement years. We are not trust
in the wisdom of the world, in the “bigger barns” that
we build to store away our wealth. We are to put our hope in God.
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous
and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for
themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may
take hold of the life that is truly life.
For wealthy believers, Scripture here is abundantly clear and needs
little elaboration. Wealth is not only to be stored in investment funds
and in other instruments for retirement, but to be stored in heaven
for ourselves as a firm foundation for the coming age. In this way
we may take hold of the life that is truly life---eternal life.
Luke 16:9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves,
so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
Worry can be a precursor to greed
Therefore,
we are not to worry about the future, especially about retirement.
Worry can be a precursor to the kind of greed against which
Jesus warned in his parable of the rich fool.
Luke 12:22
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore
I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about
your
body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more
than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they
have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable
you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour
to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why
do you worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like
one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field,
which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much
more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
If we worry, we have little faith. And that is not pleasing to God.
For without faith it is impossible to please God.
29 And
do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not
worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things,
and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom,
and these things will be given to you as well.
If our hearts are set on the kingdom of God in our lives, God will
most certainly provide for our earthly needs, even during our retirement
years.
32 “Do
not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to
give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions
and give
to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out,
a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes
near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also.
The bottom line
Jesus
commands us to give away our possessions and to store our treasure
in heaven where no Bernard Madoff-inspired
Ponzi scheme or inflation
triggered by runaway government spending can steal our wealth. The
eternal rewards will be great. For wherever you store your treasure,
that’s where your heart will be. And wherever your heart is---that’s
where you will receive your reward and spend eternity.
Other
Startling Revelations
Other
articles | Featured
essays
Back
to top