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Opening Prayer
Father God, again we gather to study the teachings of Your Son our Lord Jesus. We pray that you will open our hearts and minds to your word, and help us to garner from this study those things that you would have us learn. We pray a blessing for those of our group who cannot be here tonight, we miss them and pray for their well being. Bless us now as we enter into this study. Amen
In doing my research for this study I found a couple of interesting points about the matter of covetousness.
I found that there is an abundance of resources and information on the subject of this parable, and on the matter of hoarding, possessions, greed, false security, and covetousness. I asked myself this question. This is not an overly interesting subject (greed and covetousness) so why is there so much information available? Then the answer came to me almost immediately. It is because we know so much about the subject matter. We are taught it from birth, throughout our growing to maturity, and throughout school and college. Then in the secular world it is a primary focus. Get a good education, a good job which pays well, invest wisely make a lot of money, plan for your retirement, buy a home, a nice car or two or three, then another (retirement home) and then enjoy what you have acquired. Living large and victoriously, buy a motor home, travel in luxury and leisure. Some of the perks of doing so well. Then when the time is right, at the peak of your wealth, retire and you're set for life. Take a couple of cruises a year, and enjoy the good life until you pass. Then leave it to the kids. We are experts at it. there are complete industries built around it, The banking and financial industry, and the retirement and travel industry cannot function unless it's there. There are more than just those two but you get the point. We did not invent it, but we have perfected it. That is why there is so much information available about it. We exemplify it. We are a nation of Rich Fools. (self included) I want it all!
The Parable of The Rich Fool
Scripture: Luke 12:13-21;
13 One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 16 And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; 17 and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' 18 And 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. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' 20 But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
What do we really want to hear
13 One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me."
14 But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Jesus has been speaking to the crowds when suddenly a man from the crowd asks Jesus to settle a dispute about an inheritance. Jesus refuses the request and instead replies with a question. Who made me a judge over you? Jesus had been preaching and teaching and his followers were deeply involved with learning, and here comes this man with an off the wall question. Has this man been preoccupied with business the whole time Jesus had been speaking?
Then Jesus uses this mans request to make another teaching moment with a parable about covetousness. Jesus did not want to presume to be a judge over this man, nor to rule either way in the matter. Jesus gets directly to the heart of the matter: Covetousness! Jesus warns this person, and all within earshot, that our lives are not to be about gathering wealth. Life is so much more than the “abundance of possessions.”
Q.1 We start this parable with a man wanting a ruling on a civil matter. Why did this man make such a request of Jesus? Vs 13
Q.2 By what matter of reason do you feel that Jesus refused his request? Vs.14
Q.3 How do you suppose this man felt after Jesus spoke this parable?
Q.4 Are there times when sitting in church listening to the preacher, your mind wanders?
Why does that happen?
Q.5 How do you feel about God’s word as a tool to be used to settle civil disputes?
Q.6 Jesus said, “A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
What meaning is conveyed to you by that phrase?
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What do we really want to do
16 And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; 17 and he thought to himself, `What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' 18 And 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.
What is the point of Jesus' story about a wealthy landowner and why does God call him a fool? Jesus does not fault him for his industriousness, but for his ego-centric selfishness. His life was consumed with his possessions and his only interests were in himself. Here the rich man’s words to himself express his decision to continue on his present course of accumulating more resources without sharing them. His expectation is that his comfortable life, lived without thought of the suffering of others, will continue, only better organized, with a more secure future. His death was the final loss of his soul! In this parable Jesus gives a lesson on using material possessions. He gives a warning to beware of all covetousness. Jesus restates the commandment, do not covet, but he also states that a person's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Posessions have a special connection to the heart. The thing we set our heart on is our highest treasure. The study of this parable will give us an overview of certain aspects of our world today.
Q.1 Jesus’ parable is a description of someone who has an abundance of harvest, more than he can use in a season so what would you do in this case?
Q.2 The man put some thought into it and decided to build a bigger barn and store the abundance for future use. What is it that makes that a bad plan?
Q.3 As a farmer, do we not want to do this type of thing? It is after all what Joseph did when he was put in charge of all Egypt by Pharaoh. Joseph stored all the excess grain of the seven years of plenty, holding it for a certain famine. What was the difference in what Joseph did with the country’s excess grain, than what this farmer did with his extra?
Q.4 What would have been the “right thing to do: for this farmer?
Q.5 When we have excess as a country, what happens? As a city, what happens? Did you hear about the 20,000 dollars in the Millington police headquarters, in safe keeping?
Q.6 That is not what happened in the farmers case, but what is similar about it?
What will it take
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.''
So it is with mankind today, we seek to have more and more, and build bigger and better stuff, we anticipate and hoard, we spend and go into debt. When it comes to the things of this world more of them means less concern for the disposition of our soul. It behooves one to care for the spiritual things one possesses. Ones faith, righteousness, humility, spiritual gifts, and ones salvation over and above ones material possessions.
The things of this world do not make salvation a reality. With things, salvation is as a mirage, something one thinks is there but it is not. Coveting material possessions is the instinct of the natural man, It means we rest our worth in what we possess, not in who we are.
Q.1 Why is it that those who seem to have it all, will always want more?
Q.2 Wealth and possessions seem to give us the feeling of comfort and security. Why is that?
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Who are we?
20 But God said to him, `Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Every parable has realistic features that draw us in, thinking it is just another innocent little story. The realistic portion of this parable is that a rich man in Jesus’ day would hoard his wealth while the poor around him were malnourished. This points to the social reality all around him, (and in our world today). Every parable has at least one unrealistic feature, something that would not happen in the daily course of life. The strange, unrealistic aspect here is that God speaks to him directly. God informs him of the futility of the priorities he has chosen in life and on the exact timing of his demise. While none of us gets the timing memo, we have the futility information. Does it make a difference in our priorities for living out the future days of our lives?
The parable... shows the pointlessness of greed. Possessions, even an abundance of possessions, cannot give us security; they can only give us an illusion of security. And that illusion can distract us from the true source of our security, God’s care for us. The folly of the rich farmer lay not in his having full barns, but in his believing that his full barns were all he needed.
We are children of God and as such we are to covet the things of God. Kindness and love, humility, and grace, trust and worthiness, righteousness and morality, goodness and charity. Those things which emanate from God, The Bible, Jesus our Savior, and our faith, not those things which emanate from the worlds attractions. Things such as greed, lust, jealousy, covetousness, immorality, envy and hate. The worlds things are unto death, Gods things are unto eternal life. It is a promise of God.
Q.1 What Is there about hoarding that is so destructive in this parable?
Q.2 How is it that covetousness is so destructive in our present world?
Q.3 Why is it that the good life is so destructive for this rich man?
Q.4 The Bible speaks to us about using our talents, and our resources in prudent ways.
And on the face of it, this man has done that, So Why does God call this man a fool?
Closing prayer, "Lord, free us all from covetousness and from attachments to our possessions. May we wholly and honestly desire Your Son Jesus as our priority, our treasure and portion. Help us to make good use of the material blessings you give us that we may use them generously for your glory and for the good of others. Now we offer our prayer for those of our friends and loved ones who need your healing touch.______________ We pray that your tender loving mercies will give healing, comfort and peace to those we have named, and others of our acquaintance who need your healing touch. " Bless us now as we go our separate ways, in Jesus name we pray Amen.
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Meditation
Understand!
1. Why do you think Jesus refused to judge the dispute between two brothers about their inheritance? What does the parable indicate about how God judges people like these brothers?
2. Jesus said, “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). According to his parable, in what should our life consist?
3. The Old Testament describes a fool as one who lives as though God does not exist (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). In what ways did the rich man forget about God or act like he did not exist?
4. In concrete terms, what do you think it means to “store up treasures” for ourselves (Luke 12:21)? To be “rich toward God”?
5. According to Jesus’ words in Luke 12:22-34, which immediately follow this parable, we should trust in our heavenly Father to meet our material needs. How does his teaching build on the message of the parable?
Grow!
1. What forms of greed do you recognize in your life? Desire to acquire things for their own sake? Selfish attachment to your possessions? Hoarding? How can you guard against such attitudes and practices?
2. If you find yourself at times basing your security on material goods, income, or achievements, why do you think this is the case? What would help you trust less in worldly things and more in God?
3. In what ways does a preoccupation with satisfying our material needs keep us from serving God and his people? What might help you increase your focus on the values of God’s kingdom and on eternal life?
4. Make a list of the qualities you think are necessary to be a good and prudent steward of God’s gifts. Which of those qualities would you like to grow in?
5. What have you learned about God and what is important to him from this parable? About yourself and what is important to you?
Reflect!
1. Still yourself and quietly meditate a while on the inevitability of your death. In this light, are there any ways that you should change how you relate to status, possessions, and material goods?
2. Reflect on the following passages to deepen your insight into the parable you have just studied:
[Job] said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21)
All day long the wicked covet, but the righteous give and do not hold back. (Proverbs 21:26)
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). (Colossians 3:2-5)
There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
Act!
Simplify your life! Are you “storing up” things unnecessarily? Take some time this week to begin to sort through your clothing, household goods, and other possessions. Donate what you don’t need or aren’t making use of to a charitable organization so that others will be able to benefit from these items.
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