Do not become a fool when you see wealth

Luke 12: 13-21, The Parable of the rich fool

Is it wrong to say that man labors each day to accumulate some wealth for himself and his family??? The answer is, No. A farmer has to work really hard for his crop to reach harvest. He needs to get the soil ready for irrigation. Besides that he needs to ensure that the crop is of good quality as well the fertilizers that would help the crop grow. If there is no rain on time, he needs to find a way to water the crop. If he finds the existing barns not enough to store the surplus crops, he will break it down and build a bigger one.

The things mentioned above are really essential. One reaches desired destination or results only if practical mind and capabilities go hand in hand. Why does Lord Jesus then call the rich man in the parable a fool? Let us look upon certain things:

1.No one knows what will happen tomorrow: There is no one on earth who can predict what will happen in the next moment. The rich man does not say that with grace of God I will be able to build bigger barns. He trusted only his own capabilities and says “I will”. He forgot about the Lord who has the power to reduce or increase our life on earth. He forgot the Lord who blesses our hard work and labor. The rich man forgot himself when he saw his rich crop and the wealth it would bring. He forgot to glorify the Lord for the flourishing harvest.

2.He forgot about those who labored for him: Being a rich man he must have had acres of fields to himself. To have them cropped he must have had several laborers too who slaved day and night to get a good harvest. He forgot about their hard work and sweat. He became selfish and self centered on seeing such an abundant harvest and wanted all luxuries for himself. He forgot to share the abundance. He does not even say me and my family… He sees his workers as mere tools to get richness and wealth. It is important to look within ourselves and see if we too have this mindset. We should never forget the labor and sweat of people in the background who have helped each one of us reach where we are. Today, the times are so vile, that we often forgot about our own parents who have sacrificed so much for our success and to get us to have a status/position in society.

3.Al things belong to the Lord Almighty: If we introspect and look deep with ourselves, don’t we too have this illusion like the rich man that everything is mine. This is selfish and handicap thinking. Man is only a caretaker on this earth of all things created by the Lord. We should never forgot that we are mere visitors on this earth and do not have a permanent stay here. Each day there is a birth and a death. This is happening since the dawn of creation and will continue till the end of time. We often forgot that we brought nothing to earth when we were born, and would take back nothing when we die. It is the vicious cycle of life for everyone; no matter how much you and I have labored and worked hard, or have luxuries, we have to pass it on to someone else when we die. The Lord Almighty decides the next heir and for how long. This should be a warning for those living with the I, ME MINE concept.

4.He forgot the one who gave favorable conditions for abundance: James 5:18, ¹⁸ Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Leviticus 26:4, ⁴ I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit.

Deuteronomy 11:14, ¹⁴ then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.

The rich man very easily forgot the Lord who provided him with favorable conditions for his crop to harvest in abundance. The Lord knows the labor each one of us puts into our work and how it can be destroyed in a blink. Yet He controls the nature and blesses man with rain and sunlight, and other conditions for advantage of man. Job 5:10,

¹⁰ He provides rain for the earth;
    he sends water on the countryside.

Like the rich man, today man has become self centered in all areas of his/her life. To accumulate wealth man is blinded in his greed and often forgets people around him, and destroys or harms nature beyond repair. We forget what we are passing on to the coming generation. Man is already paying the price for harming nature and destroying the balance.

Dear children of children, let us not become selfish like the rich man. Let us care for the people around us and also the beautiful nature gifted to us. If not, the Lord Himself gives a warning to those who run blindly after wealth.

Luke 12:20-21, 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?’

²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”