Rich but Foolish
The rich man said, ‘I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool!’ Luke 12:19-20
A fool! That’s what God called the rich man in the parable Jesus told.
That may seem like a strange way to describe someone who would have been the envy of many people in the community. The man had worked hard, putting in long hours, and it had paid off. He was set to enjoy the fruit of his labors with an abundant harvest. He was going to “take life easy” and “eat, drink and be merry.”
When you work hard all your life and you have built a successful business or career, along with some good investments, haven’t you earned the right to take life easy and enjoy your retirement? That’s how the rich man reasoned with himself.
The Bible makes clear that God does not begrudge His people the rewards of a life well lived. He does not call the man a fool because he was rich. God was the one who allowed him to be successful. God called the man a fool because he had stored up things only for himself. Instead of recognizing God’s blessings and working to build God’s Kingdom, through generously sharing what he had been given, he was building only his own kingdom.
Many people are like the rich fool, willing to sacrifice almost anything to get ahead, trusting in money and status for their security while neglecting the goodness and grace of God. God is the source of every blessing that we have. With those blessings may we seek to honor God, and give generously of ourselves.
Lord God, give us the grace to be rich toward You, knowing that our relationship with You is our greatest blessing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.