Rich Toward God

Posted on by Japanese Congregational Church

Luke 12:13-21

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.” 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.”‘ 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 anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

A rich farmer has a bumper crop. Since his barns are too small to hold the harvest, he decides to build bigger ones. He tells himself smugly, “Now that I have lots of stuff that will last for many years, I can relax – eat, drink, and be merry.” But the story comes to an abrupt finish when his life suddenly ends; or, as the story states it, when God demands his life of him. “So it is”, Jesus concludes,“with everyone who stores up possessions for themsleves – but is not rich toward God.”

Why was this rich farmer called a FOOL by God? After all…

  • He was clearly a successful farmer
  • His land produced abundantly
  • He built large barns so he could store his excess grain and goods for the future
  • He had a good retirement plan

By most common standards, he would be considered a WISE man.

  • He wasn’t a fool for being successful.
  • He wasn’t a fool for planning and saving for the future.
  • He wasn’t even a fool for hoping to enjoy his retirement with food and drink and dancing. God is pleased to bless us with good gifts!

However, by a different standard….God’s standard….he was considered a complete fool. Why?

Foolishness in God’s sight:

1 He believed that he controlled his life

  • He felt that if he succeeded in farming and saved amply for the future that he could secure a comfortable retirement. But what about sickness, tragedy, forces beyond our control?
  • Or as Jesus once put it, the number of hairs on our head, or the number of days of our lives…are not items that we can control!
  • He learns the hard way that “You can’t take it with you.” Ecc. 2:18-19   “I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.”

2 He believed that his life was his own, instead of a gift of God

  • In this account, the rich farmer only talks to himself.
  • He seems unaware of God’s part in his success…no gratitude.
  • He seems unaware of his many workers and their help in his success.
  • He seems unaware that God may require much of him, since he has been given much.
  • He is unaware that his life belongs to God.
  • He lives only for himself.

How can we be wise? How can we secure our future?

  • Like the rich farmer, we are tempted to think that having large amounts of money and possessions stored up will make us secure.
  • Sooner or later, however, we learn that no amount of wealth or property can secure our lives.
  • No amount of wealth can protect us from a genetically inherited disease, for instance, or from a tragic accident. No amount of wealth can keep our relationships healthy and our families from falling apart.
  • In fact, wealth and property can easily drive a wedge between family members, as in the case of the brothers fighting over their inheritance at the beginning of this text.
  • In fact, Jesus repeatedly warns that wealth can get in the way of our relationship with God. “Take care!” he says. “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15).

True wealth toward God:

  • Right priorities: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God. (A relationship with God)”
  • How are we investing our lives? (our time, talent, and treasure?)
  • Understand that all that we have is God’s. We are only stewards.
    • NOT “earned and owned”….but “gift….and to be shared”
  • Because all that we are and all that we have belongs to God, our future is secure beyond all measure when we recognize this, and trust our heavenly Father to provide all we need.

Jesus’ words at the end of Luke 12 are both encouraging and most appropriate: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

(the above is a summary and outline of the message shared during our worship on August 3, 2025.)