Week 16

April 13 – The Rich Fool – Luke 12:13-34

Jesus often used parables to teach a lesson.  A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.  It is easy to decipher whether a story is actually happened or if it is a parable.  If a name is used then we know it was a true story.  In this parable Jesus in not condemning the rich man for being rich.  Jesus is not saying that being rich is sinful.  Jesus is not saying that the rich man was sinful for wanting to enjoy the fruits of his labor (Ecclesiastes 2:24).  Jesus was condemning the fact that this man had laid up treasure for himself on this earth without laying up treasure in Heaven.  He was rich on this earth, but not rich toward God.  Jesus is not condemning a wealth issue, He is condemning a HEART issue.  Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  Jesus wants your heart!  We do not have to be rich to fail in this area.  We can give our hearts over to entertainment, our job, family, worry, fear, or many other areas that we choose to invest our heart.  When we place God and His kingdom as a priority in our lives, that places our earthly status directly in God’s hands.  There is no better, safer place to be than in God’s hands.