The Rich Fool - Murray Lambert

Luke 12: 13-21

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And 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! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

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

 

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TRANSCRIPT

 

Morning, church. How are we doing this morning? So, have you ever read a Bible passage and just kind of sat there and been honest with yourself?

And so I kind of disagree. I kind of disagree because I'm going to say something be crazy here, but I'm kind of on the rich, full side. Just putting it out there. I mean, like, what did the rich Phil actually do? He, like, was just an honest wheat farmer. Right? Just working his, you know, day in, day out, year in, year out.

He was blessed with an abundant crop. And then he saved as like. Isn't saving a good thing? I mean, this guy works year in, year out through years of drought is a flood. Years of plague. You know, he didn't it say at any point come across this bumper crop unfairly or or unethically? It doesn't say that he mistreated his workers.

I mean, I mean, I'm kind of on this guy's side. I mean, he's just a hard working farmer. He's had a hard life. You know, he finally is blessed with this thing, and he's just shows some business ingenuity. Really. He's not what he does. He just invests in the future. I mean, you know, just puts a bit aside for his kids, for maybe his wife.

Maybe he finally takes her on that cruise that's been looking at us all these years. Now you really got to critique a farmer. The person who puts wheat bakes and bread on your table every morning. Like, shame on you. It's. I'm struggling to shame this poor, hard working farmer. I'm on the rich side personally. Doesn't this sound sort of justifiable to us?

Doesn't this sound pretty normal? Just a hardworking farmer who worked really hard was blessed with a bumper crop and said, I know what I'll do. I'll knock down the old barns a bit to new ones. Pop it in, you beauty. And then God says, tonight, you going to die. Tonight you're going to die. And all of your money is going to go to your wife and kids.

I mean, isn't that sort of the Australian dream? Like nose down, work hard, get a little nest egg, put a little in super, save a bit for your kids when you die. What do you do wrong? Well, a bit confused, but somehow I don't think the the original listeners of this would have been confused because see, what's really interesting is they were operating from a very different culture around what it meant to be rich amount, what it meant to be generous around what it meant to give charity to those who were poor and in need.

I think of Proverbs, for instance, Proverbs 1125 to 26. One person gives freely, yet gains even more. Another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. And here's the kicker. People curse the one who holds grain, but they pray God's blessing on the one who is willing. So why is Joseph all the way back in Genesis, if you remember, lauded as righteous for hoarding a bunch of grain in Egypt and yet this poor fella is dragged over hot coals for just filling up two barns.

I mean, I'm pretty sure that the grain that Joseph was hoarding in Egypt was a bit more than two barns. How is one righteous and another is foolish? Maybe it has something to do about the intention behind why Joseph was stockpiling grain. He was stockpiling it so that he could help out others who are in need. He was being discerning with God.

He was seeking God's voice very clearly through dreams that Pharaoh was being given. And then he was carefully administering grain to those in need. But you might be saying, well, hold on, doesn't the rich fool quote Ecclesiastes in Luke 1217 to 19 he says, you have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life, eat, drink, and be merry.

Isn't that Ecclesiastes 815 I hear you all saying, eat, drink, and be merry. You know what I'm realizing? I'm realizing that some of the enemy's greatest lies are misquoted. Scripture. Some of the enemy's greatest lies. A misquoted scripture, completely misquoted or completed, slightly out of context because ultimately this rich fool uses my and I ten times in three verses in Luke 1217 to 19, which to us in a sort of very individualistic, self centric culture you like.

Yeah, fair. But for Jesus's first listeners, they would have been going, you selfish fool, you are so self-absorbed. My my my I, I because their natural thought was for the other. It's a very different worldview. I won't call a sermon prepared to be generous. Prepared to be generous. Why, when God had been so generous to the rich full, had he decided to stockpile his weight?

And as we're continuing this series, I think it's really important to recognize that the obvious and simplistic answer to this passage is don't be greedy. Be more generous. Right. Thanks, guys. I'll see you next week. So that is an oversimplification of this, and I think it's really unhelpful. And it's not actually the point that Jesus is making completely because you say, I think in our modern culture, we focus a lot on individual sin, which is a real thing and something that we need to be mindful of and considerate of.

But we don't think much about corporate sin, about the sin of the society in which we are, in a society which is inherently capitalistic and greedy and excess in their consumption. And so it's really hard to come to this parable and understand it in our modern terms, because we're sort of caught on this wheel of excessive consumption. It's something that, two scholars, Brickman and Campbell, noted all the way back in the 70s.

They called it the demonic treadmill. And on this next slide, you'll say it was this phenomenon that they experience all the way back in the 70s. It's not brand new that the more people attained, the more material wealth that people accumulated. Happy at. No, not the happy life became. The more they decide, more wealth and the more wealth accumulate, the more they desire, and the more they accumulate, the more they desire, and the faster the wheels spun, the faster they run and the faster they run, the faster the wheel spins.

All the while, increased happiness is forever unattainable. That they saw no increase in happiness. In these people who continue to accumulate more and more things. The hydronic treadmill. This idea that the more you accumulate, the fallacy that people are running on this treadmill for is that they'll be happier, that they'll have increased happiness. When Brickman Campbell just felt it really plateaued from their studies.

The hedonic treadmill asks the question how much is enough? And depressingly, answers when it comes to the human heart. It's never enough. It's never enough. Ecclesiastes five 1011 actually addresses this issue, although it tells us to eat, drink and be merry. Enjoy our time on this lot, on this world, while we've got it. It also says whoever loves money never has enough.

Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. I love this as goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? The more that we eat, the more our stomach stretches and the more our stomach stretches, the more food we need.

So how do we get off this treadmill? How do we get off the hedonic treadmill? Because I think that it's too simple to just say, just stop being greedy and be more generous. If you went to a doctor and said, doc, I am insatiable, I am starving. No matter how much I eat, I cannot eat enough food. I eat and I eat and I eat and I'm still hungry.

Be a pretty rubbish doctor. If you said I've seen this before. I know what you need to do. Stop being hungry. That'd be pretty unhelpful, right? Because just like chicken pox. Although we say the symptom on the surface of little red spots and itchy skin, the virus is deep underneath in the skin. And this is actually what Jesus is doing in this passage that comes after in the parable, he presents the symptom grade in the passage.

Afterwards, he actually starts to explain the underlying illness. So he says the symptom is great, but it's not the illness itself. And we know that these two passages are connected because the first word in the next passage is a really important one, that if you ever say it in Scripture, especially in the New Testament, that even in the old, you should really pay attention.

Therefore, Jesus set up the situation of the rich fool and then he says therefore, oh, okay, Jesus. So you've presented a problem, and now maybe you're going to present some kind of solution. What's the solution? I hear he'll ask. Let's read it. Luke 12 2226 he says, therefore, straight after the parable of the rich fool, he says, do not worry about your life, what you eat or about your body, what you will wear for life is more than food and the body more than clothes.

Consider the ravens. They do not so or reap. They have no storeroom or barn. Interesting choice to include storing Melbourne at that point. Maybe referring to the parable he's just told, yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds who have you by worrying. Can add a single hour to your life. Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Who, by worrying about their lives, could add a single hour? In fact, probably not that radical of a statement. I would say that filling your life with stress and anxiety is probably going to save hours of your life, not add hours to your life. It's probably an unhelpful thing if you want to live a long life, to be constantly stressed and anxious.

So he says, therefore, do not worry, do not worry. He explores the underlying illness of greed as anxiety, anxiety, specifically financial anxiety. So all we need to do, guys, is overcome financial anxiety. Great. I'll see you next week. No worries. That's easier said than done, isn't it? That's easier said than done. Just overcome any anxiety you feel about your financial needs, about your material possessions.

Just don't worry about it. It'll be fine. Because the reality is, when we are swimming in a sea of anxiety, we are going to desperately cling on to anything, whether it's a mortgage being paid off or a shopping trolley full of toilet paper. That's what we saw during Covid. That's what it taught us, right? That amidst the panic and justified anxiety of Covid, a real situation in which our lives were actually in an increased danger, people grabbed on to toilet paper like it was a lifeboat in the middle of a water.

Like, what were they doing? I mean, I personally remember getting down to the last few toilet rolls and being, oh, starting to get the sweats. I'm worrying, what are we going to do? How are we going to get through Covid without toilet paper? We might have to buy a bidet. I mean, it takes a whole new expression to take a trip to the throne.

If we go back to sitting on a big throne of toilet paper in your house. And then what happened was, ultimately, people started to realize that all of this treasure that they'd been hoarding throughout Covid was suddenly worthless because as the anxiety of Covid started to dissipate, people realized this treasure that they'd been stockpiling. They couldn't even sell back to the shops.

This rich fool who hoarded $10,000 worth of toilet paper and sanitizer during Covid. I mean, I can't even get my head around how much toilet paper and hand sanitizer that might be. Even at increased Covid rates. Literally, the shopping center wouldn't buy it back from him, and he was stuck with a treasure trove of toilet paper and hand sanitizer and really post anxiety that it was all worthless.

This is our human condition and Jesus knows this full well and that's what he's speaking into. So he gives us an answer. He says, do not worry. And I love this verse. Luke 1232 he continues, do not be afraid, little flock, for your father has been pleased to give you his kingdom. He's saying, guys, God has already given you the kingdom of heaven.

What more do you need? You are already princes and princesses in the kingdom of heaven. You have inherited an eternal kingdom, an eternal treasure. He says, don't be afraid, little flock. He calls us his little flock, which makes him our big shepherd. He's going to provide for us. Who's going to care for us? He's going to generously is above and beyond what we need.

This is what King David writes in Psalm 23. I'm sure most of you know it. The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil for you.

With me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely your goodness and your love will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. C once we truly understand that we worship a God of abundance who anoints our head with oil and fills our cup up so much that it overflows.

It's not until we really tap into the truth of that, that we can be radically generous in the way that Jesus is calling us to be. What do I mean by that love that he calls us his little flock and tells us to not worry, and tells us how he's given us the kingdom of heaven? He says, sell your possessions and give to the poor.

Provide purses for yourself that will not wear out a treasure in heaven that will never fail. When no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also sell your possessions and give to the poor. Not a Bible verse I see a lot of people getting tattooed on their back. Sell your possessions and give to the poor.

Not most people's favorite memory. Verse. I don't know if any of you have is your password on your online banking? It's usually not one that we talk about a lot. But this is what Jesus is calling us into as the God who came down from heaven onto earth and gave up his very life for us. He's calling us to enter a posture where we're willing to sacrifice pleasure and comfort, and maybe even sometimes a sense of security so that we can support those who are in need, support those who are in greater need than us.

And this is radical, like, it's pretty radical. I mean, who's ever considered selling their TV so they could give more money to charity? Who's ever considered selling the extra cash so they like it's pretty radical to sell your possessions. The things I already have and give to the poor. But you know what's really interesting? It probably would have been less radical for the people who originally heard it, because first century Jews who would have been part of Jesus's listeners, the, you know, entire culture that Jesus came out of being a Jew himself every year that gave 10% to the Levitical priests in the temple, they'd give another 10% towards the festival feasts.

So the the poor and the widows and the orphans could enjoy and partake in this festival together. All of these big seven Jewish festivals throughout the year, and then every third year, another 10% towards the poor and the widows and the orphans. If you include the sort of year of jubilee every seventh year where they wouldn't tithe, it evens out to about 20% a year, 20%.

Now, the New Testament doesn't specify any percentage for us to give, and I think that's for good reason. I think that's wise. But what I'm saying is, does this knowledge change your perception about the generosity of God? Does this information change your perception about maybe how generous God wants us to be? Because as I said in two Corinthians nine seven, Paul is talking about giving money to charity doesn't give a percentage.

He says, each of you should give what you've decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. Church generosity was one of the first signs of the early church. Once the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, the church sold their possessions and shared what they had with one another. Now, this is radical, this is countercultural, and this is very difficult.

And what I don't want us to do today is to walk away and go, well, I'm never going to be able to do that. I mean, have you seen how tight my friend on this is? All I can barely afford to give what I'm already giving. I can't get any more. Like, how am I supposed to be more generous?

How am I supposed to give 20? I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is maybe take an opportunity this week to just look at your finances again, to look at your assets again, and not like the rich fool making a decision by your own wisdom. But like Joseph, seeking God's wisdom, say, how do I want to manage my finances this year so I can prepare to be more generous?

Because God loves a cheerful giver? Let us pray. God, I just want to thank you that you have given us everything we need, that you've given us the Kingdom of heaven and that Jesus you call us your little flock. So, Lord, I just want to pray first and foremost for the people in this room who are experiencing genuine anxiety over their finances right now.

God, I pray that in the same way that you bless that rich fool with a bumper crop for no striving or earning of his own, that you would bless people in this congregation who are genuinely financially struggling with a bumper God. I pray that that would be through the provision of your Holy Spirit, through the generosity of those around them, and through the generosity of our church.

When people are in need. Because God, that's what you call us to be. You call us to be generous to those who are in need. In Jesus. We recognize that you gave up the ultimate offering of your entire life for us on a cross. And God, I just pray that we can continue to tap into that. As Holy Spirit.

You work in our hearts to continue to challenge us in how we can not just be more generous, but more cheerful. When we do give God, we give this time to you. We are clay in your hands. Form us into your likeness. And I pray that as we continue to move into this year, that we would even more so be known as a church who are generous, who are radically generous above and beyond.

Because, Jesus, you were radically generous to us first Jesus name, Amen.