Scripture Snapshots:
THE RICH FOOL
Series 2 Lesson 8
What would you do if you were given one million dollars? You would probably go to the store or go online and buy all the things that you wanted. Maybe you’d get a four-wheeler or a swimming pool (or both!). What fun you would have spending that much money. You could spend it wisely or foolishly. You might put some away for college or give some to a church or missionaries. You might spend it all on fun and toys, and in the end, you’d have little or nothing to show for it.
Many who have won millions of dollars find that their lives are not happier. Friends and family members may want a part of it and get angry when they don’t get it. Sometimes people want money so much that they work long hours to get it and don’t spend any time with their families.
Others will cheat, lie, or steal to get more money. They think that if they have just a little more money, they will be happy. 1 Timothy 6:10 says that the LOVE of money is the root of all sorts of evil. God wants you to be content (satisfied) with what you have. If you trust Him, he promises to take care of all the things that you need, like food, shelter, and clothes.
Do you know what an inheritance is? It is money or things that someone gets when another person dies. When people die, there is usually a will, a legal paper, which says that the things owned by them are to be divided in a certain way. If no will exists, then family members may decide who gets what. This often leads to fighting and hurt feelings. Instead of a family dividing an inheritance, an inheritance often divides a family. (Example: Two sisters won’t talk because one got a certain lamp, etc.) One day, as Jesus was teaching, a man interrupted Him with a problem. He and his brother were fighting over their inheritance. He asked Jesus to come and settle the matter and make his brother share with him.
Instead, Jesus answered with a parable. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. There once was a rich farmer. He was rich to begin with, but in this particular year, he planted his fields and God blessed him more than ever. The sun shone, and it rained just the right amount. His crops grew and grew. When harvest time came, he had much more than he ever imagined. There was so much grain that his barns wouldn’t hold it all. That much grain could be sold for a large amount of money.
It is important to recognize that this great harvest came from God. A farmer can do everything right - plow, plant, and fertilize, but he has absolutely no control over the weather. It might rain too much and his plants will rot in the ground, or it may only rain a little and his plants wither and die. Insects may attack or animals may eat up the crops; many bad things can happen. God was very good to this farmer.
God had also provided a lot for the man in Jesus’ story. Was he content with what God had given him? Let’s read what the man said. Take out your Bible, if you have one, and read Luke 12:16-19. I want you to count how many times the man says “I” or “my”. How many times did you count “I” and “my”? (11 times) This man didn’t think about anyone but himself. “I’m going to tear down my barns. I’m going to build bigger barns. I’m going to eat, drink, and be merry. I’m going to party. I’ve got it made.” This foolish man was not content to have what he needed. He was greedy, wanting more than was necessary for a comfortable life.
Here’s what God had to say about the foolish man. It’s found in the very next verse. “But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (Luke 12:20) (NKJV) God said the man was a fool, because that very night his soul would be required of him. He was going to die. I’m going to show you some words that go along with the letters from the word FOOL. These describe that man’s life.
F – FORGOT GOD Did the man ever thank God for the great harvest? No, he did not. He forgot that God was the one who gave the harvest. This man not only forgot God, but he forgot other people too. He never once said, “I’ve got so much food here. I wonder if there might be someone who doesn’t have much and could use some help?” No, he just thought of himself. He forgot God in his PRAISE, PLENTY, AND PLANS. He didn’t ask God how he should use his wealth.
O - ONLY PROVIDED FOR HIS BODY This man took good care of his physical body, but didn’t feed his soul at all. He was very weak spiritually. If we could see your “spiritual body”, your soul, what would it look like? Would it be strong because you read your Bible and pray, and try to follow God in all that you do? Or would it be weak because you feed on “junk food” like too much TV or worldly magazines? Today, when you go home, what will you do: sit down and watch TV or play PlayStation until bedtime? Will you spend any time feeding your soul? Will you read your Bible at all today?
The third thing that the man did was: O - OVERLOOKED ETERNITY. This man didn’t think of his future in eternity. He never made plans as to where he would be once he died. God called him a fool, and he died that night and woke up in hell. Where will you spend eternity? Did you know that one day you will die? It might be a long way off, but you never know. Young people die all the time either from sickness or in accidents. Satan says, “Just wait until you’re old to follow God. Do what you want now. There’s plenty of time to get things right with God.” That’s a big lie, because you have no guarantee that you’ll be alive tomorrow. Many people have no idea that today is their last one on earth.!
The last letter in fool: L - LOST EVERYTHING Have you ever been to a funeral? When the hearse went to the cemetery, was it followed by a U-Haul? Do dead people take all of their things with them? When I die, will I be able to take my computer, books, and power tools? Will they do me any good when I’m dead? No, those things will go to someone else.
This man, when he died, was very rich. He had barns full of food, yet the second he died, he lost all of it. Worse of all, he lost his own soul. After Jesus told the parable, He told His disciples, “Don’t worry about the things you need to live.” If you are saved, you can be content, knowing that God, your heavenly Father, will see that you have what you need. Jesus said if you seek to do the things that please Him, God will take care of you.
Guess what? There is a way you can take it with you. Those who have believed in the Lord Jesus for salvation can give their life and money to God. They can send up treasure in Heaven that will never be lost.
There was a great man named Dr. Carl Becker. He was the only doctor in the town of Reading, Pennsylvania, in the 1930s. As a teen, he had promised God that he would one day be a missionary. When he announced plans to go to Africa, the townspeople tried to make him change his mind. They offered to build him a hospital. He would be in charge and make a lot of money. They even threw him a big party. None of this caused him to change his mind. When the time came, he packed up his family and sailed to Africa. He spent the rest of his life caring for sick and dying Africans.
He not only treated their bodies, but also told them about Jesus and how they could have their sins forgiven. Many of them came to trust in Christ.
Dr. Becker was content to have little on earth and to store up treasure in Heaven. One day, there will be a judgment day where God will give rewards to Christians who serve Him. The Fool in our story will have nothing, while Dr. Becker will have great rewards. What a great day that will be for him. What will that day be like for you? There’s nothing wrong with having nice things, but the moment you die, you lose it all. Will you be content with having food, clothes, and a place to live? Will you invest your time, talent, and treasure to serve God and to share the gospel with others? God’s Word says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (I Timothy 6:6) God called this man a FOOL. He forgot God; only provided for his body; overlooked eternity; and in the end, he lost everything. I hope that you will not be a Fool, but wise in trusting your life to Christ.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:36,37)