The Perfect Sage Tells the Story of the Rich Fool
The Perfect Sage Tells the Story of the Rich Fool.
The Biblical Sage: A person known for wisdom, understanding and discernment; for developing the practical art of living skillfully; for growing in moral intelligence; for being able to practice the truth in daily life; for expressing astute insight and shrewd street smarts; for applying knowledge to make thoughtful decisions and healthy choices; for knowing the difference between wise and foolish, right and wrong, beautiful and ugly, good and evil, true and false; for effectively demonstrating a practical spirituality; for choosing to live into Wisdom itself, the Person of Jesus the Anointed One.
The Fool According to Scripture: A person who doesn’t know what is best for himself; who doesn’t learn from mistakes; who is habitually rebellious; who does not consider the consequences of his behavior; who stubbornly remains unteachable; who is content with self-satisfied ignorance; who ignores counsel and discipline; who pridefully rejects a reverence for God; who has access to the truth but rejects it; who is impulsive and unable to control emotions; who is not concerned about moral blindness; who is unaware of his self-destructive lifestyle; who does not recognize the need to change his thinking and behavior; who is gullible, naïve and dim-witted.
The Context of the Story. There was a crowd of people surrounding Jesus, and a man in the crowd tried to recruit Jesus to issue a ruling in an inheritance squabble. This man demands that Jesus be the judge that carries out his wishes. Rather gruffly, Jesus rebuffs this man, and in a disapproving tone tells him that He has no say in the matter. Jesus apparently wants no part in this matter if it divides these 2 brothers involved. Jesus is a reconciler, not a divider. Jesus then drops a pearl of wisdom on the crowd, advising that it pays to be careful of greed, and that quality of life doesn’t depend on having more possessions than you need. He then tells the parable of the rich fool…
“A rich man had a fertile farm that produced bumper crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t even have room for all my crops?’ Then he said to himself, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And then I’ll just sit back and say to myself, ‘My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink and be merry!’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night! Then who will get everything you worked for?” (Luke 12:16-20).
The Jewish Backdrop. Jesus knows that most in the crowd would be very familiar with Psalm 49, His parable being an extended meditation on that psalm and an imaginative version of this very topic: “They trust in their wealth, and boast of the profusion of their riches. But no one can ever redeem himself or pay his own ransom to God, the price for himself is too high; it can never be that he will live on forever and avoid the sight of the abyss… In prosperity people lose their good sense, they become no better than dumb animals. So they go on in their self-assurance, right up to the end they are content with their lot.” (Ps. 49:6-9 and 12-13, New Jerusalem Version).
The Parable. There was a rich man who enjoyed a bumper crop, an unexpected surplus, an influx of unearned wealth. He did nothing to earn or deserve this extra wealth. He debated with himself what to do about this windfall. One notices in the story that the rich man didn’t have a community to rejoice with him about his abundance, he didn’t have friends to talk this over with, he didn’t discuss it with family, he wasn’t thankful to God for the surplus, and he never considered sharing it with those in need. He didn’t need the surplus, but he privately decided to keep it anyway. The rich man gives a speech that totally revolves around himself. One couldn’t find a speech more full of “I, Me, Mine,” more centered on himself, more dominated by the 1st person singular. Preoccupied by self, he forgot about God and others. He doesn’t seem to realize that he is all alone. Just him and his wealth. It was a pitiful speech, and he ended it by saying his goal was to “enjoy himself.”
God Enters the Scene. God thunders into the scene at this point. The Greek word for God here is “Theos,” which is a term for the Divine Being that refers to the Creator, the Owner, the Sustainer of all things. In other words, God is the One who actually owns all these things being hoarded by the rich fool. God didn’t mince any words here, and flatly called the rich man a fool! The Greek word is “aphrones” which means, to put it kindly, someone who is less than brilliant. Other meanings of this term are senseless, without reflection, willful ignorance, short-sighted, and someone who just doesn’t get it because he lacks perspective and doesn’t get the big picture. A fool is someone who lives as though God doesn’t exist, someone who is a functional atheist. Someone who lives with no ultimate accountability or awareness of an eternal destiny. God tells the man his soul, which he thought was his, has actually been on loan, and it’s time to return on the loan. He is to die. God then shows him he was actually poverty-stricken in this life: distant from God, no friends, no community, separated from family, utterly isolated and alone. God says to the rich fool in no uncertain terms, as Kenneth Bailey put it, “Look at what you have done to yourself! You plan alone, you build alone, you indulge alone, and now you will die alone!” The rich fool has lived a pitiful life.
The Storyteller Wraps It Up. Jesus then concludes with another word to the crowd at the end of the story in 12:21… Don’t hoard possessions for yourself, but instead be rich toward God. Other translations put it this way: That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God; storing up treasures for himself instead of being rich in the sight of God; putting all your trust in possessions rather than God; filling up your life with everything but God. Being rich toward God means using your possessions and surplus the way God would want you to. Don’t let your wealth distract you from close communion with God and relationships with others. Serve the needy with the goods you have. Recognize that everything you own is on loan, including your soul and your time on earth. Our church sings a good reminder every Sunday after the offering: “All things come of thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee.” (1 Chron.29:14). Jesus’ word to the wise: Don’t forget your concern for the next life as well as this one. Consider carefully your eternal destiny and make decisions on earth in light of that. Invest in a heavenly relation with God through prayer, study, obedience and Gospel virtues. A trusting union with God and compassionate service to others makes you rich in heaven. Love God and love your neighbor, and you are laying up treasures with God in heaven.
Laying up your treasures in heaven. There is a heartfelt and fascinating old Gospel song in the African-American tradition entitled “Sending Up My Timber.” Here are the lyrics:
“There’s a dream that I dream
of my heavenly home.
I know that I’m going there one day.
May be morning, night or noon,
I just don’t know how soon.
That’s why I’m sending up my timber every day, every day.
My mother and my father, they are waiting for me
in our heavenly, heavenly home.
I know that we all will meet again.
May be morning, night or noon,
I don’t know just how soon,
But I’m sending up my timber every day, every day.
O there’s a mansion somewhere in glory
that the Lord has prepared for you and me.
May be morning, night or noon,
I just don’t know, just how soon.
That’s why I’m sending up my timber every day, every day.
Sending Up My Timber 2003 College Hill Musical – YouTube
The sense in this Gospel classic is that we have a hand in helping Jesus build our heavenly home. Jesus is indeed the builder of our future dwelling place, but we can send Him the materials with which to build our mansion. We send up the timber through our selfless acts of love and faith here on earth. Jesus has the blueprints, we send up the materials.
We daily send up our timber when we earnestly pray, when we sing in praise, when we honor and extol God in word and worship. We send up our timber when we perform acts of kindness and mercy that go unnoticed and unappreciated. We send up timber when we love an enemy, when we forgive someone, when we serve someone. We send up our timber when we sit with the broken-hearted and mourn with them. When we encourage and build up someone, we are sending up our timber for our heavenly home. When we labor in the vineyard, providing a vibrant testimony and spreading the Good News, we are sending up our timber.
Every good deed done in secret sends up a roof beam. Every loving act sends up a 2 x 4 stud. Every intimate conversation we have with God sends up a floorboard. Every time we share the truth, we send up a door post. Every thoughtful word of healing sends up clapboard for the siding. When we follow Jesus’ commands, when we please Him through word and action, we are sending up a truckload of timber for our ongoing construction project in glory land. Sending up our timber is a righteous way to invest in heavenly real estate.
Sending up timber is a way of storing up our treasures in heaven, where no thief can break into the house, where termites and rot cannot destroy it. (Matthew 6:19-20). To send up our timber is to be rich toward God (Luke 12:21) as we live our daily lives in His presence. Sending up timber means we treasure what God treasures, a life of earthly obedience for the sake of the coming Kingdom.
“There are many dwelling places in my Father’s household. If it were otherwise, I would tell you plainly, because I go to prepare a place of rest for you.” (John 14:2). I’ve heard it said that our salvation breaks the ground for our heavenly home. It is then that Jesus has started preparing our home, and we are a part of His construction plans. Sending up our timber now on earth will go far in determining what our heavenly home will look like. Sending up our timber reveals where our treasure is, where our heart is. Good deeds done to please God’s heart are heaven-bound, destined for a believer’s future dwelling.
Perhaps this Gospel song may be used as a savvy piece of marketing for our future home, a way of encouraging each of us to send up our timber… Could I interest you in some heavenly real estate? Build to suit. Experienced builder. You provide the lumber and materials. Eternal satisfaction guaranteed. A can’t-miss investment in a solid neighborhood. Required participation in a profitable lay-away plan.
ARC Choir – Sending Up My Timber/Been To The Water (1994) – YouTube