Luke – Doors Wide Open!
How rich do we want to be? What does it mean to be rich? Would life be easier if we were rich? Do we often worry about not being rich? Would being rich bring resolution and restoration to relationships in our lives? Mm.
Maybe these are the wrong questions to ask. Jesus sets us straight. Listen to this story…
Luke 12, New Living Translation
Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”
14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘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. 19 And I’ll 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!”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
WHAT DO WE LEARN?
1. Life is not measured by how much we own. (These days, can we add, or measured by how much we owe? Just asking for a friend.)
2. Greed is not a spiritual fruit to attain in our lives with the Holy Spirit.
3. To get more and share less if foolish in God’s thinking.
4. A fool thinks I will never have enough.
5. A wise person knocks on God’s door, asks for what He wants for them, and finds all the answers needed to live in rich relationship with the God of all.
6. God created all, owns all and provides all we need.
7. We are His trusted, loving managers as well as His children who will inherit the Kingdom of heaven. We work to hear, “Well done, you good and faithful servant!” because of our love for God. THIS is being rich. I want to be rich in this way, don’t you?
Dear Heavenly Father, Lord and Savior,Jesus, you always have the right story that teaches us about God, the Father and what HE wants in a relationship with us. Oh, how grateful I am that You, the God of the Creation wants to be in a rich relationship with me! Oh how great you love us! I love you with all my heart, mind and soul. I love watching how you work in our lives. Help us to be great managers of what you have provided for us. Thank you for saving us, protecting us and providing enough for us to have and to share. But most of all, thank you for the rich relationship we have with you!
In Jesus Name, Amen
