Parables of Jesus
The Rich Fool
Eschatology
Read: Luke 12:16-21
SeeThe Parable of the Rich Fool depicts the futility of the belief that wealth can secure prosperity or a good life. It is introduced by a member of the crowd listening to Jesus, who tries to enlist Jesus' help in a family financial dispute. Jesus responded by saying, "Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you? Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man's life doesn't consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses."
He then tells the tale of a man who has a bountiful crop and says, " This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones... I will tell my soul, ... Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry."
The rich farmer is an example of greed. By replacing his existing barn, he avoids using agricultural land for storage purposes, thus maximizing his income. St. Augustine comments that the farmer was "planning to fill his soul with excessive and unnecessary feasting and was proudly disregarding all those empty bellies of the poor." The character demonstrates what one ought not to be like, namely, someone whose identity is tied up with his or her possessions, status, and/or achievements. Such a person can easily end up unaware of the call of God and the need of his neighbor.
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"The Rich Fool"
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