DOCSLIB.ORG

“Super-Size Me” the Parable of the Rich Fool Luke 12: 13-21, by Marshall Zieman, Preached 8-4-2019 at PCOC

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
“Super-Size Me” the Parable of the Rich Fool Luke 12: 13-21, by Marshall Zieman, Preached 8-4-2019 at PCOC “Super-Size Me” The Parable of the Rich Fool Luke 12: 13-21, by Marshall Zieman, preached 8-4-2019 at PCOC So I woke up this morning thinking about El Paso, and then read on my phone about the shooting in Dayton, Ohio. In light of this, it made my sermon this morning seem sort of irrelevant. I was tempted to just chuck the sermon and have a fireside chat instead, when we can just talk about a slew of things that are coming together across our land and have mixed together like a poisonous cocktail. The ingredients are hate, hate speech, political rallies that stir up hate, mental health, guns, violence, and social media. It’s not just one thing, it’s all of these things mixed together that are culminating in acts of mass violence. A time is coming when we need to address all of these things together. Our nation needs to figure out how to come together and talk, and so should people of faith. How can we best address this? What do you think we should do? Let’s keep that in mind as we turn to Luke’s gospel and continue in our sermon series looking at Jesus interacting with various folks. In answer to the question, “How much is enough?” Will Rogers was quoted as saying, “Just a little bit more.” That’s usually the answer we give, too, whether we’re talking about money, or sleep, or sex, or vacation, or chocolate or Husker victories. We can never get enough. In our scripture passage for today, Jesus talks about this subject of how much is enough? We continue in Luke’s gospel. This morning we are in chapter 12 and we begin in verse 13. 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God! So, I just think it’s funny that this story in our lectionary schedule comes right after our Big Annual Church Garage Sale. I mentioned last week how full the basement was. In my 5 years here, I’ve never seen it so full. I know that we’ve made several thousand dollars in sales this year. 2 So the first good news is that instead of building bigger barns to store all this stuff, at least we had the decency to pawn it off on others. But Jesus’ words here were not meant as a means to address the sins of gluttony or over-accumulation per se. It’s that last thing he says which provides our focal point for this passage: “if you’re not rich towards God.” So, sure, go ahead and built your bigger barn, just make sure not to lose sight of God in all of it. However, the point is, that’s a bigger temptation than you realize. It’s easy to think, if I had a bigger house, a bigger garage, more storage capacity, my life would be so much better. Would it? I remember when we first moved here, one of the things I loved most about our new house is our garage. I’m sort of embarrassed to say it’s a 3-car garage. We’ve never had a 3-car garage. When we were considering buying this house the garage was empty, so it looked even bigger; a giant cavern. Becky liked other things, but I liked that garage. In my defense, the house we left behind in Dallas had a tiny, one-car, wet, leaky, old detached garage. Our Honda barely fit. So to see this new garage was like, heaven. I put shelves in it, and our cars easily fit. All our lawn equipment fits. It’s great. A few days after we moved in, I was driving down our street, and just a few houses away I drove by a house with a 4-car garage. And then, down the road from our house is this country estate house, and I looked at it: They have a 5-car garage! Suddenly my garage started feeling a little cramped as I imagined all that I could do with a 5-car garage. Now, first of all, that is envy, which for good reason is called one of the seven deadly sins. Secondly, this is like literally wanting to build myself a bigger barn. And no, God was not really a part of that equation. Author and seminary professor, Michael Battle, writes this: "We learn the essential lesson: do not attempt to possess things, for things cannot really be possessed. Only make sure you are not possessed by them, lest your god change." You really can’t possess your things, but they sure can possess you, and then your god changes. If you’re storing up treasures for yourself, better make sure that you are richer towards God - that your things don’t possess you. In our passage, the problem wasn’t that he was rich. He wasn’t a fool because he was rich. But he’s called the Rich Fool because he wasn’t rich towards God - his things now possessed him - and only a bigger barn would do. So, which of your things possess you? We’re all so different. Is it your house? Your cars? Your back yard? Your den? Your sound system? Your security system? Your clothes, your shoes, your jackets? Or maybe it’s just your assets in general - your Index Funds, your IRAs? 3 Jesus warns us in verse 15: “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Throughout history, God has repeatedly warned us about this because of what our possessions have the power to do… lead us away from God. Way back when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, the first commandment was “You shall have no other gods before me.” The second was, “You shall not make for yourself an idol.” I think this second commandment is the longest of all ten, because God goes to the trouble to spell it out: “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them…” Wherever they appear! Don’t make them your god, your idol, don’t let them lead you astray! For your own good, God doesn’t want you to share your affections with these other things. In this sense, God is described, later on in Exodus, as a Jealous God. Jealous for your affection. Ever wonder what preachers sounded like back in the 1800’s? Here is a snippet of a sermon from Charles Spurgeon in 1863, on the results of Idolatry: “Brethren, the whole history of the human race is a record of the wars of the Lord against idolatry. The right hand of the Lord hath dashed in pieces the enemy and cast the ancient idols to the ground. “Behold the heaps of Nineveh! Search for the desolations of Babylon! Look upon the broken temples of Greece! See the ruins of Pagan Rome! Journey where you will, you behold the dilapidated temples of the gods and the ruined empires of their foolish votaries. The moles and the bats have covered with forgetfulness the once famous deities of Chaldea and Assyria. The Lord hath made bare his arm and eased him of his adversaries, for Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (CH Spurgeon, sermon #502, March 29, 1863, Newington) The whole human race struggles with breaking the second commandment. Don’t make for yourself an idol. I think the temptation will always be there. But there is good news - Jesus gives us an anti-dote to idolatry. It’s found in the last thing Jesus says in this passage: being rich towards God. I’m going to spell out a few things for us, but I’ll bet you already have a sense of what this means. If you’re rich towards God, what would you be, how would you live? Well, you’d be interested in what God thinks about things, careful to include what we know about God in our decisions, respectful of what we already know about God, interested in knowing more about God’s opinions of things, determined to do what God says to do, and desiring to see yourself as God’s ambassador.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Catholic Scripture Study Series I
    CATHOLIC SCRIPTURE STUDY Catholic Scripture Study Notes written by Sister Marie Therese, are provided for the personal use of students during their active participa- tion and must not be loaned or given to others. SERIES I THE GOSPEL OF LUKE AND ACTS OF THE APOSTLES Lesson 2 Commentary Luke Lesson 3 Questions Luke 1 THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS Luke I. INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPELS • as a Jewish authority figure, a Pharisee or Sadducee? A. The World Situation at Jesus’ Time. One Empire, the Roman, controlled the countries No, Jesus came humbly, and began a ministry around the Mediterranean Sea (most of Europe), primarily to the needy, the powerless. He: and some of Africa. • fed the hungry • forgave sinners Palestine, the land of the Jewish people, ex- • healed the sick and the tormented tended about 150 miles long, and 30-50 miles • was a friend to the poor and the outcast, wide. It was a country smaller than the state of the blind, the lame, the paralyzed, tax col- Massachusetts. It was governed by Roman offi- lectors and prostitutes. cials and under Roman laws, but it was also under another Law—the Law of God, coming from the The death of Jesus was highly predictable, un- revelation of Himself to Abraham and his de- der the circumstances; supernaturally, it was the scendants—the Israelites. This law was taught and main event of our salvation. enforced by the Sanhedrin, composed of the priests, the scholars (the scribes), and the Jewish The Resurrection of Jesus was unpredictable leaders—Pharisees and Sadducees. and unbelieved by many; the Father’s gift of Jesus was irrevocable and definitive.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rich Fool
    "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org) The Rich Fool Introduction. 1. Luke records these words in Luke 12:13-14. LUK 12:13 And someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." LUK 12:14 But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbiter over you?" a. The account of The Rich Fool is unique and is found only in the gospel of Luke. b. Someone from the crowd asks Jesus to be an “arbiter” between he and his brother, but Jesus rejected that role. c. Jesus indicated He did not come to settle such disputes. (Lk. 12:14). d. He had come to seek and save the lost. (Lk. 19:10). 2. Jesus uses this occasion to warn against “every form of greed” [covetousness] (Lk. 12:15). LUK 12:15 And He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." C “pleonexia” [pleh ah neks ee ah] - “greediness, covetousness.” C Lit. “every form of greediness or covetousness.” a. What the brother wanted could be settled by the courts. 1) The Old Testament gave clear teaching regarding the inheritance of property. (Deut. 21:15-17; Num. 27:1-11; 36:7-9). 2) The circumstances of the dispute are not given, and are not important to the lesson Jesus wanted to stress.
    [Show full text]
  • Sunday School Lesson (Mark 10:17-27) Stewardship for Kids Ministry-To-Children.Com/Heart-Of-Giving-Lesson
    Salem Kids Stewardship Series 2020 Schedule & Topics January • 12th - God’s Call to Give (Matthew 25:14-30) • 19th - The Spiritual Discipline of Stewardship (Colossians 3:2) • 26th - Heart of Giving (Mark 10:17-27) February • 9th - Money & Wise Stewardship (Luke 16:1-15) • 16th - Counting the Cost (Luke 14:25-35) • 23rd - Parable of the Rich Foolish Man (Luke 12:13-21) March • 8th - The Widow’s Two Coins (Mark 12:38-44) • 15th – Putting God First - The Rich Man & Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) • 22nd – A Generous and Sacrificial Giver (Mark 12:41-44) 1 | P a g e 2 | P a g e Lesson: God’s Call to Give (Matthew 25:14-30) Stewardship for Kids ministry-to-children.com/stewardship-lesson-1 Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30 Supplies: Pencils, paper, yellow circles of construction paper Lesson Opening: What is Stewardship? Ask: Has anyone ever heard the word “Steward” before? What do you think it means? (A steward is someone who takes care of another person’s property.) Ask: What does it mean to be responsible for something? Ask: What are some things that you are responsible for? Ask: Did you know that God has made each of us stewards? We are all stewards over the things that God entrusts to us. Say: We’ll hear a parable, or story, about 3 servants who were responsible for their master’s money. Pray that God would open their hearts to His Word today and that He would stir our hearts to be good stewards of His creation and that we would give back to Him with thankful hearts.
    [Show full text]
  • Deas Eddie 1984
    THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL; HISTORY OF INTERPRETATION AND EXEGESIS Submitted by Eddie Deas, III, M.A. May 1, 1984 APPROVED Faculty:ulty Advisorj DATE: APPROVEDi= Vice Pres.'Fo^r TYcad^ic/^^ervices DATE: 0'S7/D: TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. INTERPRETATION HISTORY OF PARABLES 5 III. EXEGESIS OF LUKE 12:13-21 9 CONCLUDING REMARKS . ... .. 2 2 BIBLIOGRAPHY 24 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION I£ any person is just passingly acquainted with the Gospels(Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) then he or she would readily agree that Jesus was a master in the usage of oral communication forms. His words had a power to move, change and shape peoples lives. Jesus had a way of "turning a phrase" quite unlike any of the other personalities of his day. In many respects Jesus' teachings-while appearing to re¬ semble that of other teachers(Rabbis)-was often a thing apart. As a teacher Jesus utilized varying oral forms; one of his most often used forms was that of the parable. It was obvious that Jesus was adept at utilizing this literary form, but the question remains as to what purpose. A central question surrounding parable interpretation today is precisely this concern. The term parable comes from the Greek word Parabole and in Hellenistic Greek it had a meaning that was closely related to the Hebrew word Mashal. This Hebrew word, Mashal often had a wide range of applications; including proverbs, riddles, wise sayings, extended metaphors, and prophetic sayings. Similarly Joachim Jeremias wrote: "This word (parabole) may mean in the common speech.
    [Show full text]
  • Luke Study Guide
    Going Deeper Luke-Acts There is nothing quite as powerful as studying the life of Jesus. My hope is that we slow down and take the time to watch, listen, and experience Jesus interacting with hurting people, walking with the Father, and changing the world through his love, compassion, and power. Everyone who interacts with Jesus is changed! This study is designed for us to engage in that life changing interaction. Jesus establishes his disciples and puts them on mission. We are asking Jesus to do the same in and through us. May we fall more in love with Him, worship Him, and follow His lead. Please enjoy your time in God’s Word with the Savior. Your pastors serve you with excitement and joy. We can’t wait to experience how God will continue to use His Word to shape and grow us all. For the love of the Savior and the fulfillment of His mission, Mike Graham Pastor of Group Life The Design and Intention of this Study The study guide that has been prepared is not a verse by verse study of Luke. Luke is the largest New Testament book and such a study could be quite overwhelming to develop or use. The intention of this study guide is to help the reader stop, watch, and learn from Jesus in the book of Luke. The study guide will focus on aspects of Jesus’ life, ministry, and teaching. Quite a bit of Luke will be addressed, but not every difficult verse and concept will be explained and taught.
    [Show full text]
  • Outline for the Gospel of Saint Luke
    THE GOSPEL OF LUKE The Inclusiveness of this Gospel Addressed to a Greek 10 And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people Luke 2:10 (RSV) “ a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel." Luke 2:32 The Gospel of Mary 1:26-38 The Annunciation 1:39-56 The Visitation 1:46-55 The Magnificat The Gospel of Forgiveness Forgiving of Sinful Woman 7:36-50 The parable of the Merciful Father 15:11-32 The parable of the Pharisee and Tax-collector 18:9-14 The blind man on the road near Jericho 18:35-43 And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Luke 23:34 The Good Thief And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And [Jesus] said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:42-43 (RSV) The Gospel of the Holy Spirit 34 And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" 35 And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. Luke 1:34-35 (RSV) 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Luke 1:41-42 (RSV) 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
    [Show full text]
  • “The Parable of the Rich Fool” (Luke 10:25-37) Dan Collison September
    The Parables of Jesus Provocations in Wisdom “The Parable of the Rich Fool” (Luke 10:25-37) Dan Collison September 1, 2019 SCRIPTURE 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”15 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.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “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. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “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?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.
    [Show full text]
  • Sunday School@Home – the Parable of the Rich Fool Lesson Background This Lesson Is Based on One of the Many Recorded Parables
    Sunday School@Home – The Parable of the Rich Fool Lesson Background This lesson is based on one of the many recorded parables of Jesus. Parables are sometimes seen as moral tales like fables but they have much more to offer than a simple lesson of right and wrong. The parable of rich fool speaks to greed, self-concern and lack of compassion and sharing. Lesson Plan Read/Paraphrase: Jesus was a great teacher. He told stories using familiar objects and activities that the listeners of his day could understand. He sometimes told stories called parables. Today we are going to read and discuss The Parable of the Rich Fool. Younger children – Read/Paraphrase the children’s Bible version of our parable. It is at the end of this email. We are using the text from The Read-Aloud Bible Stories by Ella K. Lindvall for this lesson. This parable does not appear in our usual Milton Bible. Grades 1,2 – Show the children Luke 12:13-21 in an adult Bible. Read/Paraphrase the story from the children’s Bible at the end of this email. Share: Jesus told this parable to the people of his time long ago. These people would understand being rich because as a farmer you were good at growing wheat and having much of this crop to store. Ask: Do you like this parable? What did the farmer do well? What are somethings the farmer did not think about? Do you think building bigger barns was a good idea? What are some other things the farmer could have done with his wheat? Share: We all have choices about how we use our blessings.
    [Show full text]
  • The Interpretation of Parables
    Grace Theological Journal 11.2 (1970) 3-20 Copyright © 1970 by Grace Theological Seminary. Cited with permission. THE INTERPRETATION OF PARABLES VERNON D. DOERKSEN Assistant Professor of Theology and New Testament Arizona Bible College The striking importance of the parabolic method of teaching in Jewish thinking can be seen from this passage in the Apocrypha: But he that giveth his mind to the law of the most High, and is occupied in the meditation thereof, will seek out the wisdom of all the ancient, and be occupied in prophecies. He will keep the sayings of the renowned men: and where subtil parab1es are, he will be there also. He will seek out the secrets of grave sentences, and be conversant in dark parables (Eccles. 39:1-3). Our Lord made ready use of the parabolic method of teaching to the extent that Mark comments "but without a parable spake he not unto them" (4:34). The parables are not mere human tales; they are teachings of the Son of God, the One to whom the crowd listened gladly (Mk. 12:37). Of Him it is declared, "...the people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matt. 7:28, 29). Of the parables, Armstrong writes: Indeed, they are sparks from that fire which our Lord brought to the earth (Lk. xii. 49)--the message of One who was 'a prophet...and more than a prophet' (Mk. xi.9; Lk. vii. 16)1 Christ's parables are not of mere man.
    [Show full text]
  • RICH FOOL Luke 12:13-23
    PARABLE: RICH FOOL Luke 12:13-23 STRUCTURE Key-persons: Jesus, and the man who interrupted him; in the parable: the rich man Key-location: Region of Perea Key-repetitions: • Life: life does not consist in possessions (Lk 12:15); don’t worry about life (Lk 12:23); life is more than food and clothes (Lk 12:23). • Possessions: life does not consist in having possessions (Lk 12:15); man’s farm, crops, and barn (Lk 12:16); bigger barns (Lk 12:18); good things stored up (Lk 12:18-19); a fool stores up material riches for himself, but is not rich in God’s sight (Lk 12:21). • Inheritance: one brother wanted his share of the inheritance (Lk 12:13); God asked the rich man who would get what he accumulated after his death (Lk 12:21). Key-attitudes: • Brother’s greed, anger, arrogance, and impatience as he interrupted Jesus. • Rich man’s satisfaction with possessions. • Rich man’s foolish arrogance. Initial-situation: Jesus' third year of public ministry began when King Herod ordered the murder of John the Baptist. The people were furious with King Herod. After Jesus multiplied the bread and fish and fed 5,000 men, the people wanted to annihilate King Herod and crown Jesus. When Jesus refused the people’s demand to lead a popular revolution, the people felt betrayed by Jesus. That ended his popularity with the multitudes. The religious leaders' antagonism toward Jesus increased. The people flip-flopped between excitement for Jesus when he performed a miracle, and anger toward Jesus when they didn't like his teaching.
    [Show full text]
  • Faithful Managers For
    Stewardship Principle #4 Faithful Managers For God “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” “Investing Your Treasure for Christ II” Luke 16:10 (NIV) Luke 12:13-21; Malachi 3:6-12 Pastor Gary Barber III. The Basics of Tithing March 17, 2013 Tithing was practiced before the Law of Moses I. The Parable of the Rich Fool – Luke 12:13-21 o Genesis 14:18-20; 28:20-22 “And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an Tithing was incorporated into the Law of Moses abundant harvest…. Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my o Lev. 27:30-33; Num. 18:21-24; Deut. 14:21-29 barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain…. “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 Jesus affirmed tithing will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward o Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42 God.”” Luke 12:16, 18, 20-21 (NIV) God promises unique blessings to those who tithe “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My Question: Are you rich towards God? house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rich Fool Lesson Plan Key Verses: (Luke 12:16-21) Objectives
    Parables of Jesus Our Stay-at -Home series is about the Parables Jesus told. Jesus used the parables to explain to us concepts that may otherwise be difficult to understand. Over the next several weeks we will look at the earthly stories and explain and apply the heavenly meaning that goes with them. I have included a short story video for this lesson. Please use the link below to access the video. Link to the Story Video - The Rich Farmer - https://youtu.be/Pcg3SSZpVnI (copy and paste into the search engine) 1 The Rich Fool Lesson Plan Key Verses: (Luke 12:16-21) Objectives: 2’s&3’s - To be introduced to the concept of a parable. To learn the parable of the Rich Fool 4’s&5’s - To be introduced to the concept of a parable. To learn the parable of the Rich Fool K & 1st - To learn a Parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. To understand the parable of the Rich Fool. To learn to Put God First. 2nd & 3rd - To learn a Parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. To understand the parable of the Rich Fool. To learn to Put God First. 4th & up - To learn a Parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. To understand the parable of the Rich Fool. To learn to Put God First. Application: 2’s&3’s - I can Put God First. 4’s&5’s - I can Put God First. K & 1st - I can choose the right priority and Put God First.
    [Show full text]