Luke 12:13-21 (NRSV)
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.”
Luke 12:13-21 contains two segments regarding greed and possessions.
Verses 13-15 (unique to Luke) is a controversy dialogue on a dispute over the inheritance. It is a unitary composition, which means the saying of Jesus is intelligible only in the context of the story, which, as is characteristic in Luke, introduces a parable of the rich fool. It reflects an historical reminiscence or anecdote in the ministry of Jesus.[1]As a controversy dialogue, it shows Jesus in the role of a scribe, interpreting points of law and people were comfortable approaching him for decisions on points of law.[2] It offers a warning against greed. The context is a raucous crowd of thousands that trod upon each other (12:1), but. given that Jesus has been discussing fearless and faithful witness even in the face of persecution, doing so before the synagogues, rulers, and authorities (12:11), the nameless person interrupts by asking Jesus to arbitrate a dispute over an estate. The questioner recognized Jesus as a religious authority who could properly address this question. Deut 21:15-17, Num 27:1-11, 36:1-9 deal with issues related to inheritance, which would give him legal authority to provide an answer. Regardless of the respect the person has for Jesus, the question seems silly in that he does not get what Jesus is doing or saying. Jesus responds by answering with “fellow” or “sir” (Ἄνθρωπε, preserving the aloofness of the Greek text), Jesus responds with a retort reminiscent of Moses in Ex 2:14, indicating it may have become proverbial, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” In the Gospel of Thomas: A man said] to Him, "Tell my brothers to divide my father's possessions with me." He said to him, "O man, who has made Me a divider?" He turned to His disciples and said to them, "I am not a divider, am I?" Jesus clarifies that he has no authority to decide on this matter. Jesus clearly rejects the typical role of a respected rabbi to judge in such disputes. Jesus points to the underlying issue of such disputes. Jesus turns to the crowd and says in verse 15, Take heed and beware of all covetousness (πλεονεξίας, greediness, entire disregard for the rights of others). He acknowledges that greed and covetousness are difficult to see and to guard against, the vice of a fool (v. 20). For a one’s life (ζωὴ) does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions. The concerns of greed and jealousy are nothing compared to one's life. The general point, like the moral instruction of the wisdom tradition, is that to live only for creature comforts is shallow and that avarice is folly. Thus, his refusal to give a decision is primarily on the ground that the possession of property is irrelevant to the life of the age to come.[3]
Luke 12: 16-21 (unique to Luke) is the narrative parable of the rich fool with an application.[4] In context, the prior section handled the question of the substance of life, while this section turns to its close cousin, the soul (ψυχήν). It shows that the word of Jesus can be sharp toward those with riches, for only a fool builds barns in the face of catastrophe.[5] In context, the parable will explain why Jesus regards earthly wealth is negligible.
The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And 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. And I will say to my soul (ψυχῇ, in this case, the place of feeling, a person experiencing joy that emphasizes the physical activities, but includes the psychological activities as well), Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.' The man in his self-satisfaction makes a decision that affects the value of his life before God.[6] In Ecclesiastes 8:1-17, the recommendation is familiar for this author: he commends enjoyment, for the only good human life has is the simple pleasure to eat, drink, and enjoy the company friends. Similar wording is in Isaiah 22:13, but with the different point that in their eating, and drinking and merrymaking, when they should be mourning, the Lord will judge them. For Jesus, it is the fool who advised himself to take his ease, eat, drink, and be merry, not realizing that God would take his life that night. Enjoyment of the pleasures of this life does not leave one free of moral obligation to others. For Paul (I Cor 15:32), the attitude of eating, drinking, and being merry is the type of life one leads when one has no sense of accountability to God for one’s life. For him, the phrase refers to a superficial approach to human life. We can see that this author has a different understanding of the phrase, suggesting that since we know so little about the ways of God in this world, that the ways of God are so hidden that we cannot observe them, then the best we can do is enjoy the simple pleasures of this life of food, drink, and friends, for the harsh reality is that life is difficult and then we die. But God said to him as in a dream, 'Fool! Such a person in practice denies the existence of God. he does not take God into account. This night your soul is required of you, for life is a loan that God gave and declares that its return will be demanded, the person being responsible for the life God has given and must one day present to God for judgment;[7] and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' As a fool, he fails to see the sword of Damocles, the threat of death, hanging over his head.[8] Luke provides the application: So is one who lays up treasure for oneself and is not rich toward God.
A certain king, who had collected rich treasures, was summoned by the angel of death at the very moment when he was sitting at a luxurious table, and saying to himself: Soul, you have amassed for yourself all the good things of the world, and now you can enjoy them in a long life and good fortune.[9] In Sirach 11:18-19, there is that increases in wealth by wariness and pinching, and this is the portion of the reward. When he says to himself that he has found rest, and now will eat of his goods, he knows not what time shall pass and he shall leave them to others, and die.
Wealth has richly blessed a man. His land produced good harvests; he no doubt worked hard to make it happen. His riches are not ill-gotten gain. He is an honest man, highly respected in his community. We have no hint that anyone thinks badly of him. He is careful and conservative: He planted, and the soil, rain, sun, and wind rewarded him with a lavish harvest. The simple statement of his wealth leads to a mental monologue by the rich man. The decisive moment in this story is not the external response of the rich man - rather, it is his internal decision. Jesus has similar concerns in Matt 5:22-48, where one might externally conform to Torah but have an internal life that rebels against it. In this parable, the internal conversation leads him to a keen sense of security. His soliloquy shows that he makes no connection between his good fortune and God's graciousness or his responsibility to the graciousness. Here is his first decision. His greed seems harmless. He is simply a man who loves possessions. These are the things for which he lived and which gave meaning to his life. He stored his treasure for himself rather than allow others to benefit from their judicious distribution. He outlines an epicurean future by speaking to his soul to relax, eat, drink, and be merry.’ This monologue permits the audience to observe the man considering what his course of action will be with this abundant harvest. His internal decision is crucial. This saying closely resembles popular versions of the philosophy of Epicureanism. It did not take long for devotees to define it as the license to "eat, drink and be merry." His tone is self-congratulatory. We now turn to the unexpected intrusion, a new, intruding voice that disrupts his complacency, not with active divine judgment, but rather with the reality of the limits of life. Life is short. He had forgotten how suddenly God and death can intervene in human plans. Jesus puts the life of this rich man in perspective, breaking into the hedonistic optimism of the man with the voice of God. In no other parable of Jesus does God intrude in such an explicit way. God describes him as a fool. Avarice keeps one focused upon this worldly life, neglecting the claims of God. The fool does not consider the larger picture. Possessions will not bring delight and protection to a soul that will always long for a deeper and more meaningful connection with eternity. God has profoundly different plans from the plans of the fool. His sudden death will mean that he will no long have access to his dreams of material success. His possessions will do him no good now. The egocentricity of greed creates a bankrupt relationship between the "fool" and God. The plans of the rich man will not usurp the divine plan. The super abundant harvest will go to others as God intended, not to the rich man. Once we are dead, and we all must die, our earthly riches cannot follow us. When God suddenly requires his soul, he dies. All that he has on earth no longer belongs to him, but now passes on to others. It should have occurred to the rich fool that God would ask him for his soul. He gave his soul poor instructions about how to find security and pleasure. "For what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" (9:25) The rich fool has forgotten about God. The rich fool also has forgotten about death. He does not have humble gratitude for the material blessings of his life. Therefore, fools keeping such wealth to themselves, live spiritually bankrupt lives. The rich fool chose to "store up" the wrong valuable in the wrong place. The contrast in the final verse is striking. There are those who store up goods "for themselves," and there are those who are "rich toward God." Human life is more than the abundance of the things we possess. What we need is to become rich toward God. To be rich toward God demands appropriate use of possessions. It is a metaphorical point like that of other parables that portray an inappropriate response to the coming of God's imperial rule. This farmer fails to respond appropriately to the situation.
Jesus brings a consideration of death into one's present life. It can be helpful to envision our grave, reminding ourselves, "Don't get lost here. Know where you're going."[10] One day people will have to answer for their conduct beyond what they possess. The fool is godless, in that there is no acknowledgment of God and without the recognition of the responsibility to use one's wealth for others and in not reckoning with death. Right when the fool achieves life's ambition, death removes its fulfillment. This parable does not address in itself the accumulation of wealth, but it does sharply examine what those who are wealthy should do with their riches. One of the most significant points in this parable of the rich fool is that his land produces so abundantly that his existing storage facilities were incapable of holding all his crops.
The quandary of the rich man then is not just how he should deal with this enormous new harvest, but more significantly, how he should respond to this gracious blessing from God. There is no exterior mode of reference for this rich man. He directs all his musings, all his considerations, towards his own self. For some people, money is their first, last, and only love. This rich man focused only on his own needs and his own future. It is, thus, not surprising that the solution he produces is also wholly selfish. The rich farmer not only denies a tithed portion to the God who so magnanimously blessed him with this harvest. He also dishonors the social contract that would stand between him and his community.
Since Mary uttered the words of The Magnificat (1:46-55), Luke has been telling us about the reversal of fortunes of the rulers and the humble: "He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty" (1:53, NIV). Time after time in his gospel, Luke addresses the difficult subject of the burden of possessions: John the Baptist proclaims, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same" (3:11, NIV). Jesus cautions, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (18:25, NIV), and tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus (16:19-31). The rich fool has forgotten about death, God and the sorry state of being a person of greed. Luke will continue, even after Pentecost, to set the standard for the disciples as the voluntary sharing of one's goods with others (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32). The act of being a generous individual, with the conviction that one is to share one's bounteous possessions, is lost on the rich fool. He does not see that accumulating his plentiful crop in bigger barns deprives others. The rich fool does not need to build larger barns for himself; he needs to fill the barns of others! "Blessed is the rich person who is found blameless, and who does not go after gold. Who is he, that we may praise him? For he has done wonders among his people" (Sirach 31:8). Instead of God calling him a fool, the assembly could have called him "Blessed." His foolishness is not just greed, but is his complete, utter self-concern. He is blind to the truth that God will hold him accountable.
Our internal conversation needs to include the reminder that wealth cannot buy happiness. Seek wisdom, goodness, truth, and beauty, and happiness will find us soon enough. Happiness is the by-product of a well-lived human life. Any earthly pleasures we enjoy are to be treasured, but not as if they are eternal. The soul is of greater value than any earthly possession could satisfy. We discover the elusive quality of happiness when we realize that the more finite pleasure we have, the more we will desire. Hope for more will rise, but with it will also raise our deepest pain. Wealth holds out the possibility of becoming the means through which we can have every happiness in this life. Yet, if we are fortunate, we will learn that such greed is a foolish way to live. What a person is contributes more to happiness than what one has. Wisdom is path of learning what to do with leisure and wealth. The superficial person will never learn that path.[11]
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[6] Schweizer, TDNT, IX, 640-1.
[7] Schweizer, TDNT, IX, 647.
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[10] (The Door, May/June 1995).
[11] Schopenhauer, Essays, “Wisdom of Life.”
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