The Parable of the Rich Fool : Luke 12:12-35
Worry and anxiety is as ever, if not more, prevalent in the world today.
We can see it on the faces of those all around us hurrying to the train station, dashing along the motorway and striding along the pavements, often oblivious to those around them.
Each generation has its different reasons to worry, it might be me, but I feel that the anxiety ramps up with each new generation caused by a wide range of issues but these days it is very often over money and the acquisition of material goods.
Today, we have a whole industry dedicated to those who worry themselves sick, then they pay for people to advise them how to undo this habit. People who probably spend most of their time worrying about their own issues too.
But in this parable, Jesus tells us that worry is a complete waste of time, particularly about money and the acquisition of material goods.
He gives the parable of the rich fool who has accumulated so much that he is worried about how to store it all. So he builds new barns to store it all in, only to die that night and for all his goods to be dispersed to others.
Jesus says even the birds in the air and the flowers in the fields are looked after by God who provides what they need and they don’t worry about anything at all.
So how much more will he provide for us who he made in his image?
He is telling us in this parable to not be afraid of what might happen to our possessions but build up our treasures in heaven where thieves cannot steal them or moths destroy them.
This means we should work on refining our souls in the ways Jesus taught and centres on holy love.
Because it is our purified soul which God glories in, not the material things we acquire in life, they are completely meaningless in his Kingdom.
You can read the full parable here; Luke 12:13-31
