Perishing Fools

In the Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus calls perishing fools to awaken and live for the love of God and neighbor.

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”

Luke 12:13-21

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The Folly of Hoarding Perishable Goods

The human person—an eternal thirst—vainly clings to earthly goods for happiness and security, which cannot fill the void. The rich man of Jesus’ parable, rejoicing in the bounty of his harvest, forgot the Creator of earthly fruits and his poor, hungry neighbors. His desire to “rest, eat, drink, and be merry” hearkens to the deepest longing of the human heart for eternal rest in God, the heavenly banquet feast, and the joy of divine communion. 

Instead of turning toward the house of the Lord, however, the rich man fixes his gaze on earthly storehouses. Concerned about the shrinking space in his overflowing barns, he dreams of grand granaries for his hoard, reveling in the image of luxurious retirement. In the next instant, God cuts him short with a rebuke on the last day of his life. Utterly unprepared, the dreams and plans of the rich man, built on the illusion of earthly immortality, suddenly dissolve. 

“Take care to guard against all greed,” Jesus warns, “for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” The blessings of wealth find their fulfillment in loving God and neighbor.