Heavenly Portfolios

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Luke 12: 13-21

Now Jesus was speaking to His disciples while a crowd listened in, eager to hear what their newfound Messiah had to say. Jesus knew that the time was fast approaching when martyrdom would be in most of His closest friends’ futures. He wanted to prepare them with something they could carry when that time came. He wanted them to have the same inner peace that He had.

He first spoke of hypocrisy and the ease of fooling your fellow man, but He wanted His men to understand that God sees right through the camouflage. It might as well be shouted from the rooftops. He also spoke of those who would persecute and inflict pain on the outer man. Everyone has an aversion to physical anguish and discomfort. Jesus explained that they can only kill the flesh, but every spirit of humanity rests in the hands of the Almighty.

“A man has but one life to lose, and one soul to save; and it is madness to sacrifice the salvation of the soul to the preservation of the life.” Adam Clarke, 1832

Jesus talked about the great value of every man, woman, and child. He wanted His disciples to realize their lives were precious and remembered before God. He wanted them to be strong and understand that if they proclaimed Jesus their Lord before men, He would declare them before the angels and His Father. I don’t think that there’s a better reference in the world.

He then warns them not to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. To be clear, blaspheming isn’t just some words spoken against the works of the Holy Spirit. It is an attitude of the heart that refuses His guidance and work. This attitude will never seek repentance; therefore, it can never be forgiven.

Jesus even prepared them when they were brought before the authorities. “Don’t worry about what to say to defend yourselves. The Holy Spirit will be your spokesperson. He’ll give you the words to say." When a man is on trial for his faith, God promises to supply his divine defense.

Jesus was interrupted when a man called out from the crowd, “Rabbi, settle an accounting issue for me about my rightful inheritance.” Jesus answered with a pointed response: “Man, I’m not the CPA of your worldly stuff.” Clearly, the man wasn’t listening to the intent of Jesus’ message. He wanted Jesus to take sides against his brother. But now that the issue was raised, it provided Jesus with a perfect lead-in to His next topic: worldly “stuff.”

Here’s a story for you, Jesus continued. There was this very successful farmer. He possessed the proverbial “green thumb,” one bountiful harvest after another. I have a big problem, he thought. I have too much bounty and no place to keep it! Some might say to themselves, “I’d like to have that problem!”

But the man decided to tear down his existing storage facilities and build newer, bigger “barns” to keep his “stuff” safe. After he did all that, he told himself, “Now I can take it easy; sit back, relax, and enjoy my 'stuff.'”

The first night of his retirement, the farmer’s time on earth was finished; his soul was required. God must have shaken His head. “What a foolish man! Who will benefit from your earthly bounty now? At least those named in your will are happy! All the earthly “stuff” he had accumulated was lost. Additionally, he had stored absolutely nothing in heaven, where it counts. Our primary concern should always be to put our “stuff” in the storage facilities of heaven.

Caution: Be careful not to hold on too tightly to your things. Neither should you be jealous of the things other people have. That’s not what your life here on earth is about. Seek first the kingdom of God, and He’ll give you everything He knows you’ll need. That's a secure "Heavenly Portfolio!"