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Who’s a Fool
Luke 12: 13 – 21 |
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Summary
Definition of a Fool Some people say that words are cheap. Jesus didn’t think so. He thought words are both wonderful and dangerous. They are eternal in their power. Jesus said that on the Day of Judgment, our words will justify us or condemn us. I find that very frightening. In fact, Jesus said that at the Day of Judgment we will “have to give an account for every careless word” we’ve spoken. In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus said something even more emphatic about words. He said that the language we use can be like an act of murder. So if we call somebody a fool, it is such an evil act that we “will be liable to the hell of fire.” And yet, one day Jesus himself called a man a fool. If Jesus, who taught that every word makes us open to judgment, and who warned especially against using a word like fool — if Jesus himself called a man a fool, he must have been very sure of what he was saying. The word came in the midst of a lesson, near the conclusion of a story. Jesus must have been very conscious of what he was saying if he dared to use this forbidden word. So it would be good to know how Jesus defined a fool. The scripture setting It happened this way. One day while Jesus was teaching, a man in the crowd interrupted him. He said, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” It’s interesting, isn’t it, that people were arguing over wills and inheritances in Jesus’ day, just as they are today! The man who threw out the request obviously respected Jesus. He wanted to have Jesus on his side, and he felt that if Jesus spoke, the brother would pay attention. But Jesus answered quite sharply. He refused to be an arbitrator between the brothers. Instead, he warned against “all kinds of greed.” He said that a person’s life doesn’t consist in the abundance of his possessions. And then Jesus told them a story. He made his point by telling a story, a parable. It’s a fascinating story, partly because some things about it are so familiar. You might have read it this morning in the business section of your Sunday paper, or in the weekend edition of The Wall Street Journal. Or for that matter you may have seen the story come to life before your eyes in one of our shopping malls. But let’s go on with the story. Jesus said that there was a rich man whose land “produced abundantly.” In fact, the crops were so great that he didn’t have storage facilities to handle them. He asked himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” And then — clever, ingenious man that he was, he answered his own question. “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.” See: We might well have read this story this morning or witnessed it in the shopping mall. Perhaps we’ve heard someone who said, “My business is prospering to the point that I have to expand. We’re opening another restaurant in the western shopping mall.” Or, if the story is in The Wall Street Journal, the executive says, “We project opening 137 new stores this year, with special emphasis on the West Coast.” And we applaud. We may even add, “The American dream still works. Private enterprise is alive and well.” And if you’re a pastor or a priest you may also say, “I hope he tithes part of that prosperity to his church.” But the successful businessman in Jesus’ story has more to say. He continues, “And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’” This man is very happy in his success. More than that, he is very secure. When he says, “eat, drink, be merry,” he’s saying that he intends to enjoy the best restaurants, the most engaging entertainment, the most sophisticated vacation spots and watering holes. He’s got it made. Strong language It’s at this point that Jesus uses strong language. And he puts the language in the voice of God, and perhaps he’s saying that only God has a right to use language like this: “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?’” This is really quite shocking. Remember again that Jesus said we should never call someone a fool. Yet Jesus — through the parable — is calling this man a fool. Why? What has he done wrong? Obviously he has been an astute manager, using his resources well, and it has paid off for him. Nothing in the story suggests that he has gotten his wealth dishonestly. And isn’t he being a good manager — which is a quality that Jesus seems to praise in other parables? And can you blame him, really, for feeling secure? His wealth is tied up in the most necessary of commodities, food. Why would Jesus call this man a fool? The main point Jesus answers our question as he concludes the story. “So it is,” Jesus said, “with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” I believe Jesus is saying that a person is a fool when he or she is rich in earthly things but poor toward God. Without a doubt the main point of this parable has to do with material possessions — our money, our property, our investments, our pension and retirement programs. But I think it is proper to extend its influence and say that it also applies to our talents, our abilities, our social standing and even our physical health: If we are rich in these things, worthy as they may be, and are poor toward God, we’ll end up playing the fool. Why do we say this? Because you and I are bigger than money or social standing or public recognition. At the least, you and I are creatures of character. Even if we did not believe in the eternal soul, most of us would still believe in our worth as persons — and we humans are more than the positions we win, the headlines we create, the awards that come our way or the net balance of our assets. We are creatures with a soul, creatures with the capacity to demonstrate character and creatures that dare to dream about being better than we are. That of itself is reason to pause. But beyond that, you and I are eternal creatures. We are creatures who bear the image of God and who long to know God. Hear me: If we try to satisfy ourselves with financial security or physical comfort or business or athletic or political success, we are fools. We have missed the point of who we, as human beings, are. Jesus said it quite clearly and sharply: If we are rich in all those things that constitute the rat race, and poor toward God — the angel race, if we may say so — then we are fools. It is really quite simple. Painfully so. This brings us back to the incident that caused Jesus to tell this incisive parable. Remember, Jesus was teaching and a man in the crowd interrupted with a request: “Teacher,” he said, “tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” Jesus had been telling his audience about the danger of sinning against the Holy Spirit and how they must live godly lives with courage in the face of persecution — and this man interrupts to solicit help in getting what he feels is his share of the family estate. While Jesus is talking about eternal conduct, this man is thinking of a lawsuit — thinking about it so intently that obviously he doesn’t hear what Jesus is saying. The poor man was a fool. I wonder: When Jesus told the story of the wealthy farmer who was rich toward himself and poor toward God, and said that the farmer — in spite of all his economic cleverness — was a fool — do you think the fellow who brought the question to Jesus knew that Jesus was describing him? Do you think he realized that he was a fool? But more pertinently just now: Do you think you and I realize when we’re playing the fool? Do you think we understand how easy it is to seek our security in things that can’t ultimately save us? And do you think we know how important it is to be rich toward God, and to live accordingly? Jesus was careful about the language he used, but he called the smart farmer — and the brother who was seeking a lawsuit — a fool. I think I’d rather have Jesus call me a fool so I can get over it than to live and die without knowing the truth about myself. I would like to be wise enough to believe Jesus and to live my life accordingly. |
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