Lesson 73: A Fool and His Money (Luke 12:13-21)

“You can’t take it with you.” That familiar phrase is one that actually sums up fairly well this parable. It helps us to think about what we are focusing on and whether or not it is consistent with the eternal-mindedness Jesus instructs us to espouse. The man in this account who was interacting with Jesus had a complaint that he thought Jesus would be likely to help him with. Since Jesus was, after all, a big proponent of generosity and sharing, surely He would be able to help a guy out who wanted to see His brother learn such important lessons. Jesus did what He always did, however—He went straight for the heart and the idols beneath the request. Pastor Daniel brings out the truths of this text by emphasizing the main point, “Only a fool builds up his earthly portfolio at the expense of his heavenly one.” Understanding the multifaceted nature of wealth and how our hearts interact with it, the following truths are also laid down: 1) Your things are neither good nor evil. 2) You must guard against greed. 3) You must decide what to do with what you’ve been given. 4) You must be rich toward God and not lay up treasure for yourself.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff