«But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God» (Luke 12:20, 21).
A FRIEND OF PHILIP YANCEY used to say that the three most important questions one can ask regarding money are:
How did you acquire it?
What are you doing with it?
What is the money doing to you?
Which of the three questions is the most important? Without a doubt, the third. For this reason, Yancey himself writes that some of Jesus’s most incisive sayings go straight to the heart of that third question. What is a good example of this? The tale of the foolish rich man.
A quick reading of the story gives the impression that we are in the presence of a man who possesses all the tools of a successful manager: entrepreneur, planner, willing to take risks. However, in Gods opinion, the man is a «fool.» Why?
First of all, because his world was very small; so small that there was only room for him and his pleasures. It is enough to hear him speak for one to realize how selfish he was: «I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods» (Luke 12:18). Through this man’s mind, did not even remotely cross the idea that he could be a means of blessing to others.
Secondly, this man thought he was in control of the future. This attitude is reflected when he says, «And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry’ » (v. 19). As Leon Morris writes, the way the story is constructed shows the foolishness of this man, because the expression «This night your soul will be required of you,» which was commonly used among rabbis, «gives an understanding of an action on the part of God»; in other words, it is equivalent to saying, «God asks for your soul.»
Who is foolish and who is wise before God? According to the parable, the foolish person is the one «who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God»; the wise person is «rich toward God» (v. 21).
Definitely, the scale of values in heaven is very different from the one that predominates in this world! Therefore, it is necessary to ask the three questions again: How did you acquire your money? What are you doing with it? More importantly, what is the money doing to you?
Put another way: Who owns whom?
Heavenly rather, please help me be a good steward of the resources that come into my hands in a way that also benefits those in need. Help me always remember that my future is in Your hands; and that my true wealth is in the heavenly homeland.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
