Jesus’ Parable of The Rich
Fool
Jesus warns against deceptive
greed
Introduction
• Like today, many in Jesus’ day were
enslaved to greed, covetousness
• They loved material things above all
• They valued their worth based on
acquiring material things
• From this parable, they and we need to
learn the value of our souls is greater than
all material things we can obtain
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Introduction
• Unlike other parables, Jesus speaks this
one to the crowd and explains the
applications
• Whether we are rich or not, we can be
enslaved to material things, always
desiring more things
• Unless changed, like the Rich Fool, we will
forfeit our soul
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Jesus’ Parable of The Rich Fool
1. Background
2. The parable
3. Applications
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Background
• While teaching about fearing God and
other matters, someone asked a question
• Jesus answers revealing the sin of greed
• He follows that up with the parable of the
Rich Fool showing the futility of
covetousness
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Fear God Above All
Luk 12:4 "I say to you, My friends, do not be
afraid of those who kill the body and after
that have no more that they can do.
Luk 12:5 "But I will warn you whom to fear:
fear the One who, after He has killed, has
authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear
Him!
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Consequences of Confessing or
Denying Jesus Before Men
Luk 12:8 "And I say to you, everyone who
confesses Me before men, the Son of Man
will confess him also before the angels of
God;
Luk 12:9 but he who denies Me before men
will be denied before the angels of God.
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Jesus Answers A Distracting
Question
Luk 12:13 Someone in the crowd said to
Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the
family inheritance with me."
Luk 12:14 But He said to him, "Man, who
appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over
you?"
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Jesus Warns The Crowd
Against Greed or Covetousness
Luk 12:15 Then He said to them, "Beware,
and be on your guard against every form of
greed; for not even when one has an
abundance does his life consist of his
possessions."
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Covetousness Is Idolatry
Col 3:5 Therefore consider the members of
your earthly body as dead to immorality,
impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed,
which amounts to idolatry.
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Jesus’ Parable of The Rich Fool
Luk 12:16 And He told them a parable,
saying, "The land of a rich man was very
productive.
Luk 12:17 "And he began reasoning to
himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I
have no place to store my crops?'
Luk 12:18 "Then he said, 'This is what I will
do: I will tear down my barns and build
larger ones, and there I will store all my
grain and my goods. 11
Jesus’ Parable of The Rich Fool
Luk 12:19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul,
you have many goods laid up for many
years to come; take your ease, eat, drink
and be merry."'
Luk 12:20 "But God said to him, 'You fool!
This very night your soul is required of you;
and now who will own what you have
prepared?'
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Jesus’ Parable of The Rich Fool
Luk 12:21 "So is the man who stores up
treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God."
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Having An Abundance Of Things Does
Not Give Us Control Over Our Life
Luk 12:15 Then He said to them, "Beware,
and be on your guard against every form of
greed; for not even when one has an
abundance does his life consist of his
possessions."
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Having An Abundance Of Things Does
Not Give Us Control Over Our Life
Heb 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed
for men to die once and after this comes
judgment,
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We Are Spiritual Beings Dwelling In
Temporary Physical Bodies
2Co 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart,
but though our outer man is decaying, yet
our inner man is being renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is
producing for us an eternal weight of glory
far beyond all comparison,
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We Are Spiritual Beings Dwelling In
Temporary Physical Bodies
2Co 4:18 while we look not at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are
not seen; for the things which are seen are
temporal, but the things which are not seen
are eternal.
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The Foolish Man Thinks Only Of Self
And Not Of God And Others
Mar 8:34 And He summoned the crowd with
His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone
wishes to come after Me, he must deny
himself, and take up his cross and follow
Me.
Mar 8:35 "For whoever wishes to save his
life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for
My sake and the gospel's will save it.
Mar 8:36 "For what does it profit a man to
gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 18
We Should Make Our Plans
With The Lord In Mind
Jas 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today
or tomorrow we will go to such and such a
city, and spend a year there and engage in
business and make a profit."
Jas 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life
will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor
that appears for a little while and then
vanishes away.
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We Should Make Our Plans
With The Lord In Mind
Jas 4:15 Instead, you ought to say, "If the
Lord wills, we will live and also do this or
that."
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The Soul Can Only Be Sustained By
Spiritual Food Not Material Things
Ecc 5:10 He who loves money will not be
satisfied with money, nor he who loves
abundance with its income. This too is
vanity.
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The Soul Can Only Be Sustained By
Spiritual Food Not Material Things
Mat 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is
written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD
ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT
PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF
GOD.'"
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The Soul Can Only Be Sustained By
Spiritual Food Not Material Things
Joh 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the
flesh profits nothing; the words that I have
spoken to you are spirit and are life.
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Our Primary Obligation Is To Live A
Life Rich In Faith Toward God
Luk 12:21 "So is the man who stores up
treasure for himself, and is not rich toward
God."
Luk 12:22 And He said to His disciples, "For
this reason I say to you, do not worry about
your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your
body, as to what you will put on.
Luk 12:23 "For life is more than food, and
the body more than clothing.
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Our Primary Obligation Is To Live A
Life Rich In Faith Toward God
Luk 12:31 "But seek His kingdom, and
these things will be added to you.
Luk 12:32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for
your Father has chosen gladly to give you
the kingdom.
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Our Primary Obligation Is To Live A
Life Rich In Faith Toward God
Luk 12:33 "Sell your possessions and give
to charity; make yourselves money belts
which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure
in heaven, where no thief comes near nor
moth destroys.
Luk 12:34 "For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also.
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Our Primary Obligation Is To Live A
Life Rich In Faith Toward God
1Ti 6:6 But godliness actually is a means of
great gain when accompanied by
contentment.
1Ti 6:7 For we have brought nothing into
the world, so we cannot take anything out of
it either.
1Ti 6:8 If we have food and covering, with
these we shall be content.
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Our Primary Obligation Is To Live A
Life Rich In Faith Toward God
1Ti 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this
present world not to be conceited or to fix
their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but
on God, who richly supplies us with all
things to enjoy.
1Ti 6:18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich
in good works, to be generous and ready to
share,
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Our Primary Obligation Is To Live A
Life Rich In Faith Toward God
1Ti 6:19 storing up for themselves the
treasure of a good foundation for the future,
so that they may take hold of that which is
life indeed.
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