THE FOOLISHNESS OF GREED

IT'S ABOUT GOD POD

The story which Jesus tells is usually called “The Parable of the Rich Fool.” But on the face of it, we might not call the farmer in Jesus’ story, a fool. He certainly has been fortunate; because of the situation he was already in: the holder of a farm, a productive farm; because of the situation he was already in he has come into possession of an abundance, a great surplus of crops, of wealth. This is certainly not something which our culture/society, the world we live in would regard as foolishness. Indeed many might regard the rich man’s situation as entirely admirable. It is after all what nearly everybody seems to be aiming for: financial independence and long term security! He has been successful in the way in which our world has set up the definition of success. He has accumulated a surplus, which he has concentrated into his own possession, which he can now use to further whatever ambition or desire he might have. As it happens he has no more ambition. All he wants to do is to take it easy and satisfy his desire to eat drink and be merry. And few would be critical of him for that, calling it, as he might himself, “a well earned rest.” And the plans he has might be thought of might be thought of as demonstrating considerable practical wisdom. After all good fortune is nothing if it is not coupled with good management. He has been so successful that the barns he already has are insufficient to store what he has accumulated. His practical solution is to invest some of his surplus in replacing those barns with newer, bigger, better ones. So that the wealth he has produced isn’t scattered, dissipated but is concentrated all in one place where he can best control it.