WEALTH

Vocabulary

1. Charity- Money, goods or help given to aid the needy/ an organization that assist the
needy
2. Philanthropist- A person who shows kind and generous acts that benefit large numbers
of people
3. Benefactor – Someone who does good for someone, a person who assists someone in a
financial cause
4. Benevolent- To be kind and helpful
5. Greed – Wanting much more food, money or other possessions than you already have or
need
6. Inheritance – money or property left to someone by a deceased relative of friend

The Rich Fool- Luke 12: 13- 24

Throughout Jesus’ ministry he warned against greed and selfishness. The Parable of the Rich
Fool is yet another lesson that teaches about these things. The parable begins with a man from
the crowd asking Jesus to tell his brother to share the inheritance their father left. Jesus asked the
man, “Who gave me the right to divide the property between you?” He then told the crowd:
 Watch out and guard yourself against all kinds of greed
 A person’s true life is not made up of the things he owns no matter how rich he may be.
He then told them the parable.

The Rich Fool- Outline

1. A farmer harvested good crops in abundance
2. He thought to himself I have no place to store my crops what should I do?
3. He made the decision that he would tear down his old barns and build bigger ones. This
way he could store all of his crops and have them for a long time.
4. He said to himself; I have the good things I need for many years. I can eat drink and be
merry.
5. However; God said, “You fool, you will die this very night, then what will you do with
all your things you have kept for yourself”?
6. Jesus concluded by saying, “This is what happens to people who store up riches but are
not rich in God’s sight”.

KEY POINTS

 The man was considered foolish. He thought he had everything worked out. In his
mind he was in control. He never thought of God’s position in his life, nor did he
consider how he could use his good fortune to benefit others.
 He stored up riches on earth. Everything on earth has an end, nothing last forever.
He figured by storing up for the future he was secured for a very long time. God
showed him that earthly things do not matter once you die. The things of God are
what matter. We are admonished to store up heavenly riches. The Rich Fool could
have done this by:
1. Putting God first
2. Helping the Church
3. Assisting the needy
4. Being obedient to God’s word.