1. This parable follows a warning against covetousness. (Lk. 12:15).

2. Note the parable is filled with personal pronouns. He uses the personal pronoun AI@ 6 times and the possessive pronoun Amy@ 5 times.

12:16 And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a certain rich man was very productive.

1. The man was rich at the beginning of the story and will get even richer after his great crop.

2. He was unable to use all his riches, so he decided to hoard and store the excess.

12:17 "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?'

12:18 "And 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.

 1. So a granary or storehouse, an old word, six times in the New Testament. (Matt. 3:12; 6:26; 13:30; Lk. 3:17; 12:18,24).

 2. The words "all my corn" means grain (wheat, barley), not maize or Indian corn.

 3. AMy goods@ may indicate that he possessed more than just farm produce.

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."'

1. He could have said, AI shall be able to give more to God and help those less fortunate than me.@

2. Instead he thought only of self.

3. The needs of the poor were not included in his plans.

4. ATake your ease, eat, drink {and} be merry@ describes the hedonistic life-style he planned to pursue.

5. This is the philosophy Paul advocated for Christians if the dead are not raised.

"If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." (1 Cor. 15:32).

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?'

1. The rich fool forget: (1) God (2) Others (3) Death (4) Source of real happiness (5) A man is more than what he owns.

2. The word Asoul@ denotes his life and his immortal spirit.

3. He died and lost his soul. See Matthew 10:28; Jas. 1:21.

4. AThis {very} night@ conveys emphatically there was no time available to amend his ways.

5. It is foolish and fallacious to assume we have any time but the moment we are experiencing. (Prov. 27:1).

12:21 "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

1. The only wealth that matters and lasts is wealth laid up in heaven. (Matt. 6:19-21).

2. The fool hoards rather than being concerned for God and neighbors. (Lk. 12:33).

3. ARich toward God@ is synonym for Atreasure in heaven.@ (Lk. 12:33; 18:22).

1. Life is uncertain even for the rich. (Prov. 27:1).

2. We are taught to share what we have and not hoard what we have. (1 Tim. 6:17-19).

3. Our riches cannot keep us from dying.

4. We cannot take our riches with us. (1 Tim. 6:7).

• Riches are for this world only.

• One can avoid becoming a slave to possessions by recognizing their temporary quality.

• The rich fool did not recognize that he Aowned@ nothing.

5. We should keep in mind the source of real happiness. (Lk. 12:15).

6. We should remember we are to lay up treasures in heaven. (Matt. 6:19-21).

• This makes us Arich toward God.@ (Lk. 12:21).

• Being rich materially counts nothing with God for salvation.

7. We must not exchange riches for our soul. (Matt. 16:26).

8. It is very easy in our pursuit of riches to forget God.

• The rich fool never even mentioned God.

• The more wealth we gain the less we may feel a need for God.

 9. It will be hard for a rich person to enter God=s kingdom. (Lk. 18:25).

10. Jesus emphasizes we are not to be anxious about material things, but we are to Aseek his kingdom.@ (Lk. 12:22-24; Matt. 6:25-33).