Lesson #59

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #59
THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL (LUK 12:13-21)

• MEMORY VERSE: LUK 12:34

• THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL (LUK 12:13-21)
• READ LUK 12:13-34 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE
• BACKGROUND NOTE:
• JEWISH LAW SAID THAT THE OLDEST SON INHERITED 2/3 AND THE REST OF THE ESTATE WAS DIVIDED AMONG THE YOUNGER SONS. THE MAN IN VERSE 13 IS PROBABLY A YOUNGER SON WHO DID NOT GET HIS LEGAL SHARE.
• TO WHOM DOES JESUS SPEAK THIS PARABLE?
• JESUS SPEAKS TO A MIXED MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE, AND SPECIFICALLY TO THE MAN SEEKING HIS INHERITANCE.
• IT WAS INAPPROPRIATE FOR THIS MAN TO ASK JESUS TO GET INVOLVED IN THE PROBLEM OF HIS LEGAL INHERITANCE.
• WHAT SHOULD THE MAN HAVE DONE?
• HE SHOULD HAVE GONE TO THE SCRIBES AND LAWYERS WHO MEDIATED THE LAW.
• JESUS REJECTED THE MAN’S APPEAL TO BECOME LEGALLY INVOLVED BECAUSE IT WAS OUTSIDE OF HIS EARTHLY MISSION.
• INSTEAD JESUS DEALT WITH THE SPRITUAL CONDITION OF THE MAN’S HEART.
• DESCRIBE THE ATTITUDE OF THE MAN IN VERSE 13.
• THE MAN WAS ANGRY.
• HE SOUGHT PERSONAL JUSTICE AT THE EXPENSE OF HIS BROTHER AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP.
• THE MAN WAS COVETOUS.
• THIS MAN’S WHOLE ATTENTION WAS FOCUSED ON MATERIAL POSSESSIONS WITH NO REGARD FOR HIS BROTHER.
• JESUS KNEW THE MAN’S HEART AND SAW EXACTLY WHAT THE MAN NEEDED SPIRITUALLY.
• WHO DOES THE “CERTAIN RICH MAN” IN THE PARABLE REPRESENT? (16)
• THIS RICH MAN REPRESENTS ANY PERSON, WHETHER BELIEVER OR NON-BELIEVER, WHOSE FOCUS IN LIFE IS ON MATERIAL POSSESSIONS.
• COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE WORD, “I”, APPEARS IN VERSES 17-19.
• OF COURSE, THE NUMBER WILL VARY ACCORDIING TO THE VERSION OF THE BIBLE YOU USE.. THE KING JAMES BIBLE HAS 6.
• COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE WORD, “MY”, APPEARS IN VERSES 17-19.
• AGAIN, THE NUMBER WILL VARY ACCORDING TO YOUR VERSION OF THE BIBLE. THE KING JAMES BIBLE HAS 5.
• WHAT IS IT THAT THESE WORDS TELL US ABOUT THE MAN?
• YOUR HOMEWORK HAD YOU COUNT THE NUMBER OF THESE WORDS TO INDICATE TO YOU THE SELF-CENTERED, PRIDEFUL, MATERIALISTIC ATTITUDE OF THE MAN SO WE COULD CONTRAST THIS ATTITUDE WITH WHAT SHOULD BE THE ATTITUDE OF THE CHRISTIAN.
• THE MAN THOUGHT THAT EVERYTHING HE HAD BELONGED TO HIM, EVEN HIS OWN SOUL.
• IN REALITY, EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOD. GOD SIMPLY LOANS US THESE THINGS OVER WHICH WE ARE TO BE GOOD STEWARDS.
• THIS MAN THOUGHT THAT HE CONTROLLED HIS OWN DESTINY AS TO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. (19)
• IN REALITY, GOD CONTROLS EVERYTHING.
• THIS MAN THOUGHT THAT HIS ABILITY TO ACCUMULATE WEALTH WAS ALL DUE TO HIS OWN EFFORTS.
• IN REALITY, GOD GIVES US THE ABILITY TO ACCUMULATE WEALTH, AND GOD CONTROLS THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
• MAN EITHER COOPERATES WITH GOD OR HINDERS GOD’S BLESSINGS.
• THIS MAN THOUGHT THAT THE PURPOSE OF LIFE WAS TO HAVE AN EASY LIFE FILLED WITH COMFORT AND PLEASURE. (19)
• IN REALITY, THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS TO BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST SO AS TO BRING GOD THE GREATEST GLORY.
• THIS MAN THOUGHT THAT SUCCESS IN LIFE WAS BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL WEALTH ONE ACCUMULATES.
• IN REALITY, SUCCESS IN LIFE DEPENDS ON HOW ONE LIVES HIS LIFE FOR CHRIST.
• READ PHI 1:21-22
• READ PHI 3:8
• READ JOS 1:8
• JESUS CALLED THE MAN IN THE PARABLE, “A FOOL”. (20)
• DISCUSSION: WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF THE WORD, “FOOL”

• THE BIBLE DEFINITION OF A FOOL:
• THE SCRIPTURES INDICATE THAT A FOOL IS A PERSON WHO IS WITHOUT REASON. HE LACKS A COMMON SENSE PERSEPECTIVE OF REALITY OF THINGS NATURAL AND THINGS SPIRITUAL.
• READ PSA 14:1
• A FOOL AFFIRMS THAT THERE IS NO GOD.
• THIS IS NOT THE ATHEIST WHO BELIEVES THAT GOD DOES NOT EXIST.
• INSTEAD, THIS IS THE PERSON WHO IS SAYING, “THERE IS A GOD, BUT THERE IS NO GOD FOR ME.”
• THE FOOL IS ONE WHO IS IGNORANT OF GOD’S DIVINE HAND THAT SUPPLIES AND MULTIPLIES PROSPERITY.
• THE BIBLICAL EXAMPLE OF A FOOL:
• READ 1SAM 25:1-12, 23-25, 35, 37-38
• THE NAME, NABAL, MEANS = FOOL.
• NOTICE THAT THE STORY OF NABAL ALSO HAS TO DO WITH AN ATTITUDE OF PRIDE AND COVETOUSNESS.

• THE PARABLE RESULTS:
• THE PARABLE SAYS THAT VERY NIGHT, THE MAN WOULD DIE. (20)
• THIS MAN NEVER CONSIDERED HIS MORTALITY OR HIS ETERNAL DESTINY. (MAT 19:21)
• MANY PEOPLE TODAY LIVE THEIR LIVES WITHOUT EVER CONTEMPLATING THEIR MORTALITY OR THEIR ETERNAL DESTINY.

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL?
• A PERSON CAN BE RICH IN MATERIAL WEALTH AND POOR IN SPIRITUAL WEALTH. THE WISE MAN WILL SEEK SPIRITUAL WEALTH.
• AFTER SPEAKING THE PARABLE, JESUS GOES ON TO TEACH HIS DISCIPLES IN LUK 12:22 AND FOLLOWING, ABOUT THE PROPER ATTITUDE TOWARD MATERIAL POSSESSIONS AND GOD.
• THE KEY PRINCIPLE:
• SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD. (31)
• NOTICE THE NUMBER OF TIMES JESUS TALKS ABOUT BEING ANXIOUS AND HAVING FEAR ABOUT MONEY OR PROVISIONS IN VERSES 22, 25, 26, AND 32.
• HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE THE CORRECT PERSPECTIVE?
• LUK 12:34 TELLS US.
• “FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO.”
• IS JESUS TEACHING THAT A CHRISTIAN SHOULD NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OR THAT A CHRISTIAN SHOULD NOT HAVE AMBITION TO WORK HARD AND SUCCEED IN THIS LIFE?
• NO. IT IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE.
• READ 2COR 5:9-10
• AMBITION, HARD WORK, AND PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE SHOULD NOT BE OUT OF A SELFISH OR SENSUAL MOTIVE.
• IS JESUS TEACHING THAT WEALTH IS EVIL?
• NO IT IS A MATTER OF PRIORITY AND ATTITUDE.
• READ 1TIM 3:7-11
• ABRAHAM WAS A VERY WEALTHY MAN WHO WAS APPROVED AND BLESSED BY GOD.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE AMBITIOUS GUEST (LUK 14:7-14)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL (LUK 12:13-21)
• EXAMINE YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE AND ATTITUDE TOWARD WEALTH AND THE PURPOSE OF LIFE.
• IN ORDER TO BETTER CONFORM YOUR ATTITUDES WITH THE WORD OF GOD, WHAT SPECIFIC CHANGES DO YOU NEED TO MAKE REGARDING YOUR ATTITUDES TOWARD MATERIAL POSSESSIONS AND WEALTH?

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE AMBITIOUS GUEST (LUK 14:7-14)
• READ LUK 14:1-14 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• TO WHOM DOES JESUS SPEAK THE PARABLE?

• WHO DOES THE HOST OF THE WEDDING FEAST REPRESENT?

• WHO DOES THE MAN INVITED TO THE WEDDING REPRESENT? (8)

• WHAT DOES “THE CHIEF SEAT” REPRESENT? (8)

• WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN BY VERSES 12 AND 13?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 18:4